During the early years of my veterinary career, I had the privilege of working for a central office that oversaw more than 15 practices. The experience exposed me to multisite centralized operations, including inventory management, human resources, and accounts payable. It also showed me how individual practice leaders contributed to the organization’s overarching structure and culture. The exposure gave me the confidence to design, open, and operate my own veterinary practice.
After owning and managing my practice for a dozen years, I felt ready for a multiunit leadership job. While I wasn’t wrong about the general concept of applying my style, I discovered that multisite leadership came with nuances. Below are four areas essential for navigating it.
1. Emotional Intelligence
When I moved into a multisite leadership role, I encountered new layers of complexity, such as managing diverse teams, maintaining consistent service quality, and fostering a workplace culture that people genuinely wanted to be a part of. I considered myself well-versed in emotional intelligence (EQ), but I quickly realized that continued growth in this area would become the most important factor in my success as a multisite leader.
EQ encompasses the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your emotions and those of others. It includes critical skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
EQ matters because it:
- Enhances communication and collaboration. EQ enables effective communication, helping leaders address the emotional needs of their teams and foster better collaboration, even when team members don’t interact face-to-face daily.
- Builds trust and relationships. Trust is the foundation of successful management. By demonstrating empathy and understanding, leaders can build trust across locations, which is vital for maintaining consistent, high-quality service.
- Aids in conflict resolution. Diverse teams often bring unique challenges, including conflicts. EQ equips leaders with the skills to address disputes calmly and productively. This becomes particularly important when teaching others to resolve conflicts without your physical presence on-site.
- Fosters strong digital communication skills. EQ helps leaders interpret emotional cues in digital interactions, ensuring messages are clear and empathetic.
2. Operational Strategies
The shift from managing one practice to multiple sites introduces greater operational complexity. What worked well at one location, where you could directly oversee every detail, may not translate to the multisite model. Single-site managers often have the luxury of hands-on influence, while multisite leaders must adopt a more hands-off approach, empowering their teams to take the lead in daily operations.
To narrow your focus and achieve maximum impact:
- Leverage your practice management software. Your PIMS is the backbone of daily operations. Centralized data management and seamless collaboration become even more critical across multiple sites. Ensure you know the finer details of your PIMS and how to implement changes that improve efficiency and financial outcomes.
- Establish consistent protocols for clinical and administrative tasks. While standardization reduces variability, involving practice teams in protocol creation ensures buy-in.
- Invest in technology. Employ workflow software and cloud-based solutions to automate routine tasks. Simplify the technical things so that you have time to focus on your interactions with people.
- Foster a unified culture. A strong practice culture promotes employee retention and satisfaction. Recognize high-performing team members, create opportunities for professional growth, and maintain a supportive environment across all sites.
3. Finances
Managing the money at a single practice is one thing, but scaling the knowledge to multiple sites is another. Focus on these key areas:
- Budgeting and forecasting: Develop comprehensive budgets for multiple sites. Forecast revenue and expenses based on historical data and market trends.
- Revenue optimization: Manage revenue centers to respond to local seasonality or socioeconomic factors.
- Cost control: Use your PIMS to manage inventory and reduce waste. Tailor cost strategies for individual practice sites and share best practices across locations.
- Financial reporting: Regularly review performance metrics like average transaction size, client retention rates, and revenue per veterinarian. Use data strategically to shape a high-performance culture.
- Cash flow: Plan for fluctuations due to seasonal or geographic factors. Maintain funds to support struggling locations while stabilizing the overall portfolio.
- Strategic planning: Align financial goals with long-term growth. Understand how recruiting and market trends influence your expansion strategy.
4. Remote Staff
As a practice owner, I loved being physically present for my team — cooking meals, planning outings, and engaging in impromptu conversations. To build genuine relationships as a multisite leader, I had to connect with people in new ways. Here are effective remote management strategies:
- Leverage technology. Use digital communication and project management tools to streamline interactions.
- Prioritize communication. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to ensure team members feel heard and supported. These interactions are central to building a cohesive multisite culture.
- Foster flexibility. Support remote employees by promoting collaboration and cross-training. Regularly ask, “How can I help my team feel closer, even when we’re far apart?”
- Invest in training. Provide personalized, interactive training that fosters engagement and professional growth. Avoid generic solutions like video modules.
- Monitor performance. Use technology to track it, but keep your feedback personal and genuine. Frequent, constructive conversations maintain alignment and morale, ensuring continuous improvement.
Goodbye Checkers, Hello Chess
My transition was challenging but rewarding. Not only will you deepen your understanding of the veterinary field, but you’ll also uncover new insights about yourself. To succeed, embrace continuous personal and professional growth, learn from mistakes, and stay grounded in your core values.
Multisite leadership isn’t just about managing larger numbers or bigger budgets — it’s about making a broader impact on the profession. By fostering strong relationships, promoting excellence in patient care, and supporting your teams, you can create meaningful change. With humility, resilience, and a commitment to growth, you’ll move beyond checkers and master the game of operational multisite chess.
A DIFFERENT GAME
Single-site leadership often feels like playing checkers — direct moves, immediate feedback, and clear cause and effect. Managing multiple sites is more like chess: You must think several moves ahead, and strategy is the key. The shift is about thinking differently, not doing more. As the author Mark Miller said, “If you want to build a high-performance organization, you’ve got to play chess, not checkers.”