Veterinary medicine's green and red capes

Photo: Kristen Coppock/dvm360

Philip Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFP, delivers the keynote address on the first day of the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Phillip Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CPPC, CCFP, kicked off his keynote address on the first day of the 2024 Fetch Kansas City conference by asking attendees to close their eyes and asked them to picture the best day they have ever had at their clinic. He asked them to think about the people that were around, what the attendees were doing, and exactly made it so special. Richmond then asked attendees, including fellow Fetch faculty members such as Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Tasha McNerney, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia and Analgesia), to share their experience and what made these days so special to them.

As people continued to share, Richmond pointed out that there is a common thread amongst the special days that were shared: the people involved in the clinic. Throughout the rest of his keynote, Richmond encouraged attendees to follow along and play the red and green cape, a thought exercise commonly used in positive psychology.

“So in this exercise, you can have 1 of 2 capes. Those capes will give you a massive superpower. If you pick the red cape, you'll fight injustice. You'll catch the bad guys. You'll hold back oppression, poverty and sickness. You'll become a warrior against all that is bad in the world. If you pick a green cape, it gives you the power to bring more good to the world, to elevate humanity to its highest point, empathy, kindness, joy, all these things are maximized now,” explained Richmond.

Creating a welcoming space

When it comes to green capes, how can veterinary teams elevate and experience the things that make them feel joyful on a regular basis? According to Richmond, a lot of that relies on the people teams are working with and the clients whose pets they help. The key is to make people feel as though they matter within the clinic, because they do. Taking the time to learn more about who you work with and what they are like as a person inside and out of the clinic can provide a deeper understanding of what makes them feel valued. For leadership, this means getting to know everyone so when it is time for a new voice to be heard, or if someone has an idea to improve the workspace, they are comfortable sharing it.

“At our practice, [it’s] very important [that] we come in and we try to spend 5-10 minutes with every new hire, and just personally get to know them, get their name… Again, things that I think that we do as human beings but knowing how important that is. And then the second thing is, how do I add value? How am I valuable to this practice? You show me how I make a difference. Again, as leaders in a hospital, which most of us are, regardless of our title, showing each other how we make a difference, giving that gratitude, that explaining how you walk through a case, the impact that you made on the clients and the team,” explained Richmond.

As a leader, getting to know those you lead also helps you better understand the struggles and success each person has. For example, there may be a technician in a clinic who is interested in learning more about dental procedures or looking to improve their skills. By talking to them and learning that, leaders can take steps to help them through trainings and shadowing others to help. This demonstrates to the team that you not only listen to them but are there to encourage and uplift them.

Finding your teams cape colors

To get a better understand of your team, Richmond encouraged leaders to set a 30-minute meeting and ask the team red and green cape questions, such as 'what is something that can be done to make your day 3-5% better?' He does not want a huge lift to be put on teams but there may be small things that could be done to significantly improve the morale of the team, and all you need to do is ask about. A massive game changer for your clinic can be available to you right now, you just need to ask your team the right questions and hear their answers.

Reference

Richmond P. Red Cape | Green Cape: The Balancing Act of Firefighting and Flourishing in Vet Med. Presented at: Fetch dvm360 Conference; October 14-16, 2024; Atlantic City, NJ.