Most veterinary teams don’t stop growing because they lack talent.

They stop growing because growth has become accidental.

In busy practices, development is often treated as something that happens when there’s time. Courses get booked occasionally. New staff learn by watching others. Senior clinicians answer questions between consults.

Everyone is working hard.
But progress feels slow.

Confidence plateaus.
Potential stays hidden.
And the team quietly stops evolving.

The issue usually isn’t motivation.

It’s structure.

A practice that wants its people to grow has to design growth - not hope for it.

When Development Becomes Optional

Veterinary work is demanding. Patients come first, emergencies interrupt schedules and the daily pace rarely slows down.

In that environment, development often slips to the bottom of the list.

Training happens reactively.
Mentoring happens informally.
Reflection rarely happens at all.

Over time, the result is predictable:

• Experienced staff plateau
• New team members lose confidence
• Leadership becomes concentrated in a few individuals
• Learning depends on who happens to be available

The team doesn’t stop caring.

But without deliberate support, capability stops expanding.

Growth Needs Three Gears

In strong practices, development doesn’t rely on one method.

It runs on three complementary “gears” that keep people moving forward.

1. Training: Building Competence

Training provides the knowledge and tools people need to do their jobs confidently.

It might include:

• Clinical protocols
• Practical demonstrations
• Internal teaching sessions
• Learning resources or guides

Training gives people the foundation to perform tasks correctly and consistently.

But training alone isn’t enough.

Knowledge doesn’t automatically become judgement.

2. Mentoring: Sharing Experience

Mentoring connects experience with learning.

It’s where seasoned professionals help others navigate the complexity that textbooks can’t explain.

In veterinary practice, mentoring might look like:

• A senior nurse supporting a new graduate vet
• An experienced receptionist helping a colleague handle difficult client conversations
• Informal check-ins after challenging cases

Mentoring creates psychological safety.

It allows people to ask questions without feeling exposed - and to develop confidence through guidance.

3. Coaching: Unlocking Potential

Coaching is different again.

Instead of giving answers, it asks better questions.

Coaching helps people reflect:

• What worked well?
• What would you try differently next time?
• What skill would you like to improve next?

Where training builds knowledge and mentoring shares experience, coaching builds self-awareness and ownership.

Together, these three gears create continuous movement.

When one gear dominates - or when one is missing - development slows dramatically.

The Invisible Problem: Learning by Accident

Many practices assume development is happening because people are busy.

But busyness and growth aren’t the same thing.

Learning by accident usually produces uneven results:

• One person becomes highly skilled because they found a mentor
• Another struggles because they never received structured support
• Knowledge stays concentrated in a few individuals

Over time, this creates fragility.

If a key team member leaves, expertise leaves with them.

A sustainable practice distributes knowledge widely - not accidentally.

The Other Half of Growth: Teamwork

Even when individuals are skilled, performance can stall if the team isn’t working well together.

Veterinary care is rarely a solo effort.

Every patient journey involves:

• Reception
• Nursing support
• Clinical decision-making
• Administration and follow-up

When collaboration is strong, everything feels smoother.

Clients experience calm.
Communication flows.
Problems get solved quickly.

When collaboration weakens, stress multiplies.

Small misunderstandings become large frustrations.
Departments operate in silos.
And even talented individuals struggle to perform well together.

What Strong Teams Do Differently

High-functioning teams rarely rely on personality alone.

They deliberately build habits that strengthen collaboration.

These include:

Clear communication
Everyone understands what is expected and how information flows.

Role clarity
People respect each other’s responsibilities and boundaries.

Shared learning
Successes and mistakes are discussed openly.

Psychological safety
Team members feel comfortable raising concerns or offering ideas.

These behaviours don’t emerge by chance.

They develop through consistent leadership attention.

Why Leadership Matters Most

Team growth is ultimately a leadership decision.

Not because leaders control learning - but because they create the environment where learning becomes normal.

Leaders influence growth by:

• Prioritising development as part of the job
• Creating mentoring relationships
• Encouraging reflection and feedback
• Celebrating improvement, not just performance

When leadership values development, the team follows.

When development is treated as optional, the team notices that too.

The Wheel Test

One of the simplest ways to diagnose a stalled team is to map development visually.

Ask your team to score areas such as:

• Training systems
• Mentoring support
• Coaching conversations
• Feedback culture
• Learning resources
• Leadership encouragement

Then connect the scores to create a “development wheel.”

If the shape is uneven, it reveals something important:

Growth is happening in some areas - but not others.

Seeing the pattern often sparks the conversations that unlock progress.

Because awareness is where improvement begins.

Bringing It All Together

A practice that grows its people strengthens every other part of the business.

More capable teams deliver better care.
More confident teams communicate more clearly.
More connected teams support one another under pressure.

Development isn’t a luxury.

It’s the engine that keeps the whole practice moving forward.

When growth becomes intentional - supported by training, mentoring, coaching and teamwork - something powerful happens.

The team doesn’t just perform better.

It evolves.

Final Reflection

If your team feels stuck, ask three simple questions:

• Where is learning structured - and where is it left to chance?
• Which of the three development gears (training, mentoring, coaching) is missing?
• What one small change could make growth more visible this month?

Because teams rarely stop growing overnight.

They stop growing slowly - until someone decides to restart the engine.

Ensure Growth in Your Team with The Lost Vet 

At The Lost Vet, we help you find your passion and purpose again. 

You’ll have: 

• The job you always dreamed of 
• More time for you and your friends and family, hobbies and interests 
• Increased profit and growth with less stress 
• An empowered team 
• Clients that truly value the service and advice you provide 

Don’t take our word for it, contact us today to find your passion and purpose again.

This blog has been written in relation to The DPF Wheel. Read the full book for more amazing tips.

Read the Full Book