On November 7th, 2024, Colorado voters approved a new veterinary midlevel practitioner position known as a veterinary professional associate (VPA).
The VPA duplicates the work veterinarians and veterinary technicians already perform.
Veterinarians diagnose, prognose, develop treatment plans, prescribe and perform surgery. Veterinary technicians can do anything else. In fact, Colorado recently passed a law that supports veterinarians in delegating appropriate duties to their veterinary technicians and expands their role.
Interesting to contemplate how a veterinarian and a veterinary technician
might cope with the addition of a VPA to the mix.
They say good things come in pairs - shoes, gloves, salt and pepper. But what happens when there’s a third? Whether in friendships, business partnerships, or social gatherings, the age-old adage "three’s a crowd" suggests that trios are inherently precarious.
The Challenge of Triads
The phrase “three’s a crowd” stems from the idea that when two people share a close bond, the third may feel left out, or the dynamic becomes imbalanced. This can manifest in various scenarios:
Friendships: Two friends might share inside jokes or an unspoken connection, leaving the third feeling like an outsider.
Work Partnerships: Decisions can become difficult when opinions clash or one person consistently feels overruled.
Social Events: In conversations, it's easy for one person to be unintentionally sidelined.
The core issue is often rooted in the difficulty
of maintaining equilibrium in a group of three.
Unlike duos, where balance is relatively straightforward, trios demand a greater degree of inclusivity and communication to function smoothly.
When Three Works
Yet, history and nature prove that trios can thrive. Think of the Three Musketeers, the tripod's stability, or even the harmony of three-part vocal ensembles. The key is in how the individuals manage their roles and interactions.
Diverse Skills: In professional settings, three people with distinct yet complementary skills can cover more ground and spark innovation.
Mediation: A third party can act as a neutral arbiter, resolving conflicts that might arise in a duo.
Shared Responsibility: With three people, responsibilities can be distributed more evenly, preventing burnout.
Making Trio Dynamics Work
For a group of three to flourish, mutual respect and proactive communication are essential.
Encourage Inclusivity: Make a conscious effort to include everyone in conversations, decisions, and activities.
Acknowledge Individual Strengths: Recognize what each person brings to the table and leverage those strengths.
Resolve Conflicts Quickly: In trios, unresolved tensions can escalate quickly. Address issues as they arise.
Foster Equal Bonds: Try to spend one-on-one time with each other to strengthen individual connections within the group.
When to Walk Away
Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, three truly is a crowd.
Recommended Reading
Midlevel practitioner proposal secures enough votes in Colorado. AVMA News, November 7, 2024. https://www.avma.org/news/midlevel-practitioner-proposal-secures-enough-votes-colorado
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