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|Articles|January 1, 2014

Veterinary team motivator: Turn "I" into "we"

Use team speak to improve veterinary team members' confidence and performance.

A recent Michigan State University study shows what sports teams have known for a while: A cohesive team performs better. And researchers recommend one little word to change the tone for your practice—"we." Team-oriented talk can boost your team members' confidence and their performance. At your next team meeting, try brainstorming "I" statements you can change to motivational "we" phrases with goals. For example, "I'm very good about explaining the benefits of regular dental care" becomes, "We've done a great job educating pet owners about the importance of regular dental care. Let's keep this trend going by setting a goal to increase dental cleanings by 20 percent this year."

Check out dvm360.com/teamtalk to read more about the team study.

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