Managers: Take action

Before you can help your team work together more cohesively, you must gain their respect and trust in you as a leader. To do this, you must build a relationship with each employee. Start by:

1. Observing team members' interactions, including the veterinarians'

2. Holding one-on-one meetings with each employee, including veterinarians

3. Setting staff-wide meetings as well as small-group huddles

For specific, practical ideas about ways managers can help bring each "us vs. them" group together, click here.

Debbie Allaben Gair, CVPM, is a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and owner of Bridging the Gap in Sparta, Mich.