Telling farmers what to do and expecting them to “just do it” doesn’t always work. Sarah Tomlinson, veterinarian with Westpoint Farm Vets in Ashbourne, England, shares her approach as part of the farm team. A few keys are to let farmers talk first, explaining the “why and how” and motivational interviewing, which, if you never heard of it before, involves a little bit of persuasion.
Source: Veterinary Practice, July 30, 2019. Link. “We must remember we are not the only ones trying to tell the farmer what we think would be best for their business. We need to put our advice into perspective and justify why we think the advice we are giving is relevant and necessary,” says Tomlinson.
INSIGHTS: If team members learn best through situational examples, this could be a good teaching resource to use in your practice.