Building a culture of accountability starts with leadership

Successful practice begins when leaders stop pointing fingers and start owning their influence so their teams feel inspired to do the same. Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT, reveals how embracing personal accountability can elevate both patient care and team morale.

Transcript

Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT: Yeah, another one of my talks that I’m super excited about is “Own It: A Culture of Accountability.” Without a doubt, one of the most common questions practice owners and managers ask me is, “How do I get my team to take ownership?” They just don’t seem to want to be accountable or responsible for their actions—they want to blame me as an owner or leader, or someone else.

I think it all begins with your own attitude and actions. If you’re a leader or manager—or really anyone who works with other people—you have to understand that the behaviors you project on the world are not only how the world sees you, but often how it responds to you in return. That’s why the session is called “Own It.” We have to understand our responsibility and role as leaders: to set the standard and exemplify to staff, coworkers, friends, and family the behaviors we expect of ourselves. Accordingly, we can expect those behaviors from others.

One of the most frustrating things I encounter with practice managers and owners who are struggling is their focus on externals—all the people and problems they can’t control. The first thing I always say is: look in the mirror. We can’t control everything, but we can control our own thoughts, actions, attitudes, and habits—and those shape the world around us. So again: own it. If we want accountable staff members who take pride in their work, it begins with us.

I believe that if attendees apply even a few tenets from this talk on accountability culture, they’ll see immediate improvements in patient outcomes and client service. By nature, when people begin to take pride in their work, they understand that their contributions matter—not just to the patient or client, but to their colleagues and coworkers.

For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of my veterinary career has been collaborating with other professionals. When we all take ownership of our actions, we elevate and transcend what we thought were our normal boundaries. If you’re looking to spark a new surge of growth in your practice—whether in client service or patient care—this is the session that will leave you inspired.

Fetch On-Demand delivers expert-led veterinary continuing education on your schedule. With CE on your own terms, you can access top-tier sessions anytime, anywhere—whether at home, in the clinic, or on the go. Ready to earn CE credits? Watch this session and more on Fetch On-Demand, available now on dvm360 Flex.