In 2022, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) published an article on how to fight off the “Great Resignation.”1 Why is this important? People are quitting their jobs, often with no new ones in sight. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.2 million people were unemployed in December 2024 as a result of quitting their jobs.2
In the article, AAHA goes on to give wonderful tips on keeping employees happy, healthy, and feeling valued.
- Make employee well-being a priority. This may mean offering mental health benefits or initiating something as simple as daily conversations about personal challenges as you deal with the pandemic stress.
- Conduct regular “stay interviews” to understand why employees stay and what might cause them to leave. Then, strengthen the former and work to alleviate the latter.
- Offer professional growth opportunities. Ask employees what their professional goals are and then, together, identify ways to support that, be it by a special project or new skill that dovetails with their goals.
Creating this type of environment is a great start, but there is more to it than just this. It’s about building trust between you and your entire team.
“Trust is like the air we breathe. When it is present, nobody really notices. But when it’s absent, everybody notices.” – Warren Buffett
Productivity increases when your team feels like they’re trusted
In high-trust companies, employees are given freedom. Managers lay out specific goals and then allow their people to execute them in the way they believe is best.
Creating an environment that shows employees that you trust them to do the right things is essential. Lacking direction, as well as micromanagement, are two of the most harmful productivity killers. Employees can’t commit to fulfilling essential objectives and activities when they don’t know which priorities to prioritize. Productivity drops drastically when employees are required to fill in management boxes instead of figuring out how to accomplish what needs doing.
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When your employees feel trusted, they’ll work better together!
Today’s workplace thrives on collaboration. It has been demonstrated time and again that groups of people from different backgrounds are superior at tackling difficulties and coming up with innovative answers than individuals working alone.
Teams must have confidence in one another’s ability to perform their portion of the shared workload to a high standard. They also need to trust that their co-workers will be held accountable for meeting established deadlines. Because one person may not be able to rely on other group members to contribute their fair share, collaboration will not succeed.
Employees want to trust that their individual efforts will be recognized when they contribute to a team effort. There’s nothing more motivating than getting credit for your ideas, and there’s nothing more demeaning (or infuriating) than having someone else steal them. High-trust teams pay attention to the details.
Trust in your employees brings innovation to your veterinary team
When employees are allowed to apply a variety of problem-solving techniques, fresh ideas emerge.
Trust among team members is a key element for success. Individuals will be hesitant to point out new possibilities if identifying flaws means being a troublemaker. Managers must prove their trust in workers by being open to ideas, even ones that are difficult.
When it comes to proposing solutions, mutual trust is even more crucial. Team members will be hesitant to share their ideas if they are afraid their coworkers will disregard or even ridicule them. Some of the most interesting suggestions may appear strange at first glance. If your company falters because of a lack of respect for those who provide good ideas, your business will be the loser.
Don’t wait—start building trust with your team today!
Trust is possible and worth it. We are, after all, social beings. It’s natural for us to trust one another. All of our social systems necessitate it. That’s why breaches of trust feel so wrong and hurt so much; they cause divides in friendships, romantic relationships, families, neighborhoods, churches, teams, and other organizations. But those fractures aren’t the norm. They’re not what we typically anticipate. At work, we expect to be able to trust our coworkers at least as far as job performance is concerned.
Each of your workers has his or her own set of talents. When you create a climate of trust and camaraderie among your employees, talented individuals may utilize their abilities to collaborate and innovate for the betterment of your company.
References
1 AAHA: Stay ahead of the Great Resignation with Stay Interviews
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics: Job Openings and Labor Turnover – December 2024
Building trust with your veterinary team FAQs
Q. What’s causing high turnover rates in veterinary medicine?
A. Various factors contribute to the high turnover rates in veterinary medicine, including work stress, lack of career growth opportunities, and inadequate work-life balance. This 2022 phenomenon is known as the “Great Resignation.” Now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.2 million people were unemployed in December 2024 as a result of quitting their jobs.
Q. How can I improve employee well-being in my veterinary practice?
A. Improving employee well-being can range from offering mental health benefits to initiating daily conversations about personal challenges amid pandemic stress. Making employee well-being a priority can boost morale and make employees feel valued.
Q. What are “stay interviews,” and how can they help retain employees?
A. “Stay interviews” are regular discussions with your employees to understand why they stay at your practice and what might cause them to leave. This feedback can help you reinforce the positive aspects of your practice and address potential issues that could lead to turnover.
Q. How can professional growth opportunities help reduce turnover?
A. Professional growth opportunities can help employees achieve their career goals, leading to greater job satisfaction and reduced turnover. Ask your employees about their professional aspirations and work together to identify ways to support those goals.
Q. Why is trust important in a veterinary practice?
A. Trust is crucial for a productive work environment. High-trust companies allow employees to work in the most effective ways, leading to higher productivity and job satisfaction. A culture of trust also promotes better team collaboration and sparks innovative problem-solving.
Q. How can trust improve team collaboration?
A. Trust is a foundation for successful team collaboration. When employees trust their coworkers to deliver quality work on time, they can work together more effectively. Trust also ensures employees feel their efforts are recognized and valued, further promoting collaboration.
Q. How can a high-trust environment foster innovation in a veterinary team?
A. A high-trust environment encourages employees to share new ideas and solutions without fear of ridicule or dismissal. This openness can lead to innovative problem-solving and continuous improvement in your veterinary practice.
Q. How can I start building trust with my veterinary team today?
A. Start by being open to employee feedback, showing appreciation for their work, and giving them the freedom to achieve their tasks in their ways. Building trust takes time, but it is essential for creating a healthy, productive work environment that encourages employees to stay and grow with your business.
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