Network of Teams or Series of Silos?
The Enlightened Rebels Principle, Networked Structure, is all about working as a network characterized by interpersonal connection and effective communication.
For any of us who have worked in this profession for any length of time, we are very familiar with the issue of the front office vs. the back office. No matter what the problem, it is always the other side’s fault, perhaps sounding like this...
“If only those people up front understood what we’re dealing with back here.” or “If those people back there would just do their job it would make it a lot easier for us up here.”
Wouldn’t it be interesting to watch a Super Bowl game where the quarterback was always blaming the receivers. Or the coach was always blaming the team. That is our job when we do our Monday morning quarterbacking. Hindsight is always 20-20.
In today’s fast paced environment, we have got to take seriously the improv principle of “Make your partner look good.” A business should function with a diverse, dedicated and trained group of people functioning like a Super Bowl-ready team.
There is actually much that we can learn from watching the way great football teams are designed. When drafting players, coaches look for players who are a good fit for the team. They put a lot of time and effort into proper selection. Once players are added, they do frequent check-ins and have a robust on-boarding process. The new players don’t just shadow the other players for a week and then get turned loose in a game. You have heard of training camp, yes? Great teams practice, practice, practice. And after each game they spend a lot of time doing what’s called an “after action review,” together considering questions like “What did we do right, what did we learn, and what should we do now?”
How do you recruit, hire, onboard and train your team’s members?
Winning Super Bowl teams function like a team. Yes, the quarterback may get a lot of hype on the sports page, but it takes the entire team to earn the Lombardi trophy. In your practice, do you tolerate cliques? Do you tolerate team members who don’t embrace each other’s differences or don't openly confirm with each other that “I have your back?”
Working in a vet practice today does have more than its fair share of stress. Most, if not all, practices are short staffed and there is never enough time to get everything done. Clients are frustrated and sometimes take out their emotions on your team, especially the receptionists.
Supporting each other both in words and action can go a long way to help with the well-being of both team members and practice leaders.
