Aussie Paws

Session 1: Team Communication

The Workbook for Download: Workbook_Team Communication_Aussie Paws_21_7_2016_High Performance Vets

To be an effective communicator, it is essential to understand your communication & behavioural style and how you interact with others. Once you recognise other peoples style, you can communicate to their style to build rapport.

Within the team, especially in the busy times, it is easy to forget that we must take the time to communicate well and actively listen to our colleagues. It is important to manage your emotional wake and be aware of the positivity ratio.

Understand how conflict occurs and how to have a challenging conversation.

Your Strengths:

Take the VIA Character Strengths Survey here: https://www.viacharacter.org

Learn more about your strengths: http://www.michellemcquaid.com/strengths-habit/

DISC:

To learn more about DISC and differing behaviour styles, this book is simple and easy to read: DISC eWorkbook. Remember that we all express some of each style and have a predominant style. The key is recognising how your style impacts your performance and behaviour in the workplace and how it’s affecting team dynamics. Any style can be both resourceful to your career and destructive if it is causing you stress or stress to others. To connect with others, it’s important to be respectful and communicate to their style to ensure rapport.

Session 2: Managing Stress & Building Resilience

The Workbook for Download: 2016_Aussie Paws Stress Management & Resilience Workbook

The ability to cope and manage stress is a critical skill for your career.

Expectations from clients has increased. There seems to be more pressure. We are trying to do more every day. We lead very busy lives.

I am speaking to more veterinarians every day who are beginning to struggle and suffer from compassion fatigue and burnout. This isn’t just new or recent graduates who do find the first few years of practice stressful. It is the veterinarians who are reaching the peak of their career or beyond. They are talented, committed and highly experienced and usually with a Masters or Membership. They are exhausted, disengaged, frustrated and disillusioned with clients, their income and practice.

We promote preventative health for our patients yet we are reactive rather than proactive with our own health. My aim is for this to change. Otherwise we will lose our best and brightest who are the future leaders of the profession.

In coping with stress, you must pay attention to three areas:

Determine what DEPLETES you: either do less of this but if that isn’t possible, improve your skills so that it doesn’t deplete you
Find activities that REPLENISH you: do them on a consistent basis, either daily or weekly.
STRENGTHEN you: build coping and resilience skills so when you experience times of high stress or adversity, you have reserves and are able to cope better.

Why should you be concerned about stress? Because chronic stress contributes to compassion fatigue and burnout.

START HERE:

1. Self awareness is a critical skill. Your strengths and weaknesses. Areas that accelerate your success and areas that limit it. First you need to be open to becoming self aware. Watch the great video by Gary Vaynerchuk on Self Awareness: Click here

2. Coping With Stress: In May, I spoke to the Gold Coast Vets about coping with stress. The next morning I recorded the slides, as what I discussed needed to be made available to all team members.

Watch the presentation to determine what depletes you, what you need to do to replenish and strengthen you.

Pay attention to the PERMA exercise towards the end. If you are able to experience these 5 elements consistently, it will lead to flourishing.

3. In November, I spoke at the Brisbane Veterinary Practitioners Conference on Prevention of Burnout and Compassion Fatigue. Here is a copy of the notes: Wilks, Natasha_BVP2015_Burnout & Compassion Fatigue: How to Protect Yourself

4. Book & Website Recommendations

Wellness & Positive Psychology