#113: "Humans Aren’t Salmon": The Four Pillars of Energetic Leadership. With Dr Marie Holowaychuk and Josh Vaisman.
In this episode, the conversation centres on fostering a culture of wellness and well-being in veterinary practices, particularly in the wake of the challenges brought about by COVID-19. The discussion highlights the evolution of leadership in veterinary medicine, moving from a "grin and bear it" mentality to prioritising the psychological health and safety of teams. Key topics include addressing chronic burnout, empowering staff, implementing sustainable work practices, and navigating the complexities of leadership in growing teams. Practical strategies such as embodying personal well-being, empowering autonomy, creating psychological safety, and intentionally shaping workplace culture are shared. The guests underscore the importance of clear communication, measurable actions, and collaborative efforts to build thriving veterinary teams and sustainable business practices.
"The what and the why of leadership is not up for debate anymore. We know what leadership is supposed to be, and we know what workplaces are supposed to be so that the human beings in it can actually get the work done. It's the how that we're catching up on."
"I'm excited. I feel like we're at, or past, a tipping point in the profession. People really, really want to shift towards better places. It's just about finding the ways to get us there."
Two quotes, one message: veterinary leadership teams around the world know what needs to be done. We just need a little help to get us there.
In this episode my guests Dr Marie Holowaychuck and Josh Vaisman provide some of that help with this conversation about the four pillars that the better workplace you want to create needs to be built on.
Dr Marie Holowaychuck is a specialist in small animal emergency and critical care. She’s also a certified coach, yoga and meditation teacher, facilitator, and keynote speaker who dedicates her time and energy to sharing evidence-based information regarding mental health and wellbeing. She has more than 20 years of veterinary practice experience in academic, private, and corporate settings. She’s led workshops and lectures and delivered keynotes to a range of audiences in Canada, the USA, and worldwide.
Josh Vaisman is a Workplace Culture Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Positive Leadership Advocate and the author of "Lead to Thrive: The Science of Crafting a Positive Veterinary Culture". He holds certificates in areas such as Positive Psychology, Workplace Culture, and Building Effective Teams, and has a Masters level education in Applied Positive Psychology & Coaching Psychology. He co-founded Flourish Veterinary Consulting LLC to bring the knowledge he's obtained to life.
This episode was recorded live at IVECCS 2023. Use discount code VetVault2023 for a 35% discount when you become a VECCS member before May 2024, and join us at IVECCS 2024!
Topic list:
05:06 - The Impact of Culture on Well-being
05:31 - The Four Pillars of Energetic Leadership
06:10 - The Challenges of Veterinary Leadership
07:05 - The Types of Clients Seeking Help
08:04 - The Most Challenging Aspects Post-COVID
10:34 - The Importance of Personal Well-being for Leaders
13:35 - Empowering Teams for Personal Well-being
18:16 - Practical Ways to Empower Team Members
20:22 - The Challenges of Rapid Growth and Team Expansion
24:37 - Addressing Psychological Health and Safety
27:08 - The Resistance to New Workplace Norms
29:12 - The Importance of Psychological Safety
32:19 - Cultural Architecture and Unintended Consequences
35:28 - The Importance of Clarity in Leadership
38:45 - Key Takeaways from the IVECCS Session
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Four Pillars of Leadership for Veterinary Practices
Pillar 1: Make Your Personal Wellbeing a Priority
- Leaders who embody well-being have teams that are more likely to do the same.
- When leaders prioritise self-care, they give their team members permission to do the same. For example, going for a walk during lunch or leaving work on time shows the team that these actions are acceptable and encouraged.
- Leaders who are not taking care of themselves are not as effective. This is because when we are not taking care of ourselves, we are more likely to be impatient, disengaged, and unhappy.
Pillar 2: Empower Your Team
- Leaders need to empower their team members to take care of their own well-being. This can be done by giving team members autonomy, a sense of control over their work, and choices regarding how they care for themselves.
- Well-being needs to be an expectation and not just lip service. Leaders should encourage and support team members' well-being efforts.
- Empowerment can be measured through actions, policies, and procedures. Leaders need to consider the elements of empowerment, measure them, and create an action plan to ensure that they are happening.
- Leaders should consider the unintended consequences of norms and expectations. For example, a practice that values "helping each other" might inadvertently create a culture where team members feel they can never say no to requests for help, even if they are already overwhelmed.
Pillar 3: Create Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace
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- Psychological health and safety is more than just feeling safe to speak up. It also includes:Reasonable workloads.
- Protection from psychological harm.
- A culture of civility and respect.
- Leadership plays a key role in creating psychological health and safety. Leaders need to hold themselves and their team members accountable for creating a safe and respectful workplace.
- Practices should have policies and procedures in place to protect team members from physical and psychological harm. Examples include ergonomic workstations, lift tables, and policies around handling fractious animals.
Pillar 4: Cultural Architecture
- Leaders need to be aware of the unintended consequences of the norms and values they hold. They should take the time to define these norms and values in a way that is measurable, tangible, and behavioural.
- Leaders should consider how their actions and words contribute to the practice culture. They need to be mindful of the messages they are sending to their team.
- Everyone in the practice contributes to the culture. It is not just the responsibility of leadership to create a positive and healthy culture.
- "Being clear is kind." Open and honest communication is essential for creating a healthy workplace culture.
- Leaders need to be willing to change and adapt. They need to be open to feedback and willing to take ownership of their role in creating a positive workplace culture.
Practical Strategies for Managing Growth in Veterinary Practices
- Acknowledge that growth presents unique challenges. One of the speakers, Ellie, who is part of a veterinary practice leadership team, highlights the challenges her practice faced during a period of rapid growth. These challenges included training new staff, developing protocols and policies for a larger team, and maintaining role clarity as the team expanded. Another speaker, Josh, notes that a client of his, whose practice grew from under 10 to nearly 100 employees, expressed missing the close-knit feeling of a smaller team.
- Focus on team well-being despite increased demands. Ellie emphasises that even during periods of rapid growth, it's crucial to prioritise the well-being of the team. She describes how her practice "pulled together" during the challenging growth phase but acknowledges the importance of "stopping and breathing again" to refocus on the team's well-being. This aligns with the first pillar of leadership, which emphasises prioritising personal well-being to create a culture where the team feels empowered to do the same.
- Develop clear policies, protocols and role clarity. Ellie points out that as her team grew, they needed to implement clear protocols, policies, and induction and training programmes to ensure that everyone understood their roles and had a clear path for development. This strategy is particularly relevant to the second pillar of leadership, empowerment. Clear expectations and well-defined roles empower team members to take ownership of their work and contribute to the practice's success.
- Delegate responsibility and empower team members. As the practice grows, leaders need to delegate responsibility and empower team members to take on more leadership roles. This helps to distribute the workload and allows leaders to focus on strategic initiatives. This relates to the concept of scaling leadership by empowering others to cultivate strong relationships within the team.
- Maintain open communication and address challenges directly. Ellie highlights the importance of having a supportive leader who encourages her to prioritise her well-being and take breaks, even when she feels pressured to work extra hours. This open communication and accountability create a psychologically safe environment where team members feel comfortable raising concerns and seeking support.
- Foster a culture of accountability and support. The sources emphasise that a healthy practice culture, where everyone feels accountable for their actions and supported by their colleagues, is essential for managing growth effectively. The "above the line, below the line" concept, mentioned by Ellie, is a practical tool for promoting self-regulation and accountability within the team. Openly discussing where actions and behaviours fall on this spectrum helps maintain a positive and respectful work environment.
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