The key to joy and excellence at work

New research shows that our team is at the heart of what keeps UK veterinary professionals coming back to work, day after day – but a strong team spirit can also drive consistently excellent care.

We realised that to improve our workplace culture and re-find our joy, we needed a plan! The leadership team adopted the Joy in Work framework to empower team members to identify workplace challenges, action solutions and re-join decision-making. The team really enjoyed the “What matters to you” sessions that we ran. They identified four ‘pebbles in their shoes’ which were addressed with measures they suggested. We now have a fortnightly ‘What matters to you’ meeting, a Joy in Work board listing pebbles in progress, and a ‘pebbles pouch’ for further suggestions. Many team members now feel more engaged in helping set the practice direction, and that they have a productive way to address day-to-day niggles.”

Jenny Brown, Senior Clinical Director, Active VetCare Bracken

What this article covers

The fifth article in this series focuses on the importance of teamwork and team culture to joy and excellence in work. It demonstrates how simple actions can have a genuine effect on your team’s camaraderie, joy and performance, and how this is critically important to patient safety. The article covers:

• The proven connections between camaraderie, joy and excellence.
• IHI’s definition of team spirit and examples of how this is demonstrated in practice.
• Understanding of how camaraderie improves the quality of our work.
• Practical steps all team members can take to improve team spirit and performance.

Article reference

McCall, J. and RCVS Knowledge (2023) The key to joy and excellence at work. Vet Times, 53 (24), pp. 16-17. Available from: https://www.vettimes.com/news/vets/wellbeing-at-work/the-key-to-joy-and-excellence-at-work-cpdteams