Leading and Influencing Culture Change

Veterinary practices must continuously change to meet the needs of their clients, maintain the standard of patient care, and remain profitable. Ultimately, all changes boil down to the incorporation of new behaviors by the practice employees. However, human nature tends to resist change and most of the change initiatives will fail unless they are guided by a well-defined process of generating a sense of urgency, recruiting a team of opinion leaders, involving the employees, and removing barriers to change. This chapter reviews the barriers to change and will outline a proven process for enacting change in your team.