Slip Into an Extraordinary Practice

• Editor's Letter (152.7 KB)

What Do Extraordinary Teams Do?
A new book, Extraordinary Groups: How Ordinary Teams Achieve Amazing Results, looks at what makes the difference between a good team and a great team.¹ An extraordinary group is defined as one that achieves outstanding results while members—individually and/or collectively—experience a profound shift in the lens through which they view their work. This shift in perspective makes work both more meaningful and more fun!

Make Your Practice Extraordinary
How do these concepts play out in your practice?

Compelling purpose? In veterinary medicine, we are committed to keeping well-loved pets alive and healthy, and when that’s not possible, we help families say goodbye with peace and compassion. What could be more compelling than this type of work on a daily basis?

Shared leadership? Can you encourage employees to view the workplace as “theirs”? If extraordinary workplaces urge everyone to step up to the plate and contribute ideas and input, can’t we do that in our clinics?

Just enough structure? Do you encourage people to jump in and help each other when the waiting room is full or the phone’s ringing off the hook? Will a doctor wipe down a table if her tech is busy educating a client, or a tech welcome a client with a smile when the receptionist is preparing a bill?

Full engagement? Do excitement and eagerness permeate the walls of your clinic or hospital? If I talked to your employees, would they say; “I can’t wait to come to work every day. I love it here!”

Embracing differences? Is each team member encouraged to contribute a perspective? Work teams are like orchestras. People are as varied as musical instruments and their diversity lends strength to a workplace.

Unexpected learning? One outcome of an integrated team is that everyone is constantly learning from one another. Cross-training and mentoring are the norm, and education and debriefings are part of every team meeting.

Strengthened relationships? Does your team take time to socialize or eat a meal together once in awhile? Are members evaluated on the basis of their collegiality as well as their productivity?

Great results? Whatever we do in our practices needs to show up in the bottom line. To aim for this as a target, however, misses the point of what makes “extraordinary groups.” Does this mean that productivity loses importance? Absolutely not. It is possible to be extraordinary and highly profitable, but pushing too hard in the latter area can cut the heart out of what makes a veterinary team superior.

This month we are examining what makes some practices great and others “ho hum.” Join me as we look at how teams manage to form extraordinary workplaces. The principles you’ll learn will help make that slipper fit perfectly.

See Aids & Resources for references and suggested reading.