In today’s episode of The Veterinary Business Success Show, host Brendan Howard is joined by VetX’s very own ‘Head of Veterinary Partnerships and Research’, Dr. Dermot McInerney, and our founder and CEO, Dr. Dave Nicol, to discuss everything you need to know about their Leadership and Culture Study: Leadership Actions and Their Effects On Veterinary Practice Culture.

Research from the study found a definitive link between leadership and practice culture. The study, carried out during SPVS-VMG Congress 2020 (UK), and FetchDVM360 Conference (USA), collected data from veterinary leaders (practice owners, managers, etc) to establish whether their ability to address toxic behaviors, install practice values, hire/retain staff, and/or manage their own time impacted the overall culture of their practice. With the aim to establish what steps leaders could take to run successful clinics amid global workforce shortages.

About the authors: Dr. Dermot McInenery is the lead author of the report and undertook much of the data collection and analysis. Dr. Dermot joined VetX in 2021. He is a graduate of the University of Bristol and has worked in Surrey and Northern Ireland as a Veterinary Surgeon. He, alongside Dr. Dave Nicol (the CEO and founder of VetX International), coauthored the study. Dr. Dave has more than 20- years of veterinary clinical practice expertise. He has owned or part-owned multiple veterinary practices and consults widely at a board level with veterinary businesses globally. Dr. Nicol has published three books, written hundreds of articles, and hosts the Blunt Dissection Podcast. In 2019 he won the VMX practice management speaker of the year award.

Tune in to learn more about what the study is all about, what the findings were, and where you can download your own copy. 

Outline of this episode:

• [01:13] The episode kicks off with Brendan introducing the pair and asking why they decided to launch the study and who was it aimed at. 
• [03:30] Did Dave and Dermot (and all participants) have a clear vision of what workplace culture was?
• [07:44] Does culture matter and is it controllable?
• [11:17] What were the other four pillars in the study?
• [12:58] How did the study come about?
• [17:38] Ad break - join Leaders. 
• [18:31] Brendan asks Dermot if he was shocked by the results because of his own experiences?
• [20:07] How did time management come into the vision of culture?
• [27:57] What did they find about toxic behavioral issues in practices?
• [30:18] Brendan asks Brendan and Dave about their approach to toxic employees. 
• [34:45] The episode wraps up to an end.