Lapses lead to learning

Occasionally, even the best employee has a lapse in judgment. And lapses have consequences. For example, you may have reached into an empty tray of distemper vaccines on a busy Saturday, or found the practice shorthanded one afternoon.

At Jordan Veterinary Hospital in Lexington, N.C., actions that prompt the phrase, "What were you thinking?" make guilty parties eligible to face a different set of consequences. To suppress such lapses, once a month nominated employees must draw their "punishment" from a box.

"We fill the box with slips of paper that list tasks that need to be done around the clinic. For example, a team member may draw slips for picking up trash in the parking lot, washing the windows, or straightening up supplies," says Beth Blake, a veterinary assistant with a Bachelor of Science in animal science. "The 'What Were You Thinking?' box lets our team deal with minor situations in a lighthearted, yet still effective, way. And it gives team members a friendly, nonthreatening opportunity to vent."