Don’t Discount a Simple ‘Thank You’

Today is Administrative Professionals’ Day! Yes….I know, I know….another Hallmark holiday, right? Not so fast! In today’s world, it is all too easy to forget to show your appreciation to those that mean so much to you, on a regular basis. I appreciate these little “holidays” as a simple reminder to honor those around me and say a simple “Thank You!” at the very least.

Some veterinary practices use this day to recognize their office manager and receptionists (or client service representatives). In our practices, we do things a little bit differently. In October, we always participate in National Veterinary Technician Week and use the entire week to recognize and thank our eleven Registered Veterinary Technicians for everything they do. The week prior, we celebrate Client Service Appreciation Week and do a similar “Thank You” and recognition program for our Veterinary Assistants and Client Service Representatives. Somewhere in the middle of all that hoopla is “Bosses’ Day”, where the staff have a tradition of sharing their thanks and appreciation for me (Hospital Administrator) and the Practice Owner.

So this leaves us with the Associate veterinarians and our “Management Team” of supervisors and directors. In July each year, I select a Wednesday to honor our veterinarians. It’s a small gesture, but one that needs to happen. They hear from clients all the time how much they are loved and appreciated, but maybe not so much from the staff. In my opinion, the most under acknowledged group is the departmental supervisors and team leaders! These are the people who have grown up through the ranks….first by working as a team member, then having to change roles and become a supervisor to their peers. This is one of the hardest things to overcome, no matter how much support and guidance you give. I’ve seen instances where emerging leaders have had to leave practices they loved and move on to another practice to overcome the stigma of “moving to the dark side”.

I like to reserve Administrative Professionals’ Day for this group of hard-working, middle managers: the office managers, inventory managers, and departmental supervisors! I like to try different things each year, from sending flowers to presenting them with gift cards. I have found though, that the most powerful gift of all is the written word. A handwritten note from the heart is the most powerful thank you gift you can give someone. That’s not to say a nice little gift card tucked in with the note isn’t necessary…..but the thing that will be remembered and appreciated…maybe even treasured, are the words you write to them from your heart.

In addition to my hand-written notes and gift cards, I’m going to take it one step further with a round of public recognition (in addition to today’s staff meeting):

• Aaron: the best Human Resources Director a person could have. If he can do HR for a women’s juvenile detention facility, he can certainly handle our HR problems! During the interview process, he must have called me “Ma’m” twenty times. I hired him on the condition he call me Brenda….and never “ma’m” me again:)
• Monika: our goddess of inventory. Take someone who is highly organized, values systems and procedures, and hates to shop….and you have the perfect Inventory Manager for your hospital. She’s frugal and always keeps the shelves neatly organized and at a minimum on-hand quantity. I get a kick out of the fact that she’s right across the hall from me everyday, but she “talks” to me on Twitter:)
• Brad: dog trainer, Director of Pet Behavior Services, and Headmaster at Bark Tutor School for Dogs. We are kindred “green” souls, constantly striving to improve himself through higher learning, self-improvement and challenging himself everyday. How do you manage a self-motivated workaholic? Don’t set their schedule…they’ll work harder and longer than you would ever ask of them!
• Melinda: passionate with a capital “P”, you couldn’t have a more polished Director of Client Service & Loyalty. Always giving 110% of herself when she’s on-duty, then giving 120% of herself to her two young sons, I can only hope she finds time to refuel herself! This place isn’t the same when she’s not around….from her constant laughter and chatter, to her passionate drive and spirit, I’m lucky to have her in my life.
• Blythe: rock solid, dependable Patient Care Director. She is a study in poise and grace in the face of any emergency patient care situation. Conscientious and thorough, she takes care of all the little details that would never get into the computer system if left in my hands!
• Lisa: the heart and soul of our Director Team. This caring, compassionate, through-and-through “blue” technician supervisor reminds us all why we are here, each and every day. Not only a mother to her own kids, but a mother of sorts to the Tech team, as well.
• Tracy: Administrative Assistant extraordinaire! On a part-time basis, she comes in each week and keeps my brain from exploding, single-handedly. Pair that with the fact that she cut our A/R is HALF in less than a year….she’s a real gem:)
• Tonya: I want to be like Tonya when I grow up….patience and grace epitomize this Office Manager who runs the Wellness Center while manning the front desk four days a week:) Always with a smile…..she’s priceless!

So….who do you appreciate, and when was the last time you told them what they meant to you? Take a moment and express yourself….it means more than you will ever know.

Tags: appreciation, holidays, recognition, thank you

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 at 1:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.