How do you like to be appreciated at work? Think about it for a minute. This is a question that I ask everyone at the end of our interview. It’s a simple question really, with a straightforward answer. Thank you. That’s it! Most people want verbal recognition by someone thanking them for a job well done. For most of us, we want the thank you to come from the doctor that we work alongside day in and day out. Funny thing is, we usually don’t.
My career began with a doctor that said if he didn’t say anything at all, then that was a good thing. He told me this on day one and I accepted it. He appreciated us in other ways. Paid CE to include travel, hotel and conference once a year. He took us out for team building even though it wasn’t labeled as such. I received a $1 raise every year.
What I lacked was a simple thank you: for staying late 3 days out of 4; placing a catheter in a difficult vein; mastering the art of getting treatments done on time (when you have rooms to triage, anesthesia to induce/monitor, radiographs to take out the wazoo, ultrasounds to hold for, bloodwork, and 5 chemo’s to get done by noon when they dropped off at 10); dropping everything to fill a script for a client that just walked in and cut 100 pills in half because said client is 90 and I am nice; and everything in between. The lack of thank you is why I decided to pursue another job 6 years later. I felt underappreciated and needed more, even though I accepted that I would never receive verbal appreciation.
My next job was the complete opposite of what I was used to. I worked alongside a doctor for 5 years that thanked me every single day and respected me not only as a veterinary technician, but as a person. I’m not upset with my previous doctor for the lack of thank you. I am upset at myself for not knowing how much a thank you really meant.
Thank you goes along way because:
- It’s a positive recognition that we did our job to the best of our ability that day
- It motivates us to work even harder
- It boosts our self-confidence after a long, emotional and stressful day
- It builds team morale
- It helps build lasting relationships
- It helps us feel valued and respected
- It shows appreciation
Thank you should be a part of a doctor’s daily vocabulary and used often. I’ve heard countless times that a thank you is not deserved because we are just doing our jobs we were hired to do. You know what, we provide a service that allows you to make your production and go home on time. We deal with most of the chaos throughout the day so that you can keep going. Yes, we do it because we love what we do and can’t imagine doing anything else. Yes, it is our job. But thank you is free. It takes no effort. It’s two words that can mean the world to someone and make a difference. I challenge you to try it and say it often. We as a profession deserve verbal recognition and a pat on the back for all that we do on a daily basis. It all ends with those two simple words.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tosha has been a CVT since 2002 working in emergency, internal medicine and neurology. She has a passion for mentoring technicians to create a more positive work environment. When Tosha is not interviewing prospective candidates for Veterinary Practice Partners and their hospitals, you may find her dancing at a country music concert or relaxing at home in her hammock with Jagger and Dirty.
