LAUSR

VETERINARY teams tend to lack self-belief and this could negatively impact on their wellbeing, a smallscale study has indicated. The research, which was carried out by coaching organisation Engage, analysed qualities in 12 practice teams (518 employees) that were either winning or highly commended entries in the 2016 Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons Wellbeing Awards. It then compared these qualities to teams in other industries. The sample was made up of 4000 people across different job roles and grades. The comparative analysis found that veterinary staff (vets, veterinary nurses, receptionists and anyone else working within a practice) had less self-belief, were less confident in wider social settings and tended to be cynical about the benefits of business development. According to the analysts, the overall result indicated a less confident, open and engaged workforce when compared to other sectors. This could have a detrimental effect on wellbeing, Engage said. The analysis found that veterinary surgeons were less engaged and less open than their colleagues. They were also most likely to think they had less impact than other team members working in the practice. Given that the research analysed high-functioning practices, the results are worrying said Jodi O’Dell, the founder of Engage. ‘The results reflect award winners. This means that when compared to a general norm group, vet populations demonstrate lower levels of self-confidence and a more negative, perhaps cynical, attitude towards personal development. The implications being that for other vet practices, ie, non-award winners, this could suggest a more negative view.’ However, she said the study provided a positive change message for the profession. ‘Developing a more confident, open and motivated mindset is key to veterinary practice wellbeing. This is an important consideration for those wanting to improve wellbeing, retention and profitability’, she said. Creating an effective wellbeing strategy requires a holistic approach, O’Dell said. This means addressing any environmental factors that contribute to stress, as well as building resilience in staff so they develop internal coping strategies to deal with the growing demands of the job. Lizzie Lockett, CEO of the RCVS and director of the Mind Matters Initiative, said any research that helped the profession to understand in more detail the factors that affected wellbeing was a good thing. ‘Although we know through our work with Vet Futures that the veterinary profession has high levels of public trust, anecdotally, and now backed up by this research, we can see this is not necessarily matched by self-belief among professionals.’ Engage has developed a wellbeing programme that can help practices develop their own wellbeing risk assessment and plan. Visit engagecoach.com/vets Developing a more confident, open and motivated mindset is key to veterinary practice wellbeing