In 2024, the AAEP Commission on Equine Veterinary Sustainability’s Practice Culture Subcommittee utilized the 2022 Surgeon General’s Report on Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing to brainstorm ways to create a healthy practice culture. (This report and associated resources are available for download here.)
7 Pillars of Equine Practice Culture
The subcommittee then built a rubric of a healthy practice culture based on seven pillars, which include:
- Physical, psychological, and mental safety.
- Security, which flows from comprehensive benefits, parental leave, and leaders modeling a balanced life.
- Connection and community, which includes relationships with colleagues, involvement in organized veterinary medicine, and networking opportunities.
- Mattering at work, requiring alignment of mission, vision, and values; involvement in decision-making; and recognition.
- Balance in employees’ professional and personal lives, which requires having autonomy over schedule and setting boundaries.
- Communication, both within the team and with clients.
- Opportunities for growth, including mentorship, onboarding, reviews, engagement measures, and effective feedback.
Practice Culture Resources
The group created an array of resources for each pillar, including a cultural transformation toolkit, communication boundaries for equine practice handbook, video guide to creating community, employee reward and recognition assessment tool, feedback survey for employees, nonsalary benefits survey, guidance tools for using stay interviews, and handbook guide for creating successful teams. These resources are available here.
Why Equine Practice Culture Is Important
According to the Harvard Business Review, “the average adult living in the United States will spend 90,000 hours—or one-third of their lives—at work.” Therefore, workplace culture is critical to employees’ overall well-being. Research shows that people working in companies with a positive corporate culture are healthier, happier, more productive, and less likely to leave, and the companies have higher average annual profits. An organization that is a good fit for your values and offers a healthy workplace environment with effective leadership that will support and nurture you on your career journey will always create a more satisfying experience.
How to Find an Equine Practice With a Great Culture
When evaluating a practice before accepting a position, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask how often the practice team meets with leadership, what professional development or mentorship opportunities are available, and what types of team-building activities are offered. Inquire about the process for handling employee conflicts and about the practice’s work/life balance philosophy. Ask how the organization defines flexibility. Finally, ask as many of the current employees as you can, “What is one thing you like about working here? What is one thing you could change about working here?” Finding a practice with a great culture will make a big difference in your future satisfaction.
Related Reading
- Equine Veterinary Sustainability: How to Attract Interns to Your Program
- Guiding the Next Generation: Mentorship in Equine Veterinary Practice
- Equine Veterinary Sustainability: How Leaders Create Psychological Safety
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