Co-worker conflict: Is it costing you money?

Think worrying about a negative work environment or toxic team is just a bunch of touchy-feely nonsense? Then take a look these statistics: Two-thirds of employees said their performance declined after being a victim of on-the-job rudeness and hostility. Four out of five said they lost work time worrying about the unpleasant incident, while 63 percent wasted time avoiding the offender. That's according to Christine Porath and Christine Pearson's book The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It (Emerald Group, 2009).

As you can see, co-worker conflicts could be damaging your veterinary practice, both in the care you offer and the revenue you earn . You may not have the blatant office bully but even milder signs of incivility can be harmful to your practice. Here are the most common signs of on-the-job rudeness and hostility:

• Checking e-mail or texting messages during a meeting


• Belittling others' efforts


• Leaving snippy voice mail messages


• Leaving a mess for others to clean up


• Shutting someone out of a network or team


• Acting irritated when someone asks for a favor


• Taking resources that someone else needs


• Not listening

If any of these signs sound familiar, you and your team can benefit from hearing management guru Shawn McVey, MA, MSW, at Firstline Live on Saturday, May 7, at CVC in Washington, D.C. McVey's full-day Firstline Live workshop is designed to improve team communication, raise morale, and help you deal with potentially toxic employees at your practice. For best results, bring your whole staff and for the best price, register here by March 23, 2011.