Associate Veterinarian Touch Points & SMARTER Goals:
Associate Veterinarian Touch Points & SMARTER Goals:
Department: Clinical Operations
Version: 1.0
Effective Date: 9/26/25
Last Revision Date: 9/26/25
Associate Veterinarian Touch Points & SMARTER Goals
Every Associate Veterinarian should have regular Touch Point conversations with their Medical Director or Site Medical Leader that they report to. These conversations are essential to engagement, job satisfaction, growth, and retention. These Touch Points should include reflection from the associate, including a chance to discuss mental health so we can guide them to our EAP if help is needed, soft skills, medical skills, productivity, goal setting and follow-up on prior goals.
Annually, Associates should be asked about long-term goals (more than a year out). Having a Touch Point at least quarterly, even if some Touch Points are brief, is the best way to ensure engagement and forward progress on goals. This lets them know that you are there for them and want to be a champion for their success. For many reasons, some associates should receive Touch Points monthly – Associates new to the practice, Associates needing additional coaching through goals, Associates desiring more frequent Touch Points. At each Touch Point, alignment the appropriate cadence for the next Touch Point will allow forward scheduling of the next Touch Point. A date should always be set as best practice, even if it may need to be rescheduled.
Goal setting should be done though the development of SMARTER goals. Goals that are identified during a Touch Point should be transferred to SMARTER goal form for development and planning.
Instructions:
- Download the appropriate DVM Touch Points fillable form (Monthly, Quarterly, Annually) for the Touch Point conversation attached to this KB article.
- Fill in the applicable fields and save.
- Download the SMARTER goal worksheet attached to this KB article. Download as many copies as needed to have one for each goal.
- Fill in the applicable fields and save.
- Login to Dayforce
- Click on the ‘People’ icon on the top of the right-hand of screen
- Search for your ‘Associate’ by typing in their name and/or Dayforce employee ID number
- Click on their name to enter their employee profile
- Click on the ‘Notes’ icon in the overview screen
- Click on the ‘Paper Clip’ icon to upload a file
- Select ‘Associate Veterinarian Touch Points & SMARTER Goals’ from the Document Type drop-down menu
- Click on ‘Browse for File(s)’ icon to upload your document
- Click on ‘Upload’ to upload your document
- Type in a title and leave a comment
- Selected ‘Associated Date’ for uploaded file
- Click on ‘Post’ to save
- Please make sure to upload Touch Point document(s) and any SMARTER Goal documents that go with it. This keeps a chronological log of each Touch Point for easy retrieval by the Medical Leader and the Associate.