What Do You Do If Your Workplace Is Toxic? | Episode 35 | Reviving Vet Med

Focus group research has helped to identify what companion animal team members consider behaviors, attitudes, or situations that are prevalent in a toxic environment. While studies have shown that those who work in a toxic environment have higher burnout scores and lower job satisfaction, the good news is that there are ways to shift the culture and make the situation better.

In this episode, we discuss solutions for some of the situations that lead to workplace toxicity, whether you are an employee or leader in your veterinary practice. Practical tools and strategies will be shared to support taking steps toward a healthy environment that fosters wellbeing.

Resources

Exploring the impact of toxic attitudes and a toxic environment on the veterinary healthcare team (article): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4688347/

Brene Brown’s Engaged Feedback Checklist: https://brenebrown.com/resources/the-engaged-feedback-checklist/


Quiz

Is Your Workplace Healthy or Toxic? https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/survey/mHdXeZpubSXc


Download

How to Deal with a Difficult Coworker: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/HandlingConflict


Online Programs

To learn more about our 4- and 8-week online programs approved for CE credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE, please visit:
https://revivingvetmed.com/programs/

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https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Questions or Suggestions
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Transcript

Hi everyone! Welcome to another episode of Reviving Vet Med.

In today's episode we are going to be discussing What you can do if you find out your workplace is toxic. So in case you missed it, you might want to turn back to our previous episode, which is How do you know your workplace is toxic?

In that episode, I discussed some research from Focus Group interviews that were conducted among companion animal practice team members to identify the behaviors, attitudes, and situations that we see in toxic work environments. I also talked about the importance of recognizing a toxic environment and what that means for the well-being of team members. 

So in today's episode, we are discussing solutions for some of those situations that we discussed. And I am happy to say that whether you are an employee or an associate in your practice or an owner or leader in your practice, these tools and strategies are going to have relevance for you and at the end of the day, we all want a healthier and happier work environment that fosters well-being. So I think there is no better time than now to start thinking about these strategies. Even if your workplace is not toxic, these are going to be helpful strategies for promoting job satisfaction and retention and well-being amongst your team members.

So we have a lot to cover today. And with that said, I am really excited to get started. So let's go ahead and get into the episode.

This is the reviving Vet Med podcast, and I'm your host, Doctor Marie Holloway Chuck and my mission is to improve the mental health and well-being of veterinary professionals around the world.

So as we begin our conversation on What to do if your workplace is toxic. Today, I'm going to be focusing the beginning of this conversation on strategies and tools that are geared more towards practice leaders. 

So if you are a leader in your practice, you might be an owner. You might be the medical director, a hospital or practice manager, or the leader of a team, so you might be a service chief or leading a group of technicians or assistants or others in your workplace now, of course, these strategies don't just apply to veterinary practice, they also apply to other workplaces. And the reason I'm focusing on leadership to start is that we know that effective leadership is really a pivotal component of a healthy workplace. 

If the leadership is not effective, we know that, It has a trickle down effect and that other team members are ultimately going to be impacted. Now, in episode 34, when we talked about the components of a toxic workplace, one of the things that we talked about that came up a lot in those focus group discussions is toxic attitudes or so-called negative behaviors. 

And so one of the first strategies that I'm going to share with you today for leaders to help maintain a healthy workplace is to resolve conflict. So often I have leaders in my programs and in my coaching that say to me that they feel like a constant go between between team members who are complaining about other team members. There is some sort of disagreement, some conflict, some personality clash, and they go to the leader.

To say this happened, I didn't like it. I need you to deal with it. The leader then goes to the other person and says I heard this happened. This person didn't like it. I need you to stop. And this is a classic situation of triangulation. When a leader is being put or in the middle of a situation, and it doesn't just have to be a leader, this could be anybody in the team that is being put in the middle because the two individuals are unable to or do not want to resolve the conflict on their own. And what I urge leaders to do to avoid this component of a toxic workplace is to empower team members to address these problems on their own. Or if they're not quite there yet, with your mediation or support, remember that if you listen to their concerns and then you go to the other person.

And you voiced their concern turns and then you hear the other person's concerns and you go back to the other person. You're going to find yourself in this cycle where nobody is dealing with their own conflict, and it's going to be exhausting for you, and it's going to create a culture of back channeling or going around individuals. So if you feel like, ‘’well, I don't even really know how to resolve conflict well’’ Or ‘’I really don't know how to coach my team members to do this for themselves and I'm going to urge you to utilize the Dish script or the Laura acronym’’. Both of these are acronyms, so DISH & LAURA are both acronyms for handling conflict.

Whether it be a personal conflict or simply a conflict of information between the two people. So when I refer to personal conflicts, it would be that a person did or said something that was off putting to another individual and an information conflict is simply when two people don't agree, they might not agree on how to handle a case, how to approach a situation, how to speak to a client in that case.

The Laura acronym is the appropriate acronym, where as we use the Dish script for those personal conflicts. So For more information on the dish or Laura acronyms and some helpful prompts and conversation starters, I'm going to give you a link in the show notes. So that you can access a handout for download or you can visit revivingvetmed.com and go to the resources page and you will find the handout there as well.

So the second strategy after resolving conflict to help address toxic behaviors and negative attitudes is to hold team members accountable. So what I often find is an issue when I work with leaders and practices, is that it has never been previously established. What behaviors are OK?

We would hope in every practice and every workplace to have norms for behavior and that we would hope that those norms for behavior are aligned with the practice values. These norms help to determine what behaviors are OK and what behaviors are not OK.

And this is different than just having values. So very often there are practices that say, well, we've got our values, you know, truth, honesty, integrity, da, da, da. But when you tell me one of our practice values is integrity, how I perceive. These behaviors aligned with integrity may be different than how my team member perceives them, so a good practice for leaders to go through is to make sure that these behaviors are established and that people know what it means to stray from these behaviors that are aligned. Otherwise with these values It is important. 

Then, once these behaviors are established, that anyone who is not adhering to these behaviors is held accountable, that those behaviors are addressed in some way. And please make sure that this applies to all members of the team, regardless of a person's role of seniority in practice. Everyone should be expected to adhere to the same Norse so that we don't make exceptions by saying, well, you know they're specialists, so you know it's OK if they behave XYZ.

It's not OK, and when we don't hold everyone to the same norms for behavior, then that can perpetuate a toxic cycle. The other thing that you can do to reinforce practice values and norms for behavior is to talk about them, talk about them in meetings, address them in newsletters, incorporate them into a person's annual or biannual review.

You talk about them in the context of a contest. I work for a teleconsultations company and they are so good at exposing their values and recently they had a contest where you could nominate people who, in your opinion and body, certain values within the company. And I thought it was a really great idea to reinforce the practice values and the behaviors that are aligned with those values.

So the next thing that I want to talk about is this notion of ‘’that's not my job’’. So I discussed this in episode 34, but this is where individuals don't want to do something because they say, quote UN quote. It's not my job. And what you can do as a leader to circumvent this is to have written Job descriptions with clear responsibilities and I know some of you are probably like, well, duh. Of course we have job descriptions, but I'm here to tell you that not everyone does. Very often, and what has been historical in that medicine has been just to say, ‘’well, you're a vet tech. I'm hiring you to be a vet tech or you're a veterinarian. I'm hiring you to be a veterinarian’’. People need clear job descriptions, especially when they are expected to do tasks that are outside of what might be their perceived job description.

When you are short staffed, for example. Simple. Let's say that one of your client care team members isn't able to show up for their shift. One day. You might require one of your technician team members to answer the phone or to, you know, help with some admissions. It's really important that this information is included in their job description so that you can avoid these circumstances. Of the quote, UN quote, ‘’that's not my’’.

The other thing that you can do to help circumvent, that's not my job, is to make sure that you have a consistent structured training program. Now, it doesn't have to be some elaborate program, but could you have a checklist of things that that person is required to do and could you make sure within their first few days or weeks?

Of being on the job that you go through that checklist with them and again in a perfect world, we would always make sure that that person's jobs and responsibilities are always in alignment with those practice values.

OK, so the next thing I want to share with you are strategies for dealing with having a go to person on your team. So this was something we discussed again in the last episode, but very often practices have someone who everyone has to go to for certain tasks and this can create some conflict when other people feel like they could be doing that task or that they're better at that task or that it is just simply frustrating to always have to go to this person for this particular task or information.

So this is where as a leader, it's really important to encourage or even require task sharing. There should rarely, if ever be a task that only one person in the practice is able to do. And I mean this is kind of obvious because what if something happened to that person?

And then you needed to do that task and nobody else was able to or even knew how to do that task. So what we can often do in situations where a person has monopolized a position or a task is to also make the role a rotating position so that that person isn't always in that role, but that other people have a chance to be in that role as well.

So another situation that can lead to a toxic environment is a lack of Co worker confidence. So this is where as a leader, we not only want to have that consistent and structured training that I talked about just a moment ago, but we also want to resist the urge to throw team members in even when you're short staffed so, so often is the case where we're scrambling for team members. We're short If somebody joins the team and it's like ‘’OK, now you go’’ and we want to avoid this because if the person is not clear on what they're meant to be doing or they're not feeling confident about their skill set in this new role.

They're going to feel very uncomfortable and it can lead to some undesirable behaviors. So when you have someone new, don't think of them necessarily as you know, ready to go in their role, but instead have someone extra on site to train them to help them so that they can be shadowed and that those skills can be accumulated in a way that feels comfortable and reasonable, rather than just being thrown into the fire.

So the other situation that can lead to workplace toxicity is this notion of the rules changing. So changing of the rules is something that we can see often and I alluded to it previously whereby for example, certain people in the practice are held to certain expectations and other people are not held to those same expectations. 

So what you can do as a leader to avoid these changing the rule situations is to always emphasize. When you are making an exception for someone to make it clear we are making an exception. Normally we would expect you to do XYZ. In this situation, we're willing to make an exception this way it is transparent and clear and open and honest to everyone. Then an exception is being made. Not just that, that person is being held to a different standard.

So the last thing that I want to talk about in the context of preventing a toxic workplace or mitigating toxicity, if you work in a toxic environment, is to make sure that your leadership is effective. Now, there are so many facets to effective leadership. I cover a lot of this in my online program and in my coaching and one of those things is to have effective and transparent communication.

So I want you as a leader to consider what your leadership style is and how do you communicate. We always want to aim for assertive communication. This means that we're communicating in a way that is direct. It is not aggressive, but nor is it passive. Communication as a leader that is transparent and effective also involves being honest. If there's changes coming down the pipe, let people know. 

If you don't have all the information, share what you know and what you don't know. And whenever possible ask for feedback and input. Too often, team members become disgruntled because they feel like everybody is functioning in silos and that leaders are just making decisions without asking anyone what they want in those situations.So again, first and foremost, effective and transparent communication. 

Next, I want to talk about appreciation. This is where we show team members that we are grateful for them and we reward them for good work. So an interesting stat is that half of team members feel that they are not adequately acknowledged for their work. We see this across all industries, not just in veterinary medicine, and believe it or not, this is one of the biggest reasons why people choose to leave their job.

If you are interested in going a little bit deeper into how to show appreciation in the workplace, I'm going to direct you to episode #8, but I'm going to sum it up for you just briefly here now, and one of those things I want to share is that not everyone wants to be recognized the same way.

So when you are showing recognition or gratitude to your team, some people want this done publicly. They want, you know, a shout out in the practice newsletter or at the staff meeting. Some people want this privately. They want you to just pull them aside and let them know, not in front of anybody else.

Some people like written feedback. Some people want to just hear the feedback. Some people would love to have a gift of some kind, a gift card, a coffee, whatever it might be. Some people would prefer to have some sort of gesture or active service. It's really important that you get to the root of what that person's most desires, by way of appreciation and thanks. Because if you're constantly recognizing them in a way that doesn't resonate, it's not going to have the same impact.

The other thing I want to share with you with regards to appreciation is that when you do say thank you, please make sure that it is specific. The last thing that we want to do is to just say thank you for being you or thank you for everything you do. This is really not meaningful for individuals.

And that's because they're like, hmm, OK, I don't really sure what you're referring to, but great that you're happy if you can make the feedback specific and that you thank them for exactly what they did, adding on why it meant so much to you. Even better. 

So an example would be I might thank someone for staying late to help with the case at the end of my shift, because that meant that I could leave on time to pick up my daughter from daycare before they closed, and that helps me to avoid late fees, so that would be a specific form of things for someone.

The other thing that we want to make sure that we do with our team members as leaders is to give feedback that is frequent and constructive. So I'm going to refer you to Brene Brown's checklist for feedback.

 There's a link to that in the show notes, but a few key takeaways #1 Is to make sure that you feel ready to acknowledge your part in this person's success. So for example, if you've got some negative feedback for someone, something that you wish that they were doing better. The reflection that I want you to acknowledge before you offer that feedback is how can you offer more support? How could you hold them accountable?

And then having that conversation with that person, not directed at that person. So again, when we give feedback to a person, we want to be able to sit next to them, have a conversation with them, hear their thoughts on the feedback, not simply sit across from them. Slide the assessment or evaluation over to them and say here you go, OK, so this is conversation with not conversation at.

I also very strongly suggest that you always lead with positives. What is going well and then you follow with how can we make this even better? OK, so I'm sure that even the team members on your team that you might be struggling with the most are doing something or some things well and you want to acknowledge that.

And you do not follow this with a ‘’but stop doing this’’. You follow it with an and ‘’also do this’’. OK, it's really important to avoid the but and use the and it just makes that transition even better and it helps not to negate all of the good things that you just said to that person.

Another point of advice for leaders wanting to build their skills is to make sure that you are being mindful of the psychological safety in your workplace. So this means that team members don't feel punished or humiliated or shamed if they have a new idea. If they have a question.

If something isn't sitting well with them, or if they make a mistake. No matter what your team members bring to you, you want to make sure that they feel seen that they feel hurt, and even if it's something that you don't really know how to respond to in the moment that you are going to process it and get back to them.

And the last piece of advice that I want to leave you with tied to that and everything else I've just shared is to always circle back with your team members when you give feedback, when you have a conversation, when you resolve conflict, no matter what the situation is, if the situation is anything left side of the form you always want to circle back. 

Make sure that you check in with them. How are you doing? Since our conversation has anything coming up for you, you know anything that they might want to add or to offer. So that again they feel value. They don't just feel like OK we have the conversation and that was it and nobody's even come back and talk to me again.

Checked in to see if I was OK or anything like that. We always want to circle back one of the biggest things that I see that there are issues with when it comes to leadership is that they're not doing the circle back. OK, so enough about leadership. 

I want to speak to the team members who are listening right now. Those of you who are employees on your team, those of you who are maybe associates in the practice, how can you help as a team member as an associate as an employee to help mitigate toxic behaviors? And toxic environments and the first piece of advice relates to those toxic attitudes, those negative behaviors well aligned with what I shared previously to the leaders who are listening is to resolve the conflict on your own.

 If you need support. If you need practice talking to someone, get that support, but you want to get to a place where you can resolve your own conflict that you're not having to rely on others to do that for you.

I also urge you to hold other people accountable when you see them stepping outside of practice norms. If you have very well established norms for behavior in your practice and you see someone who is not abiding by those norms, feel comfortable to let them know. And if you're not sure about what the practice norms are for behavior where you work, ask leadership for clarification.

I also urge you to embody those practice values as often as you can, and acknowledge where you can't honor those values and ask for the support you need. Very often, team members feel in conflict. You know, they know that efficiency, for example, is a practice value, but for whatever reason, their situation might be, the equipment, the technology, whatever it is that you're working with, you feel that you cannot be efficient. What do you need to do your job efficiently? And can you bring that to leadership?

The next piece of advice relates to being the go to person. If you are listening to this and you think to yourself, gosh, I might be that go to person, I urge you to see the benefit in task sharing not only for your team, but for you. This is less work, less responsibility, less burden on yourself.

The next piece of advice is with regards to not feeling appreciated. I want to urge you as a team member to recognize that appreciation is everyone's responsibility. Make an effort to contribute to a culture of appreciation by also demonstrating it to others. You might demonstrate it to your team members, maybe even to your clients, maybe even to your leaders. A culture of appreciation where everyone shows appreciation for each other is a precursor to a healthy and positive work environment.

And the last piece that I want to share with team members who are listening is with regards to the sense of having conflicting demands or unrealistic expectations on yourself, because this was another piece that we talked about in the last episode that can be very difficult for team members and can lead to a sense of working in a toxic environment. And my advice for you, if you're feeling that the expectations imposed on you are unrealistic or overly demanding, is to ask for help prioritizing.

Ask for clarity from your leadership what is most important here, because I can't do it all. Be open and honest about your situation. Do not just put your head down and you know muscle through, but ask for clarity. Ask for help.

OK, so that is the tools and strategies that I wanted to share with my leaders who are listening and my team members who are listening. I'm also going to leave you with a few final thoughts. And those are first and foremost that you are responsible for your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Many of us have worked or are working in a toxic environment, and we often blame our environment for our entire experience, and I want to remind you of that.

You choose what to focus your thoughts on. You choose how to feel in certain situations, and you choose how to respond. There is always a choice in what you think, feel or do in response to your situations at work, and so I'll ask you What do you want to focus on? How do you want to feel in your workplace and what will your next steps be?

So that's it for this episode of Reviving Vet Med. I hope you took away some practical tips and strategies for making your work environment a healthier place.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to send it to a friend or a colleague who might also benefit. And if you enjoy the content that I share, I urge you to subscribe to the podcast so that you can get episodes as soon as they drop.

For an assessment to determine whether your workplace is toxic or For more information related to my online workplace while being programmed From Toxic To Terrific so that you can dive more deeply into strategies and tools and information related to this important topic, please go to the website revivingvetmed.com. 

There you'll find the assessment is your workplace toxic and you will also be able to find more information on From Toxic To Terrific. Cultivating well-being in the veterinary workplace, the online program.

If you have any questions related to this episode or suggestions for future episodes, please e-mail me at info@revivingvetmed.com. I'd love to hear from you.

Otherwise, I want to thank my amazing assistant Jamie for producing this episode, and I want to thank you for listening through to the end until next time. Take care of yourself. Bye now.