Creating a good environment at work

How we feel in our working environment isn’t just about the physical space we operate in and the equipment we have to hand. An often greater factor in our wellbeing is the people who we work alongside, and how well we support one another. I spoke to Aimee Hamilton, a vet and director at Swayne & Partners in Suffolk, about how she and her colleagues have taken steps to get this aspect of their practice right.

Focusing on compliments rather than complaints is a great way to help remind people that the work they do has value. “It can sound like a small thing, but praise is really important,” Aimee agrees. “If clients say something positive, we write it down and share the feedback around the team.” Studies suggest that people who lose sight of the purpose inherent in their work can be more prone to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Setting clear goals and objectives, having regular one-to-one meetings and empowering people to work independently can also give a team a firmer sense of direction.

Involving people

Including colleagues in decision-making wherever possible is another way to help them know they are respected. “We asked everyone to write down their vision for the core values of the practice, and then looked at how we could incorporate these visions into our strategy,” says Aimee. “We also have a continual improvement box. Anyone in the practice can post a card into it, with an issue or challenge written on one side, and a solution or idea for improvement on the other.”

Giving support

“I was lucky when I first graduated, as my managers were lovely,” recalls Aimee, “but I think it can be very easy in our profession for people to be left lost and without support from senior staff or management. Bearing this in mind, I always try to be as approachable and available as possible.”

“It’s not just graduates though – I also think support is really needed as people move higher up in their careers as vets. I qualified eight years ago and have found the transition to director quite difficult. At the moment I’m looking into setting up a mentorship scheme that would help vets at different job levels to access help and advice.”

Giving the right impression to clients

“Clients have commented on the atmosphere becoming friendlier,” Aimee says about the efforts that have been made at the practice. It shows that creating a supportive atmosphere can create a good outwards impression as well as benefitting the team. “We always want to improve and still have work that we want to do,” says Aimee “but it goes to show that even small changes can have an impact.”

Keeping mental health in mind

Research shows that feeling valued and respected, and having support from colleagues and managers, can help people feel happier at work. And nurturing good workplace mental health is important. At any one time, one in six people will be experiencing a common mental health problem. It will be part of almost every workforce.

We all have a part to play in creating a culture of openness at work, whereby people feel able to speak up if they feel too stressed or unhappy. There are also strategic steps that employers may be able to take to promote mental health at work, such as:

• creating a mental health policy
• training managers in mental health awareness
• having an employee assistance programme (EAP) in place

Bupa has information about workplace mental health that includes more tips about introducing these measures for employers and managers.

You can also find great information about looking after your own mental health from Mind, Rethink Mental Illness and Bupa.