I'd like to suggest we all start a new campaign in veterinary practice.
In a recent blog post I discussed ‘Why dirty dishes might be an indicator as to the health of your veterinary practice culture’ and it got me thinking. So often it seems that in the whole scheme of things, getting upset over a couple of dirty dishes is over reacting. It can’t possibly be that important can it?
Well yes… yes it can…
Why get upset over such little things?
In the situation discussed in the blog post mentioned above – it wasn't unreasonable to wonder why were people so passionate about dirty dishes in the first place?
As I suggested, I firmly believe that it isn’t about the dirty dishes at all – it’s really about respect…or lack thereof. Regularly leaving a dirty mug or plate in the sink for someone else to deal with is saying “My time is more important than yours so I’ll leave my dirty dishes here for someone else (less important than me) to deal with.”
And that’s what gets other team members so upset.
Then I started thinking about all the other little things that make such a difference in our work environment and how easy it can be to sometimes forget about them in the belief that no one notices and they don’t really matter.
But the fact is….it’s the little things that DO matter.
Saying good morning when we arrive and goodbye when we leave.
Saying thank you to each other even for just doing our jobs.
Offering to get each other a cup of tea or coffee – not all the time but just when you know you’ve got a few minutes and the other person is busy.
Offering to finish up a quick job even when it’s not yours to finish up but you know you’ve got a few free minutes.
And it’s not just your team mates…
It can make a big difference to your boss to be included in the ‘It’s the little things that matter’ campaign. They can also be included in your good morning and good byes, and thank you’s. After all they’re human too and will also benefit from feeling appreciated.
Smooth running wheels
It’s like all of these little things are the oil that smooths the wheels of working together.
Sure it’s nice to receive a big bunch of flowers…or a big box of donuts…but these big actions are like fireworks. They’re flashy and awesome to experience while they brighten up the dark sky but they don’t last very long. And if you saw fireworks every night they would soon become ho hum.
The little, every day actions you do for each other are more like the stars in the sky – they’re not flashy but lots of them all together can lighten up the night sky and no one ever gets bored of staring at the stars.
So it’s over to you….
I’ve suggested a few things you might like to start with in your workplace but what are some things you can suggest to add to our list? What do you appreciate having done for you? What little things matter to you?
Add them in the comments section below so we can share them together.
