In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore what actually makes people stay in veterinary workplaces during difficult times—and why communication may be one of the most powerful retention tools we have.

Grounded in research on positive communication and The Great Resignation, this conversation unpacks how transparency, flexibility, support, and trust shape the way veterinary professionals experience stress, crisis, and connection at work. Because it turns out—people do not just remember the hard days…they remember how those hard days felt, and who they felt them with.

From COVID leadership lessons to everyday “mini-crises” inside veterinary hospitals, this episode highlights how communication is not just something teams do—it becomes part of the culture itself. And when leaders and coworkers communicate with honesty, humanity, and care, resilience becomes something people build together instead of carrying alone.

You’ll hear:
• Why positive communication plays a major role in employee retention
• What veterinary teams remember most during stressful or uncertain moments
• How transparency and flexibility strengthen trust during crisis
• Why “micro moments” of support can shape workplace culture over time
• How structuration theory explains the way communication creates culture
• Why most veterinary communication training misses the other 98% of workplace conversations
• Practical ways leaders and teams can create cultures people actually want to stay in

Whether you are leading through uncertainty, navigating a difficult season with your team, or simply trying to create a workplace where people feel supported and valued, this episode offers a practical and hopeful look at how communication shapes culture—and why the way we talk to each other during hard times matters more than we think.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: The Structuration of Positive Communication Experiences: The Case of the Great Resignation

Authors: Elizabeth A. Williams , Jennifer S. Linvill, Emeline Ojeda-Hecht, Meghan R. Cosgrove,Autumn Buzzetta, and Abby Konkel

DOI: 10.1177/23294884241263553

Flourish Academy - Certificate in Cultivating Positive Team Communication

Florida Man This Week - Cats

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Catch Up

06:17 Leading Through COVID

14:58 Study Overview and Methods

21:36 Key Findings Positive Communication

23:12 Why Leaders Struggle to Be Transparent

25:41 Flexibility Builds Trust

26:47 Flexibility Builds Culture

32:35 Everyone Shapes Culture

48:09 Florida Man Finale

Headed to AVMA in Anaheim this July? We would LOVE to meet you in person! Come and check out Andi and Josh's sessions.

Andi will speak on Friday July 10th and Josh on Monday July 13th.

Stop by a session and introduce yourself—we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community.

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a hopeful but important question: what if veterinary medicine already has many of the ingredients needed for people and teams to thrive?
Grounded in research on meaningful work, burnout, resilience, leadership, and workplace wellbeing, this conversation challenges the idea that vet med is fundamentally broken. Instead, the episode explores how purpose, connection, growth, and supportive culture already exist within the profession — and what leaders can do to intentionally build environments where those strengths can flourish.

You’ll hear:

• Why meaningful work is one of the strongest protective factors against burnout
• How leadership behaviors shape engagement, trust, and workplace wellbeing
• The role autonomy, connection, and recognition play in helping teams thrive
• Why resilience is not just an individual responsibility
• What veterinary technicians and nurses say they actually need from workplaces
• How poor culture quietly erodes even deeply passionate teams
• Practical ways leaders can strengthen thriving without waiting for a complete overhaul
• Why vet med may not need saving nearly as much as it needs renovation

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, student, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply human look at what thriving can realistically look like in veterinary medicine.

Because thriving in vet med is not about finding brand-new ingredients.
It is about finally learning how to use the ones we already have.

Resource Links:

Episode Article:

Title: The Life of Meaning: A model of the Positive Contribution to Well-Being from Veterinary Work.

Authors:Martin Cake, Melinda Ball, Naomi Bickly, and David Bartram

DOI: https://utppublishing.com/doi/pdf/10.3138/jvme.1014-097R1

Colorado Avalanche - Glass Breaking Info

The Veterinary Culture Lab - Ep. 001 North of Neutral: why positive psychology matters in vet med

Florida Man This Week - Toilet Paper Rosel

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts:
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps:

00:29 Late Night Hockey

09:35 Hard Versus Meaningful

13:06 Why We Focus Negative

18:23 COVID Client Bias

22:00 Research Review

23:56 Meaningful Vet Work

24:51 Eudaimonic Wellbeing

26:22 Drivers of Thriving

27:23 Stress Satisfaction Paradox

32:06 Wellbeing Garden Metaphor

35:39 Cultivation Over Balance

37:32 Make Meaning Visible

Headed to AVMA in Anaheim this July? We would LOVE to meet you in person! Come and check out Andi and Josh's sessions.

Andi will speak on Friday July 10th and Josh on Monday July 13th.

Stop by a session and introduce yourself—we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community.

In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a question that hits a nerve for many veterinary professionals: why does feedback so often feel threatening instead of helpful?

Grounded in brand-new veterinary research on psychological safety, communication quality, and turnover intention, this episode unpacks how the way feedback is delivered can shape trust, team culture, and whether people choose to stay in a practice long term. Rather than treating feedback as simply correcting mistakes, this conversation reframes feedback as a relational and cultural tool that directly impacts psychological safety.

You’ll hear:

• Why the phrase “Can I give you some feedback?” instantly puts many people on the defensive
• What psychological safety actually means in veterinary teams
• Why supervisor feedback has such a strong influence on retention
• The surprising role coworker feedback plays in shaping workplace culture
• How leaders create the emotional tone of a practice through everyday communication
• The difference between corrective feedback and growth-oriented conversations
• Practical ways veterinary leaders can improve feedback culture and psychological safety

Whether you are a veterinary technician, assistant, veterinarian, manager, or practice owner, this episode offers a science-backed and deeply practical look at how communication shapes culture from the inside out.

Because thriving veterinary teams are not built through fear of feedback. They are built through conversations that create trust.

Resource Links

Episode Article

Title: A cross-sectional study exploring associations between psychological safety, employee turnover intention and feedback skills in veterinary organisations
Authors:Olivia Oginska, Michelle McArthur, Amy Zadow, Nic Gibson and Martin Cake

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.70498

Flourish Academy - Certificate in Cultivating Positive Team Communication

Florida Man This Week - Own Truck

What Do You Think? Reach out to us and let us know at Info@flourish.vet

Your Hosts
Andi Davison LVT, CAPP, APPC

Josh Vaisman MAPPCP, CCFP

At Flourish Veterinary Consulting we renovate veterinary cultures. We diagnose what’s working, blueprint what’s next, and train every team member - blending positive psychology with real-world experience - so thriving becomes the norm, not the myth.

Timestamps

00:00 Why Feedback Feels Threatening

05:18 New Vet Med Study Tease

06:03 When Feedback Lands Well

07:44 Collaboration Builds Trust

10:59 Retention Beyond Pay

13:15 Study Methods and Sample

15:58 Manager Feedback Drives Retention

16:48 Coworker Feedback and Safety

21:08 Leaders Set Emotional Tone

25:27 Feedback as Relationship Tool

28:14 Culture Renovation Playbook

37:13 Closing and Sign Off

Headed to AVMA in Anaheim this July? We would LOVE to meet you in person! Come and check out Andi and Josh's sessions.

Andi will speak on Friday July 10th and Josh on Monday July 13th.

Stop by a session and introduce yourself—we always love meeting members of the Veterinary Culture Lab community.