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InFocus

Stress in practice: a guide to integrating management strategies for veterinary leaders

From managing demands and feelings of control to organisational change, there are numerous best practices that you can implement to minimise the impact of stress in the workplace

Stress and conflict in practice: 2 of 2

In the first part of this miniseries, we looked at the indicators, effects and sources of stress and conflict in veterinary practice. In this second part, we will explore what we can do as veterinary leaders to minimise the impact of stress in our workplaces and ensure that our teams are as happy and healthy as they can be at work.

Managing demands

Best practice in managing demands (Table 1) means all your team members must be able to cope with the demands of their jobs. Consider your team’s workload: do you meet at least weekly to discuss the anticipated workload and plan for any known absences? Do you ensure that sufficient resources are available, and do you provide training to help staff prioritise their workload?

You can do this by ensuring that you review working hours and shift patterns regularly in consultation with your team. Flexible working should always be considered to help team members cope with external pressures, such as commuting routes or childcare.

Flexible working should always be considered to help team members cope with external pressures, such as commuting routes or childcare

Of course, you should ensure that your risk assessments for physical hazards are up to date. Additionally, you should ensure that you have assessed the other risks of your workplace and taken steps to manage these. For example, you can provide training to help staff defuse and deal with difficult situations such as difficult phone calls or aggressive clients.

Leaders should:Leaders should not:
Allow regular breaks, especially when the work is complex or emotionally demandingAsk anyone to do tasks that they are not capable of or trained to do
Set realistic deadlinesAllocate more work to a person or team unless they have the additional resources to cope with it
Design jobs that provide opportunities for everyone to use their skillsAllow anyone to “cope” by working longer hours, starting earlier, finishing later, taking work home or working through breaks or lunch
Take steps to reduce distractions in the physical environment (disturbance, noise, dirt, etc)Contact anyone outside of working hours or when they are on leave or otherwise off duty
Learn to say no if their team is already at full capacity
TABLE (1) The actions veterinary leaders should and should not take when managing the demands of their teams

Managing control

Best practice in managing control (Table 2) involves ensuring that all your team members have an appropriate level of control over the way they do their jobs. Specifically, this factor requires you and your practice to agree on systems that enable staff to have a say over the way their work is organised and undertaken.

You should also hold regular discussions during the planning stages of projects to talk about ways of working, providing opportunities for discussion and input. When allocating responsibilities for a project, make sure you discuss and define teams and agree on objectives, roles, timescales and how you (or others) will provide support during the process.

Leaders should:Leaders should not:
Allow staff some control over the pace of their workMonitor employees’ movements in detail (including breaks)
Encourage staff to participate in decision making, especially where it impacts themMonitor working style unless necessary (eg where the organisation works with vulnerable people)
Negotiate shift work and schedules that do not impose on staffAsk or expect staff to stay late without notice
TABLE (2) The actions veterinary leaders should and should not take when managing sense of control of their teams

Managing support

Best practice in managing support (Table 3) involves ensuring that all your team members receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and managers. Topics such as “work-related stress” or “emerging pressures” should be a standing item for staff meetings and one-to-ones. Seek examples of how people would like to receive good support from managers or colleagues or where they feel it has been done well in the past and explore how these ideas can be adopted across the team.

Leaders should talk about the ways the practice can provide support if a team member is experiencing problems, whether within the organisation or from others (occupational health, trained counsellors, charities, etc). You can offer training to team members in basic support skills such as coaching and mentoring or mental health first aid.

Topics such as “work-related stress” or “emerging pressures” should be a standing item for staff meetings and one-to-ones

Leaders should:Leaders should not:
Ensure staff receive sufficient training to undertake the core functions of their jobTrivialise others’ problems
Provide constructive and supportive advice in one-to-onesDiscriminate against people for any reason
Provide opportunities for career developmentAllow discrimination in the workplace to go unchallenged
Deal sensitively with team members experiencing challenges outside of workInsist on rigid work schedules unnecessarily
TABLE (3) The actions veterinary leaders should and should not take when managing support of their teams

Managing relationships

Best practice in managing workplace relationships (Table 4) involves ensuring positive working relationships and making sure that none of your team members are subject to unacceptable behaviours at work. All workplaces should have a written policy for dealing with unacceptable behaviour and grievances and confidential procedures for reporting such incidents. All staff should be aware of these and be able to access them.

Procedures to prevent or quickly resolve conflict at work should be communicated to all staff. As a veterinary leader, you should identify ways to celebrate success and build positive relationships – whether via social opportunities or otherwise – and ensure all staff (including those who may work from home or at different locations) are included.

Leaders should:Leaders should not:
Encourage open honest communication at all levelsAllow any bullying behaviour or harassment
Create a culture where colleagues trust and encourage each otherIgnore or forget staff working at branch sites, out of hours, from home or in any other way isolated
Agree with staff which behaviours are unacceptable and how to report incidents
TABLE (4) The actions veterinary leaders should and should not take when managing workplace relationships

Managing workplace roles

Best practice in managing workplace roles (Table 5) involves ensuring that all your team members understand their roles and responsibilities. This factor requires that specific standards of performance for jobs should be reviewed regularly, and team objectives should be well understood by all in order to clarify team and individual roles. Job descriptions should ensure that the core functions and priorities of the role are clear, particularly for new starters or when any changes are implemented. Responsibility information should be shared among all staff so that everyone’s role is clear.

Leaders should:Leaders should not:
Provide clear job descriptions and defined work objectivesMake changes to job roles or responsibilities without making sure that the individual both understands and accepts what is required of them
Define work structures clearly so all team members know who is doing what and whyIssue competing demands (eg situations where it is difficult to meet the needs of both the practice and the client)
Provide a thorough induction to all new members of staff
TABLE (5) The actions veterinary leaders should and should not take when managing workplace roles

Managing change

An employee consultation should be a fundamental element of planning: encourage staff to have input, comment and ask questions before, during and after the change happens

Best practice in managing workplace change (Table 6) involves ensuring that all your team members are regularly engaged when undergoing an organisational change. Ensure that both the method and frequency of systems for communicating are agreed upon. Veterinary leaders should supply information on why the change is happening, the impact on staff roles and a likely timescale for the organisational changes. An employee consultation should be a fundamental element of planning: encourage staff to have input, comment and ask questions before, during and after the change happens.

Leaders should:Leaders should not:
Explain what the practice wants to change and why it needs to happenDelay communicating new developments
Consult staff at an early stage and throughout the processBe afraid of saying “I/we don’t know yet”
Explain timescales and how the change will impact directly on themUnderestimate the impact of seemingly minor changes in the practice
TABLE (6) The actions veterinary leaders should and should not take when managing any changes in the workplace

Summary

So now it is time to take action! For each of the six factors discussed above, try to pick one of the “best practice” points you could implement in your role. What actions do you need to take to implement this activity in your workplace? What might the challenges be in taking action on this point? What is your first step towards embedding this in your leadership practice? Write down your six ideas, stick them somewhere visible and make a note to review your progress in a month.

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