Shows
The Veterinary Culture Lab014: Commitment Beats Compliance: The Leadership Shift Vet Med NeedsIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore why some veterinary teams feel energized, supportive, and fully engaged - while others feel stuck just going through the motions. The difference is not talent, workload, or motivation. It is how people support one another at work.Grounded in a large meta-analysis on interpersonal support and self-determination theory, this convo unpacks how meeting core psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness shapes motivation, wellbeing, and performance across teams and leadership relationships.Through real-world veterinary scenarios, leadership reflections, and a few well-earned laughs, this...
2026-02-2447 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab013:The Top 3 Communication Behaviors Behind Every Unicorn Clinic: Why Relational Maintenance MattersIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh dig into what really sits behind so-called “unicorn clinics”—and it turns out it is not luck, perks, or fairy dust. It is communication.Grounded in a 2012 study by communication scholars Paul Madlock and Melanie Booth-Butterfield, this conversation explores relational maintenance: the everyday communication behaviors coworkers use to stay connected, supported, and resilient at work.Through real veterinary examples, leadership reflections, and a few well-placed dad jokes, this episode breaks down the science behind thriving teams and highlights the top three communication behaviors most strong...
2026-02-1048 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab012: Are You Even Listening?: How High-Quality Listening Transforms Veterinary Team Communication and CultureIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh dig into one of the simplest—yet most underestimated—forces shaping veterinary culture: the experience of feeling genuinely heard at work.Grounded in a massive meta-analytic review on perceived listening, they unpack how the quality of our listening predicts our workplace wellbeing. The punchline? Listening may be one of the most powerful (and affordable) culture renovation tools in vet med.You don't need another meeting, a new communication policy, or a wellness budget to make this shift. Just a few intentional moments of curiosity, pres...
2026-01-2739 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab011: Care Flows Forward: How Supporting Your Team Elevates Patient Care in Vet MedCare Flows Forward: How Supporting Your Team Elevates Patient Care in Vet MedIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore a simple but powerful truth: teams do not feel your intentions — they feel your behaviors. Using a human healthcare study on manager caring and patient experience, they dig into how presence, visibility, and small supportive actions ripple outward to strengthen culture and elevate care.You’ll hear:Why leaders often feel caring but struggle to show it in ways teams can experienceWhat research reveals about the link between lead...
2026-01-1336 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab010: Ask, Don't Tell: Coaching Skills to Boost Connection in Your Vet Med Culture (PART 2)In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh return for Part 2 of their conversation on coaching communication—this time turning insight into action.Building on the science from The Effectiveness of Workplace Coaching: A Meta-Analysis of Contemporary Psychologically Informed Coaching Approaches (2021), this episode explores how curiosity comes to life through Sir John Whitmore’s GROW model - a simple, powerful framework for creating confidence, motivation, and connection on veterinary teams.From goal setting to growth mindset, Andi and Josh break down each step of GROW through a positive psychology lens—showing how just a...
2025-12-3039 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab009: Ask, Don't Tell: Coaching Skills to Boost Connection in Your Vet Med Culture (PART 1)In this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore what coaching really means in veterinary medicine—and why curiosity might be the most powerful tool we have to strengthen culture.Grounded in a 2021 meta-analysis of workplace coaching, this conversation unpacks how three evidence-based approaches—GROW, Positive Psychology Coaching, and Cognitive Behavioral Coaching—can help veterinary teams build confidence, connection, and wellbeing. Andi and Josh share why coaching is not advice-giving or mentoring, but a structured, science-backed conversation that helps people clarify goals, see reality more fully, explore new options, and take meaningful steps forward.F...
2025-12-1637 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab008: Making Work Matter: 6 Leadership Moves That Spark Purpose in Vet MedIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh dive into groundbreaking new research from their friend Dr. Zach Mercurio—research that pinpoints exactly how leaders can help veterinary teams experience more meaningful work.Grounded in a 2024 study on purposeful leadership, this conversation uncovers six specific, learnable leadership practices that boost energy, reduce burnout, and increase job satisfaction—even in high-stress environments like veterinary medicine.Andi and Josh break down the difference between Big-P Purpose (your lofty mission) and little-p purpose (those small, meaningful moments that remind you why your work matters). They also...
2025-12-0242 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab007: Bouncing Back Better: The Case For Resilience in Vet MedIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh explore the power of resilience—not just as a personal trait, but as a skill we can teach, build, and share.Grounded in a 2017 study by Jenny Moffett and David Bartram, this conversation uncovers what happens when veterinary students receive formal resilience education early in their careers—and what it means for the rest of us who never got that kind of support.From skepticism to mindset shifts, and from group learning to individual bounce-back moments, this episode is a hopeful look at how well...
2025-11-1841 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab006: The Vet Med Circus: Why Collaboration is the Star of the ShowThe Vet Med Circus: Why Collaboration Is the Star of the ShowIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Josh and Andi explore one of the most powerful—but often overlooked—drivers of high-functioning veterinary teams: positive communication that fuels real collaboration.Grounded in a 2024 study on veterinary team communication, they break down 15 specific behaviors that can either build, or break, collaborative veterinary workplaces. These habits go beyond personality or work ethic and show how simple shifts in how we speak, listen, and respond can drive culture renovation.You do not...
2025-11-0429 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab005: Seen, Valued, Energized: How Micro-Connections Build Thriving Vet TeamsSeen, Valued, Energized: How Micro-Connections Build Thriving Veterinary TeamsIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh dive into one of their favorite culture renovation tools: high-quality connections (or as we like to say, micro-connections that pack a punch).Inspired by the stories of MVP Joey Votto and NBA star Steph Curry, and grounded in the research of organizational psychologist Dr. Jane Dutton, this conversation explores how fleeting, positive moments between team members can change everything—from mood and motivation to retention and resilience.In a profession where ti...
2025-10-2131 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab004: The Climate Effect: How Leadership Communication Shapes Veterinary WorkplacesIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Josh and Andi explore the power of communication in shaping how a workplace feels and why that feeling matters more than we think.Drawing on new research from the University of Michigan, the conversation dives into how intentional leadership communication transformed workplace climate, decreased burnout, and boosted engagement - all during a time of crisis.With vet med facing its own climate challenges, this study offers a blueprint for change: small communication shifts that create big ripple effects. From high-quality connections to building relational reserves, this episode...
2025-10-0736 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab003: You Can't Hustle Your Way to Thriving:" Why Culture Beats the Grind in Vet MedIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Andi and Josh unpack the myth that success in veterinary medicine is all about grit and hustle—and offer a compelling alternative backed by research.Grounded in leadership science and workplace psychology, this episode explores new findings from the Thriving at Work: 2023 Leadership Development Survey and connects them to veterinary teams through the powerful lens of culture renovation. With burnout on the rise and turnover rates high, the conversation challenges long-held assumptions and offers practical, doable shifts to help teams flourish.You’ll hear:Why “just push t...
2025-09-3031 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab002: The Good Kind of DRAMMA: Six Specific Ways to Thrive in Vet MedIn this episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, Josh and Andi explore a surprising twist on workplace drama—one that could actually improve veterinary wellbeing. Spoiler: it is not the gossip-filled kind of drama, but the science-backed DRAMMA model, a powerful framework built on six core psychological needs that support human flourishing at work.Grounded in recovery science and positive psychology, this conversation unpacks how detachment, relaxation, autonomy, mastery, meaning, and affiliation can transform your team’s culture from overwhelmed and burnt out to energized and engaged.You’ll hear:Why the DRAMMA model offers...
2025-09-3035 minThe Veterinary Culture Lab001: North of Neutral: why positive psychology matters in vet medNorth of Neutral: why positive psychology matters in vet medIn this first episode of The Veterinary Culture Lab, hosts Andi and Josh go deep on the science that underpins everything they do at Flourish: positive psychology.What is positive psychology—really? And what isn’t it? Spoiler: it is not toxic positivity, it is not ignoring suffering, and it is definitely not “just think happy thoughts.” Grounded in the work of Dr. Martin Seligman, this conversation unpacks how the science of human flourishing can help veterinary professionals move beyond burnout, beyond “meh,” and into mor...
2025-09-3035 min