Welcome to the first in our three-part series on the essential element… the secret sauce… of high-performing veterinary teams!
In a 2017 study on successful teamwork 1,100 staff members were surveyed, and there was one essential element in high-performing teams that delivered amazing results. Those employees who worked in teams with this essential foundation responded with:
- 106% more energy
- 76% more engagement
- 60% more job enjoyment
- 50% more productivity
- 40% drop in burnout
Not only were 50% of those surveyed planning to stay with their current employer (and 88% would recommend their employer to friends and family as a place to work), but these same individuals also earned 17% more – a direct correlation to their productivity.
Imagine what impact numbers like these would have in your practice if they were to be replicated within your veterinary team.
These are not aspirational statistics. They are evidence of what’s possible for your veterinary team when you get it right.
These statistics reveal the essential element – the secret sauce – of high-performing teams.
Do you want to know what it is?
Trust
Trust is the foundation for any successful team.
When teammates trust one another, decision-making is quicker and easier, conflict is constructive, and team members become more autonomous, compassionate, and innovative.
In this three-part series, we’ll show how you can cultivate a culture of trust in your veterinary practice.
3 Ways to Building Trust in Your Veterinary Team Today
As a veterinary business leader, you are integral in building trust, especially as teams form and change and when new team members are hired.
1. Define Roles and Responsibilities
Clarifying the responsibilities of each person’s role and how they relate to one another will not only prevent doubling up on tasks and micro-managing but also promote team harmony as each person works towards the bigger picture.
2. Acknowledge Each Other
Creating a culture of trust starts by acknowledging one another. This is as simple as saying hello and goodbye at the start and end of the workday, using someone’s name in communication and recognising their good work.
3. Collaboration Drives Connection
Setting challenging yet attainable tasks for your team to complete by working together also builds trust as neurochemicals intensify focus and strengthen social connections. The key is to set team and individual goals and ensure steady progress to an agreed deadline.
Takeaways to think about
- Start the conversation on trust with your veterinary team today.
- Invite them to contribute to and collaborate on ways that you can work together to strengthen team relationships.
In the next post of this series, we’ll cover having conversations about trust and the seven elements of trusting relationships.
For more information and support on building trust in your veterinary team, keep in contact with Lincoln Institute of Veterinary Business via their Facebook Page and Instagram.
Access all posts in the 3 Part Series: Building trust within your veterinary team
Part 2: 7 Elements of building trusting relationships in your veterinary team. Building trust within your veterinary team
Part 3: 9 Tips for the perfect apology when trust has broken down within your veterinary team. Building trust within your veterinary team
