What matters to you? And why that matters

We work closely with our colleagues, often for years, to give animals the best possible care, so we know what matters to our team – or do we? Taking time to ask can be the first step to improving workplace wellbeing – and your clients’ and patients’ experiences.

Asking colleagues ‘what matters to you?’ creates an opportunity to listen properly, in order to understand their values and what gives them a sense of purpose in their work. By understanding what truly matters to our team, we can identify barriers that limit how much we enjoy our work – and then devise meaningful changes together to overcome them.”

What this article covers

The first article in this series introduces the Joy in Work framework, an evidence-based approach to beating burnout and increasing satisfaction and pride among care teams. The framework is applicable to all types of practice and is being used successfully by a growing number of veterinary teams in the UK. The article covers:

• The work of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
• The scientific background of the Joy in Work framework
• The business case for improving joy in work
• How to have productive What Matters to You? conversations.

Article reference

McCall, J. and RCVS Knowledge (2022) What matters to you? And why that matters when caring for patients. Vet Times, 51 (49), pp. 12-14. Available from: https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/what-matters-to-you-and-why-that-matters-when-caring-for-patients-cpdteams/