Pulse - August 2022 - 17

THE RVT
A Crash Course in How to Speak " HR "
Theresa Cosper-Roberts, RVT
I
have always been a very sassy person. I say what I am
thinking as I'm thinking it, no matter who I'm talking to.
This has proven to be a problem when speaking to hospital
administrators and human resources representatives. Now
that I am a manager, I have become fluent in " HR " and
would like my gained knowledge to benefit others. Here is
how to translate what you want to say into something that
will not result in a meeting discussing your conduct.
Instead of " I told you so. "
This is not surprising, as I previously predicted this outcome. Sorry
to hear things did not go as planned. Let us figure out a way to salvage
this situation.
Instead of " I do not have time to do this. I cannot add
anything else "
Today, I am responsible for ____, ____, and _____. While I would
be more than happy to take on additional work, I need you to tell
me which tasks I need to deprioritize or not perform to complete
this additional task.
Instead of " Are you crazy? I am not touching that crazy
a** dog! "
Before we proceed, can we consider chemical restraint to ensure
that everyone involved is safe, including the patient?
Instead of " I'm not staying late to do that. "
I know that the hospital values the importance of a work/life balance,
and our current workday ends at five. Given that this is not
an urgent situation, can we prioritize handling first thing tomorrow
morning instead?
Instead of " What part of ____ did you not understand? "
There seems to be a disconnect between us in this situation. How
can we resolve this?
Instead of " I don't know what the hell you're talking about. "
Can you help me better understand exactly what we are
discussing?
Instead of " You are the stupidest person I have ever met
in my life; I'm from Louisiana, so that is really saying
something. "
I'm unsure about the feasibility of that. Let us consider an alternative.
Instead of " I have not even clocked in yet. Leave me
alone until I put my stuff down. "
I would be more than happy to assist you as soon as I have an
opportunity to prepare for the day. Where will you be when once
things are situated?
PULSE
AUGUST 2022
Instead of " that's not my job "
I am not sure if that falls within my scope of responsibilities; I
can connect you with _____. They usually manage things of that
nature, so you will be in excellent hands.
Instead of " that dog is going to rip your face off. "
Before you continue, can we consider managing this patient in a different
manner so that things are less stressful and safer for all involved?
Instead of " You have absolutely no idea what you're
doing, do you? "
While I appreciate your efforts, I am uncertain that method is
going to be effective here? Can we consider an alternative?
Instead of " Just because we've always done it that way,
doesn't mean it's right. "
I can recognize and appreciate that this method has worked well in
the past. However, veterinary medicine is constantly evolving. Can
we consider another method of completing this task?
Instead of " that makes absolutely no sense. "
Not sure I understand. Can you explain it differently to show it is
a better option? Can you tell me about your experiences with that
in the past? What were the results?
Instead of " Get out of the way! Let someone competent
takeover "
We are going to have xxx step in- they have the experience
needed to complete this task expeditiously. I appreciate your
enthusiasm and willingness to practice this task. When everything
has been completed with this patient, we will come back and
practice this to get you to exactly where you want to be.
Instead of " What were you thinking when you ____? "
Can we take a moment to discuss your thought process behind ____?
Instead of " Why do I need to stop what I am doing to
help with that? There are a bunch of people over there
not doing anything "
Normally I would assist you, but I am right in the middle of an
important task that cannot be stopped at this time. Would xxx or xxx
be able to help you? It looks like they have finished what they were
working on, and they are extremely skilled at that particular task.
Instead of " If there's time to lean, there's time to clean "
Looks like we have a lull in the schedule. Let us take a break for
a few minutes to regroup and then we can start working on some
overdue tasks or projects.
Instead of " Are you stupid? "
Hmm.... I do believe it is time for my break. P
17
Pulse - August 2022

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