Most practices don’t struggle because of a lack of effort.

They struggle because of a lack of clarity.

From the outside, things can look busy and successful:

• Full appointment books
• Committed staff
• Loyal clients
• Long hours

But internally, something feels off.

Decisions take longer than they should. Meetings feel repetitive. Small issues keep resurfacing. Tension simmers under the surface.

And no one can quite explain why.

If your practice feels unclear, it’s rarely about competence.

It’s usually about direction.

Activity Is Not the Same as Alignment

Veterinary teams are excellent at action.

We fix. We respond. We triage. We adapt.

But constant activity can mask a deeper problem:
Are we all pulling in the same direction?

When clarity is missing:

• Priorities shift week to week
• Standards vary person to person
• Decisions feel reactive rather than deliberate
• People interpret “what matters” differently

The result isn’t chaos.

It’s something subtler.

Drift.

The Hidden Cost of Unclear Direction

When purpose and priorities aren’t explicit, teams fill the gap themselves.

One person optimises for revenue.
Another optimises for clinical perfection.
Another optimises for work-life balance.
Another optimises for client satisfaction at any cost.

None of these are wrong.

But without shared direction, they compete.

That competition shows up as:

• Frustration in meetings
• Passive resistance to change
• Confusion about expectations
• Emotional fatigue

Not because people don’t care -
but because they care about different outcomes.

Clarity Is a Leadership Responsibility

Many leaders assume clarity exists because they feel clear.

But clarity in your head is not clarity in your team.

If your team can’t easily answer:

• What are we trying to build here?
• What matters most when things get hard?
• How do we decide between two good options?

Then clarity hasn’t landed yet.

And when clarity doesn’t land, people default to personal judgement.

That’s when inconsistency creeps in.

The Three Layers of Practice Clarity

When practices feel unclear, the issue usually sits in one of three layers.

1. Direction: Where Are We Going?

This is the big picture.

What kind of practice are you building?

• Premium and high-touch?
• Community-focused and accessible?
• Growth-oriented?
• Lifestyle-protective?

Without a clearly articulated direction, every decision becomes a debate.

Clarity at this level reduces friction dramatically.

It gives context to pricing decisions, hiring standards, appointment length and client boundaries.

When direction is clear, alignment gets easier.

2. Priorities: What Matters Most Right Now?

Even with long-term direction, teams need short-term focus.

If everything is a priority, nothing is.

Unclear priorities lead to:

• Initiative overload
• Half-finished projects
• Change fatigue
• Cynicism

Clear priorities sound like:

“For the next 90 days, this is what we’re focusing on.”

That focus creates momentum - and momentum builds belief.

3. Framework: How Do We Make Decisions?

When leaders make decisions inconsistently, teams feel instability.

Not because the decision was wrong -
but because the reasoning was invisible.

A clear framework answers:

• What standards are non-negotiable?
• Where is flexibility allowed?
• How do we balance clinical care, team wellbeing and financial sustainability?

When people understand the lens through which decisions are made, disagreement feels safer - and alignment strengthens.

Symptoms of an Unclear Practice

You don’t need a formal audit to spot it.

Listen for:

• “It depends who you ask.”
• “That’s not how we usually do it.”
• “Are we allowed to do that?”
• “I thought we were focusing on something else.”

These aren’t performance issues.

They’re clarity issues.

And clarity problems don’t resolve with more effort.

They resolve with more definition.

Why Clarity Reduces Emotional Load

Unclear environments are emotionally expensive.

People spend energy:

• Interpreting expectations
• Reading between the lines
• Guessing what leadership really wants
• Protecting themselves from being “wrong”

Clear environments reduce that cognitive load.

When people know:

• What good looks like
• What matters most
• How decisions are made

They relax.

Confidence rises.
Consistency improves.
Conflict decreases.

Not because the work is easier -
but because the direction is steadier.

Clarity Doesn’t Mean Rigidity

Some leaders resist defining direction because they fear becoming inflexible.

But clarity doesn’t trap you.

It frees you.

When your foundation is clear, you can adapt intelligently instead of reactively.

Without clarity, every change feels destabilising.

With clarity, change becomes strategic.

A Simple Diagnostic

If your practice feels unclear, ask your team three questions anonymously:

1. What are we building here?
2. What matters most when we’re under pressure?
3. How do we decide between competing priorities?

If the answers vary wildly, you’ve found your leverage point.

The goal isn’t identical wording.

It's a shared understanding.

Bringing It Back to Leadership

Most clarity gaps aren’t created by bad leadership.

They’re created by assumed leadership.

We assume:

• People know the vision.
• People understand the priorities.
• People see the decision framework.

They don’t.

Clarity must be stated.
Repeated.
Modeled.
Reinforced.

Again and again.

Final Reflection

If your veterinary practice feels unclear, it’s worth asking:

• Where is direction ambiguous?
• Which priorities are competing?
• What decision framework is invisible?

Because practices rarely fail from lack of talent.

They stall from lack of clarity.

And clarity - unlike motivation -
is completely within your control.

Create a Clear Understanding in your Practice 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 Lost Vet book. Read the full book for more amazing tips.

Read the Full Book