Achieving a well-sustained vet culture

Achieving a Well-Sustained Vet Culture

In establishing a business, it is essential to point out that business is not purely about its product or service. But rather, all of the aspects involved in a business are all relevant in order to make the process from start to end achievable and successful. This would include giving importance to the workplace environment and its manpower.

A quote from Jennifer Yoraway once said,

“I usually tell others that we are only as strong as our weakest member. To give our patients the best care possible we need to function well together as a team.”

This quote was used to identify the journey and struggles of a veterinarian profession (Dobbs, 2010). The statement showcases the truth about its similar workspace and its colleagues. Being able to set a culture that is well-rounded and optimistic, it is best to first identify the following questions (Stewart, 2018):

Are you happy to come to work?

What contributes to your stress?

What’s one thing you like about your job?

What’s one thing you’d like to change about your job?

Do you feel supported by your team leader?

Do you feel supported by doctors?

Do you feel like there’s room for growth in your position?

Once feedback has been gathered, communicating with the team is the most appropriate way to come up with actionable ways to improve the current routines of your colleagues and the environment as a whole. In this way, establishing a culture that is friendly and sustainable in all aspects can be possible to achieve.

VitusVet (2021) has enumerated 5 easy steps in building a better and strong veterinary practice culture.

First, fully understand the culture of your practice. This would include truly knowing your workplace’s current culture and how your colleagues are in terms of their roles in the workplace. In order to achieve customer satisfaction, reviews and criticism from customers are relevant as a way to assess the services rendered as the vet or employee.

Second, defining the business’ core values is a must. This will allow everyone in the workplace to finally decide as to what type of practice the clinic would like to establish. This can be done through identifying your ideal clinic culture namely being friendly, compassionate, professional, warm, inclusive, and the like. Take the time to brainstorm and process everyone’s ideas in order to come up with impactful solutions as a team.

Third, implement your desired culture. Change is inevitable and essential when necessary. Better start upholding the values you aspire for your clinic and to your colleagues consistently. Encourage and trust your team in order to establish a more collaborative and communicating team.

Fourth, empower your team. Incentivize positive behavior and nip any negativity when necessary. To be consistent with your desired clinic values, providing necessary tools and training are also essential in keeping an effective and efficient workforce. Do not forget to give each other the time to rest as a way to recharge and come back strong at work.

For the last point, conveying positivity in the workplace is non-negotiable. Being able to maintain transparency and continuous communication becomes effective if everyone is able to practice positivity and be open to any circumstance in the workplace. This can also include demonstrating positivity through publication materials and other business operations as a way to cultivate an inspiring and cooperating workplace.

Fostering these aspects in your veterinary clinic creates a healthier working environment resulting in achieving a well-sustained culture. Having a greater value as an employee becomes a win-win situation wherein the business is successful with its operations while promoting a dynamic team culture. Hence, there is no doubt that customers will surely build trust and loyalty to you long-term.