Building belonging beyond inclusive language in a practice

Workplace culture can play a significant role in how veterinary professionals experience their careers, particularly when it comes to feeling respected, supported, and able to bring their full selves to work. For LGBTQIA+ veterinarians and team members, those experiences can be shaped by both everyday interactions and how practice leaders respond when concerns arise.

In this video, Tripp Oliphant, DVM, discusses the importance of creating an environment where belonging goes beyond statements of support. From respecting pronouns and avoiding assumptions to fostering open communication among team members, Oliphant explains how small actions can contribute to a culture of inclusion. He also emphasizes the responsibility of leaders to address concerns when employees report discrimination or discomfort, noting that timely action can help build trust and reinforce psychological safety within a practice.

Below is the transcript, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

dvm360: What does an inclusive veterinary practice look like to you?

Tripp Oliphant, DVM: I think that belonging is such an important aspect of humanity, and in our workplace, in our day-to-day lives, we all want to feel accepted and have some form of belonging. I think, for our teams and our culture, we need to be open and accepting to who we have on our team, and in those situations, we're all going to have bad days, we're going to have days that are not going to be fun. But also having the certain languages, and not to assume how people are, asking people's pronouns and respecting those pronouns, or not just using the buzzwords of ‘we're all inclusive’ and then not really following through with that—I think that can be really challenging.

The biggest thing, too, I think, for our leaders is whenever someone comes to you—a veterinarian, a staff member—and says that they feel that they've been essentially discriminated against, or they don't feel comfortable in a situation, taking the lead in that moment and addressing that makes your team feel comfortable and feels heard, and I think that's the biggest thing, whether it's clients or our team members that are feeling that way.