1. Getting back to "normal." Perhaps more than anything else, getting back into the normal swing of things will help exorcise some of the demons that led us down this path in the first place. No longer having to mask up so assiduously, or employ social distancing tactics that create client confrontations and inter-team disagreements surrounding safety, means less of the charged atmosphere that threatened to overwhelm us all.
Though we'll never be in control of these conditions, we can use any relaxed guidelines to our advantage. If you are a leader, consider this the right time to make big-picture changes to improve morale.
2. Team meetings. More of these aren't necessarily best. However, better preparation for and more effective execution of these meetings can change everything. Be a decisive leader and/or positive-minded team player. As a leader, present a clear vision of the future and the path you intend to take to get there. As a team member, weigh in positively with helpful suggestions and minimal recriminations or finger-pointing. Don't compulsively make things worse because you feel personally aggrieved. (It's not always about you, you know.)
3. Stop the gossip. When morale takes a hit, gossip is sure to follow. It's like a prairie fire. Once sparked, it tears through teams indiscriminately, turning the most innocuous conversations into kindling for a toxic game of telephone. Trust between teammates goes up in flames and even leadership gets smoked in the blaze.
Coming back from this kind of devastation is hard … but not unworkable. Sowing new seeds of trust is typically a top-down job that requires a deft hand and commitment to a no-tolerance policy for trash-talking. Ask your team (preferably one by one, in private): "Would you rather work in a place where people talk behind your back or with a team that supports you and your work?" Back it up with consequences; make sure they know you mean it when you tell them you will not tolerate it anymore.
Which is not to say recovery does not require a team effort, of course. As a team member, do your part and hold your tongue when tempted or the next target of office gossip may well be you.
4. Step up your volunteer activities and/or community service. Volunteer participation in local events, whether they be spay and neuter programs, organized care for pets of the homeless, or walks/runs to help raise funds for a local rescue or shelter, can bring a team together. Knowing they are part of the solution in their community reminds them the work they do has tangible value. Take this time to identify a new initiative or redouble your efforts on an existing one.
Altruism in the context of one's own practice is similarly gratifying. If you can set up an affordability fund to help offset the cost of treatment for needy clients' patients, or otherwise facilitate the donation of drugs, food, and supplies, you will go a long way toward showing your team you are more than just a business.
Adoption programs are another way to put your practice to work and revive your team's morale. Routinely displaying pets in need of homes on your social media platforms, hosting an on-site kitten adoption program where you regularly maintain a couple of kittens in need of homes for clients to adopt, and playing an active role in helping existing clients source rescue pets can all improve how your team perceives its self-worth.
Working dog contracts offer more of the same kind of community connection. These patients are a source of pride for any veterinary team. A practice able to successfully capture one of these contracts effectively rewards employees with a unique sense of purpose.
