How often do we come across someone who is smart, yet not doing well in their job? Most people attribute success to intelligence, but this is not necessarily the case. Emotional intelligence which is the ability to know and manage one’s emotions, as well as the emotions of others is a proven key success factor in the workplace. And it has a direct impact not only on our performance, but also our ability to communicate, to lead others, to deal with work pressure and to derive more pleasure from our work.
A Seminar on Emotional Intelligence was organized by the Estonian Small Animal Veterinary Association in Pärnu, Estonia on 18 November. More than 60 veterinary business owners and their staff participated in this interactive seminar. The invited speaker was Elli Kalemtzaki, DVM, ICF Certified Coach, NLP Practitioner.
During the seminar we explored different aspects of Emotional Intelligence in the veterinary practice and how we can use it for better communication with clients and team members, better service to clients and patients and improved job satisfaction.
The workshop consisted of the following 4 parts:
- Three most common mistakes in communication with the pet owner
Understanding how different communicating styles influence the way we interact with others and practical tips to improve communication with your team and clients. It is a fact that the way we receive, process and transmit information varies between individuals. In this very interactive session we explored common mistakes that we make when we communicate. Participants identified their communicating style and how they can adapt effectively their message to different communicating styles.
- The opportunity behind the obstacle: Dealing with anger and complaints
As companion animal veterinary practitioners you will sooner or later be faced with pet owner complaints. How can you manage the complaints of pet owners, but more than that to use the complaint as an opportunity to increase loyalty? During this presentation we discussed potential obstacles in managing pet owner complaints.
- Crucial Conversations: How to deliver bad news
Rocky died during surgery. His owner is at the waiting room and you need to announce the news. Delivering bad news is never an easy task, in fact it is one of the most difficult conversations for any member of your team. Some clients may react to bad news with anger or blame. Participants learned how to deliver bad news skillfully and make sure that the pet owner’s concerns are addressed and emotions supported.
- Dealing with Stress in Clinical Practice
Do you feel you are caught in the busy trap? Maybe you are stressed and think that there are not enough hours in the day to complete your job duties? We can’t avoid long days, emotional clients, and the pressure of dealing with sick patients. The phenomenon of stress in the veterinary profession is recognized worldwide. During this session we explored the main stresors in the workplace and what changes we can make to increase our stress tolerance and develop coping strategies.
