Improving Team Communication

So many of our goals and policies are set to address some conflict or incident that boils down to a simple miscommunication issue. The diversity of a team means that individuals have different personal histories and trigger points for conflicts and problem solving. Managers are not always trained to work on that kind of communication fix, meaning that managers also get pulled right into the middle of it. So, today we're talking to Yvette Carnot to work on skills to deal with this common problem. Yvette has been in the veterinary world for 20 years. Her passion started as a drive to help pets and be their voice while educating clients and the community on pet health. This has since morphed into wanting to help veterinary teams by creating a welcoming and positive work culture. Show Notes: [2:41] - Yvette describes the chain of communication she has established in her practice. Team members feel comfortable talking to her about issues. [4:06] - Feelings and emotions sometimes get in the way. Managers need to be calm and not let the team members' emotions carry over into quick decisions. [6:18] - Over time and with experience, these types of uncomfortable situations and conversations become easier to manage. [8:44] - Having an accusatory tone is not helpful when having challenging conversations. [10:41] - Having a bad day from time to time is normal for all people and does not need to be cause for termination. But are the problems and problem people persistent? [13:04] - We can show the team how to communicate in a positive environment. [16:32] - There are tons of team building exercises and resources online that help build a strong team and improve communication skills. [18:15] - When we share stories about our experiences, it keeps the possibility of mistakes and how to address them front of mind. [20:44] - Part of the job is clear communication not only with team members, but with clients as well. [21:52] - When the team has fun learning communication skills, they are more likely to remember. [24:27] - Yvette shares the experience of having two team members consistently coming to her about each other and what she tried to figure out. [25:38] - You're not always going to get along or like everyone you work with, and that's okay. But remember the "why" behind what you do. Thank you for listening. Remember you are not in this alone. Visit our website for more resources. Links and Resources: VHMA Web Page VHMA Coronavirus Resources VHMA Facebook VHMA Twitter VHMA on Linkedin