{"id":23547,"date":"2023-04-01T00:00:45","date_gmt":"2023-04-01T00:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=23547"},"modified":"2023-03-30T21:44:58","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T21:44:58","slug":"team-members-resist-change-talk-the-talk-0423","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/team-members-resist-change-talk-the-talk-0423\/","title":{"rendered":"When Team Members Resist Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of my consulting clients expressed frustration about trying to get her team members to be kinder and more understanding of pet owners. A few employees at her veterinary practice lacked compassion for new clients and for clients perceived as difficult communicators. Her complaint caused me to recall the negative comments I\u2019ve heard team members say, such as \u201cI\u2019m not going to help Mr. Morris; he\u2019s mean,\u201d \u201cI can\u2019t believe we have to put up with Mrs. Smith,\u201d and \u201cYou can talk to her, but I\u2019m not going to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do those statements sound familiar? For example, maybe you have a team member who isn\u2019t always empathetic and tends to blame clients when an interaction doesn\u2019t go well. Perhaps a tenured employee refuses to see specific clients. Or team members resist learning to communicate more positively with pet owners.<\/p>\n

My consulting client talked to her team about being nice to pet owners, even during stressful times. The training asked team members to \u201cThink about how you would want to be treated if you were the client,\u201d and it covered why employees sometimes must agree to client demands. However, a few people weren\u2019t buying into the need to change.<\/p>\n

What can you do when a team member\u2019s poor communication habits are entrenched or when people seem indifferent about improving their communication skills? The answer is to take a different approach to training.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t force someone to change,\u00a0 but you can change how you talk to your team about client communication<\/a> and how you train employees.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at a few ways to alter your approach to training so that you get better results.<\/p>\n

Get the Team Member\u2019s Perspective<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Think about why someone acts a specific way toward a client. For example, perhaps the pet owner lashed out unfairly, or the team member felt unappreciated after helping a client. Why an employee expressed negativity is easy to see in those situations.<\/p>\n

Even if a team member didn\u2019t respond well to a client, you can still validate feelings and acknowledge positive actions. However, avoid using \u201cbut\u201d when speaking with the employee. Here\u2019s an example: \u201cI can see your frustration and know it\u2019s stressful to talk to an angry client. I appreciate that you followed our scheduling protocol.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connect Before You Convince<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Isn\u2019t it interesting how we sometimes ask team members to use the skills we fail to apply with them? Whether you\u2019re educating clients about a pet\u2019s needs or talking to the team about communicating differently, the approach is the same. You must connect with them first. Model the expected behavior if you want the team to create positive connections with pet owners.<\/p>\n

One of the best ways to connect with someone is to ask open-ended questions<\/a>. Inquire about your team\u2019s thoughts, training needs and obstacles to success. To elicit the most information, ask specific questions, such as:<\/p>\n