Building a Positive Culture That Clients Can Feel with Kristie Buys VHMA Manager to Manager

We all want positive culture, but oftentimes we don’t know where to start and we give up too soon. Culture is frustrating! We all want it and no one seems to want to do anything about it. But there are things we can and should be doing that begin the process of building and maintaining a positive culture that not only the staff feels, but clients feel, too. 
 
Today’s guest, Kristie Buys, has so many wise words for us when it comes to building and maintaining a strong culture in the workplace. Kristie is a hospital administrator outside of DC and part owner of Balance Veterinary Center. She has been a part of multiple startups and has a particular passion in practice building. The reason for this is her love for investing in teams and the people who will ultimately be responsible for helping maintain the culture she develops.
 
Show Notes: [2:22] - This last year has been tough and curbside has been a challenge. But Kristie thinks that a lot of culture is a choice. We can choose to focus on gratitude.
[2:56] - The foundation of client and clinic culture is those core values of your practice.
[3:16] - If you can meet your clients with compassion, it will help build culture.
[3:56] - During interviews and the hiring process, Kristie drills the core values of the organization and will remind herself and everyone of what they are periodically.
[4:49] - Occasionally, Kristie even revisits core values and has other staff members contribute to the big picture. That’s how the value balance came from.
[6:12] - A few years ago, Kristie’s hospital relocated so there is a mix of people who moved with them and a lot of newer staff members.
[7:02] - Getting feedback from the team ahead of time is another strategy Kristie uses to make sure that her practice’s culture is not cliquey.
[7:58] - Debbie points out that some practices without a positive culture tend to have a high turnover rate.
[8:51] - Another strategy Kristie utilizes for retention is to cross-train everyone. 
[10:40] - Even through the challenges, we need to always keep our core values and culture in mind. There are negative experiences in the industry, but how can you turn it around rather than spread the negativity?
[11:42] - Sometimes when staff members are venting about a client and can’t seem to turn it around positively, we need to focus on the health and happiness of the pet. You have to call out the person venting and find the root of the problem.
[13:17] - Everyone has a different reason for working in their job, but the culture of the team and the environment needs to be the same.
[14:40] - Having the culture conversation over and over again can be uncomfortable if the culture in your location is not great. But it is a necessity.
[16:14] - Debbie shares that she will always let a team member fail once, but then if they make the same mistakes over and over again, she can only assume they are choosing not to learn. 
[17:00] - Having a positive culture doesn’t mean that you aren’t managing your team. 
[18:24] - Culture is misunderstood that is always easy and fluffy. But we are all human with human emotions, so sometimes culture is not always simple.
[19:56] - Kristie points out that sometimes it is hard to find the right people to fit the culture you are building, but it is important to make sure that you take the time to do that.
[20:45] - A strong culture is that every single individual on the team helps build it and helps maintain it. Culture is not a goal you hit, it is a consistent process to maintain.
[22:10] - The uncomfortable conversations are a really important part of building culture.
[23:12] - Every disciplinary conversation Kristie has circles back to the core values. What core value was violated?
[25:04] - Accountability is a huge piece of positive culture. Team members need to be held accountable for their part in building a positive place to work.
[26:32] - Kristie and Debbie discuss how to address staf