Dr. Geoffrey Little

MVB MRCVS

We are honoured to have such a great resource as Dr. Geoffrey Little associated to the Masters programme. On the compulsory part of the Masters, Geoffrey Little contributes with three parts;

Motivation – a talk on what motivates different people at different stages of their careers,  with subsequent workshop where the delegates are asked to come up with suggested solutions to challenging problems. 

Key consulting skills and managing Difficult Conversations – a lecture including practical tips on key communication skills and understanding the fundamental role and effects good communication skills have on both concordance and compliance.  A practical look at key issues that delegates find challenging, e.g. breaking bad news, dealing with tears and anger.

Leadership and Team Building – A lecture on the attributes of being an effective leader and dealing with the small animal practice team dynamics, including a practical demonstration on how a practice used Belbin Typing to restructure its team.  

Belbin Feedback- Following the completion of a ‘Delegate Belbin Questionnaire’, feedback is provided on the various Belbin Types and how they may behave in a team situation, or as individuals.

Background

Dr. Geoffrey Little qualified from Trinity College, Dublin in 1973. After a short spell in small animal practice and 5 years in mixed practice in Somerset, he returned to Stockport in 1979 to take up a partnership in Woodcroft Veterinary Group which developed into a 10-vet small animal practice working from two hospitals and two branches. He retired from the practice in 2002 to pursue other interests and then in 2005 retired after 20 years as a Director of Centaur Services Ltd., one of UK’s largest veterinary wholesalers.

Dr. Geoffrey Little is a former veterinary business Key Advisor for Anval Ltd., a UK advisory service on management and finance for the veterinary profession and a former Communications Training Associate with the Veterinary Defence Society (V D S), the UK’s leading Veterinary Professional Indemnity Insurance Provider. His field of interest is especially within Clinical Communication and Developing Teams, and along with colleagues whom he used to work with at the VDS, has recently formed a new company, ‘InCommunication’, dedicated to championing clinical communications within the veterinary profession.

Dr. Geoffrey Little's other roles have included being the director of MyVet Network in southern Ireland, a company that offers management advice to practices, Treasurer and President of Vetlife, a UK based charity, looking after the veterinary profession, including a 24/7 Helpline.  He has spoken on, and published, many articles on various aspects of Veterinary Practice Management both in the UK and abroad, including the following congresses, BSAVA, WSAVA, VPMA, BEVA, FECAVA and SPVS, Royal Canin VBF.

Dr. Geoffrey Little is the co-author of the Handbook of Veterinary Communications Skills and of The BSAVA Manual of Small Animal Management & Development. He is also the former president of the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and Chairman of the Veterinary Angling Association.

In 2022, along with Christine Magrath & Alan Orme, founded In-Communication, a business dedicated to enhancing Clinical Communication Skills within the veterinary profession