Animal health pros burn the candle at both ends this time of year. Veterinary team members often get little sleep during calving season, managing emergency visits or keeping track of post-surgery animals. Reps put in a full day making calls, then travel after hours only to find two hours of email work waiting when they get to the motel. This article explores the link between sleep and leadership behavior. It also presents solutions that can improve individual well-being and organizational efficiency.
Source: McKinsey Quarterly, February 2016.
Research has shown that sleep-deprived brains lose the ability to make accurate judgments. That, in turn, can lead to irrational and unjustified claims such as “I do not need sleep” or “I’m doing fine with a couple of hours of sleep.”
INSIGHTS: While the study focused on company leadership, this article applies to all animal health professionals. Veterinary hospital managers and owners will benefit from making decisions about how to support sufficient sleep behaviors within the culture of the hospital.