From Toxic to Terrific
Cultivating Wellbeing in the Veterinary Workplace
How many times have you told yourself that mood polluters, toxic attitudes, and negative behaviors are just a “normal” part of veterinary practice?
Do you and your team “walk on eggshells” around certain employees or avoid bringing up concerns for fear of repercussions?
Are you tired of managing co-workers who complain about others, but refuse to deal with the conflict on their own?
We have come to believe that toxic work environments are the norm in our profession.
We struggle to cope with destructive team members and avoid conflict whenever possible. These avoidance behaviors give us relief in the short-term, but cause psychological distress and burnout in the long-term.
In the last several years, research has helped us to understand the ramifications of a toxic team environment, which are: communication breakdowns, lack of teamwork, increased symptoms of burnout, and decreased job satisfaction.
Given the shortage of veterinary professionals, it is more important now than ever that we prioritize employee wellbeing by nurturing effective teams and resolving workplace toxicity.
The truth is that healthy veterinary workplaces can exist with strong leadership and a commitment to team wellbeing.
A dedication to communicating effectively, resolving conflict, addressing toxic attitudes, promoting mental health, and fostering a culture of wellbeing are all that it takes to create a workplace that you and your team thrive in.
That is where From Toxic to Terrific comes in. With knowledge gained through ongoing research and experience helping veterinary team leaders, we created a program to help practice leaders and managers resolve toxic teams, reduce turnover, and cultivate wellbeing. And we are pleased to say that this program has had positive results for previous attendees.
Testimonials
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I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to take this program with Dr. Marie! I saw her speak once at a leadership conference and was instantly taken by her kindness, warmth, compassion and intelligence.
DVM & Medical Director, Ontario
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Before this program, I struggled with toxic workplaces and developed unhealthy avoidant behaviours to survive. My favourite aspects of this program were the inspirational quotes and research presented to support the content. I also enjoyed being connected and supported by other veterinary professionals with a similar interest in wellness. This program empowered me with the knowledge of what truly makes a culture great, the importance of wellbeing and not only how to survive but thrive!
ER DVM, Alberta
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This was a great program full of useful information. I loved the breakout sessions during the webinar…it was interesting seeing what others deal with in their practices.
Anonymous
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Marie has put a great deal of thought and effort into this program while using real-life experiences. It is evident that she was passionate about the content and hoping to make a difference on a much larger scale going forward.
Anonymous
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Since taking Dr. Holowaychuk’s program, we have changed our approach to communication within the team. We recognize the differences between team member’s personalities, we have started listening more to nurses and other support staff, and we have shifted the focus away from management and towards leadership. With Dr. Holowaychuk’s suggestions and tools, we have come to realize how important communication between team members is in enhancing awareness and psychological safety at work. This is by far the most important message that we took away from Marie’s program.
DVM & Practice Owner, Slovakia
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Before I took this program I was very anxious before having difficult conversations with colleagues or management. I would lose sleep over workplace interactions. Today I woke up confident and level headed ready for a lunch meeting with our medical director and regional manager. I walked in the room ready to talk and was able to express myself in a calm confident collected manner and with confidence. I was able to listen to others fully without spending the time trying to figure out what I was going to say. I am so glad I took this course. It has eased my fears about handling conflict.
DVM, British Columbia
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With the coaching and learning I received during this program I feel confident in my new role as practice manager and equipped to make my amazing team even better!
RVT & Practice Manager, British Columbia
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After Completing This Program You Will Be Able To:
- Communicate with your team effectively
- Empower your team to communicate compassionately
- Resolve conflict and assist team members with conflict resolution
- Identify contributors to workplace toxicity
- Come up with solutions for workplace toxicity
- Describe workplace stressors that impact mental health
- Know how to support mental health in the workplace
- Understand the fundamentals of workplace psychological health and safety
- Make a plan for fostering workplace wellbeing
When You Invest in This Program You Get the Following:
- Weekly motivating and informative emails
- Reflection exercises and action plans
- Weekly webinars with breakout sessions
- Peer-to-peer support
- One-on-one coaching
- Tangible take-aways and tools
- Continuing education credit (8.0 hours) in jurisdictions that recognize RACE
This 4-week program is ideal for leaders within the veterinary team – managers, medical directors, team leads, and more!
Join the waitlist of veterinary professionals who want to take this program at its next offering, and you will receive an email when registration opens.
Sign me up!The investment starts at $697 CAD.
Vet techs / nurses and client care representatives receive 15% off. Canadian residents are charged GST. All registrants can pay in their local currency.
If you are struggling within a toxic workplace and want to nurture mental health and team wellbeing, then this is the program for you!
You will come away with the understanding, practical tools, and doable steps for cultivating a thriving veterinary workplace.