Developing your team: how leaders can develop effective and harmonious teams

In the changing face of veterinary practice, the efficiency of a clinic is hinging less on the individual clinical skills of its vets, but more significantly on the strength and subsequent performance of the whole team. A 2019 survey found that 34 percent of employees identified poor communication with internal teams as their biggest source of stress, followed closely by a lack of organisation-wide transparency (29 percent) (Trotman, 2019). With this in mind, it’s essential for team leaders to foster clear communication and collaboration to support a healthy and effective workplace. This goes beyond superficial team dynamics – of paramount importance is understanding the core attributes of successful teams, such as shared purpose, open communication, psychological safety, mutual accountability, diversity, exemplary behaviour and individual development.

What is a team?

A team is far more than the sum of its parts as a group of individuals. High-performing, effective teams are bound by shared purpose and act in a mutually respectful and beneficial manner. In a veterinary sense, this means making sure team members – from receptionists to veterinary surgeons – are aligned with the practice’s mission and core values. Only when every team member sees their personal involvement and importance in progressing towards a target outcome can the team begin to feel truly cohesive.

Only when every team member sees their personal involvement and importance in progressing towards a target outcome can the team begin to feel truly cohesive

Behind every great team is a strong leader. A dedicated and inspired team, fuelled by a driving force to spur action, lays the foundation for success. Leaders have an opportunity to set the tone by communicating the leadership’s vision and the organisation’s values, helping to create harmony among the team and empowering everyone to operate with optimum efficiency.

There are also several core elements that can enhance or detract from the success of a team. Every team member deserves to feel valued and safe in the workplace. When individuals feel secure, respected and heard, they are more likely to contribute ideas, collaborate effectively and remain motivated in the workplace. This requires leaders to be engaged and actively focused on creating a culture of equity and inclusion which, in turn, boosts employee well-being and, ultimately, productivity.

What are the core elements of a successful team?

Psychological safety

For a team to thrive, leaders need to foster a safe space for all members to be able to express their ideas, ask questions and admit mistakes without fear of retribution. Amy Edmondson, a professor of leadership and management at the Harvard Business School, describes psychological safety as the belief that speaking up about ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes won’t be punished or result in humiliation (Edmondson, 2018).

Active encouragement of, and participation in, morbidity and mortality rounds is an excellent example of a means to create an environment where all team members are driven to analyse, discuss and work together to improve patient outcomes

Particularly in veterinary settings, psychological safety is a crucial aspect of work, as the ability to speak up confidently and learn from mistakes can directly influence patient outcomes as well as nurture an environment of continued clinical learning and development. Leaders who show a clear willingness to admit their own mistakes have a positive influence on team members and demonstrate openness and approachability. Active encouragement of, and participation in, morbidity and mortality rounds is an excellent example of a means to create an environment where all team members are driven to analyse, discuss and work together to improve patient outcomes.

Mutual accountability

A true leader shares the responsibility for the successes and failures of the whole team. When something goes right, it is not exclusively down to the efforts of a leader, but rather the contributions of all involved that led up to that moment. Similarly, a failure or setback is not exclusively one team member’s fault. Leaders need to show accountability and promote collective ownership to strengthen the team bond. Encouraging regular check-ins, a culture of open two-way feedback and collaborative problem solving can boost team morale and make leaders more approachable.

Embracing diversity

A well-rounded team with a broad variety of experiences and perspectives has been proven to enhance overall success and bring a wealth of knowledge on a broad variety of subjects.

One psychologist, Dr Meredith Belbin, proposed that there are nine different roles within a team, and different people typically take on different roles (Belbin, n.d.). These are:

1. Plant: a creative and innovative thinker who generates new ideas
2. Resource investigator: an outgoing and enthusiastic individual who explores opportunities
3. Coordinator: a confident and strategic leader who clarifies goals and delegates tasks
4. Shaper: a dynamic and driven team member who thrives on challenges
5. Monitor evaluator: a logical and impartial thinker who assesses ideas critically and provides judgements
6. Team worker: a cooperative and diplomatic individual who helps maintain harmony in the team
7. Implementer: a practical and reliable person who turns ideas into actions
8. Completer: a detail-orientated and conscientious individual who ensures work is completed to a high standard
9. Specialist: an expert with in-depth knowledge in a specific area

A good leader can leverage the differences of individuals to optimise team dynamics and productivity while simultaneously reducing the potential for friction to occur

Perhaps some, or all, of these roles are reflected in your team? A good leader can leverage the differences of individuals to optimise team dynamics and productivity while simultaneously reducing the potential for friction to occur. There can be a tendency for leaders to identify a need, or gap, in the workplace and funnel team members into certain roles. However, if this is not where the individual’s strengths or interests lie, it can be more detrimental to the team than beneficial. Fostering mutual respect, encouraging idea-sharing sessions and providing a healthy outlet for conflict resolution can help team members with different beliefs or opinions to work together in an inclusive culture, and allow everyone to express their individual creativity in the roles that suit them best.

Leading from the front

A leader acts as a model for the behaviour of the rest of the team. Therefore, demonstrating empathy, commitment, resilience and professionalism as a leader can help build a more driven and harmonious team. As a result of this, these traits will likely be mirrored in the attitudes and behaviours of the team, creating a cohesive and respectful working environment, and when mirrored in the rest of the team, these values become extremely beneficial. Demonstrating positive qualities alongside a clear respect for the team also builds a positive work culture. Trust and respect are essential for successful teams in the veterinary practice environment.

Creating opportunities for personal development

A team thrives when every individual feels understood. Every member of staff is going to have different goals for their career and personal development. If leaders try to shoehorn employees into specific professional development pathways, it can impact individuals’ motivation and performance and is likely to make the overall team less effective.

Instead, leaders should talk to team members to understand their aspirations and actively look for ways to develop their individual skills within the business. Whether through clinical development courses or training in non-clinical skills, individuals often need some encouragement and confirmation ahead of undertaking personal development opportunities. Leaders should show commitment to personal development by seeking out their own opportunities for development, creating a culture of constant learning and growth.

Where can leaders start?

To become a dynamic and inspirational leader may seem like a challenging task; however, no one expects those in a leadership role to be able to do everything perfectly from the get-go. If you are a leader looking to bolster your team’s harmony and effectiveness, what are some simple and small changes that you can start with?

• Don’t expect everyone to think and act the same. Embrace individuality and give team members the space they need to leverage their own creativity
• Build a culture of trust and collaboration by prioritising psychological safety, celebrating team members’ successes and dealing with mistakes constructively. Working alongside and coaching those who have made mistakes is far more effective in harmonising teams than isolating individuals and creating an unsafe space for making errors
• Before addressing team motivation or cohesion, work hard on the example you are setting so that you can lead by example. An inspiring leader should play the role of a motivator, inspirer and nurturer, encouraging their team to achieve their best, with or without them at the helm