Get the muzzle!

We've all been there. Words spoken by a coworker cut us down and make us feel like a pile of dog … well, you know. Or maybe we've been in the other shoes, saying things we shouldn't have, creating a rift, or at least, a temporary feeling of shame between us and the people with whom we should work best.

Ill feelings between team members don't just cause sickness in your ranks-they extend to your clients, too, and can even end up in your online reviews. We all know our teams have to work like well-oiled machines for our practices to be successful, and some situations are unavoidable. But maybe there are some things that, well, just shouldn't be said.

Brent Dickinson is the practice manager at Dickinson-McNeill Veterinary Clinic in Chesterfield, New Jersey.