Episode 35: Setting—and living—core values in your veterinary practice

The coronavirus pandemic has changed so much about the practice of veterinary medicine, and it’s perhaps never been more important to build a practice culture in which everyone on the team looks out for one another and each person lives the core values of the hospital day in and day out. After all, we never know what those around us may be going through.

In this episode of the podcast, Maureen Joseph, chief people officer at GoodVets, talks about how to implement core values—the philosophy and standards that your business lives by—in your workplace.

Joseph says that having core values is important for any organization because it not only shows your team and your clients what is important to your business, it can also set you apart from the competition.

The entire team should be part of the process of developing core values, but it should start with the practice leadership. It’s important for leadership to believe in your organization’s core values, and to promote and enforce them on a day-to-day basis, Joseph says.

Once your core values are in place, practice leadership should monitor whether the entire team is living those values. It’s important to have transparent conversations with any team members who are not respecting the practice’s core values.

“In this industry, there are some real cultural issues, and I think it stems from not feeling empowered or respected,” says Joseph. “I think it’s really important to respect and value each other’s opinions and ideas, along with challenging each other and holding each other accountable.”

Listen below for some great advice about setting and implementing core values at your clinic.