VETgirl podcast tackles influence with upper management

CURRENT FULL VERSION: VETgirl’s latest workforce-focused podcast turns to a question many veterinary teams wrestle with quietly: how to have more influence on upper management inside the practice. In the episode, Dr. Justine Lee speaks with Randy Hall, a leadership coach and founder/CEO of VetLead, about how veterinary professionals can build influence in a way that is respectful, responsible, and constructive. The episode is the third installment in a four-part series focused on helping veterinary technicians continue to grow their careers and improve the culture around them. (podchaser.com)

The topic arrives as veterinary employers continue to grapple with retention, burnout, and culture issues that can’t be solved by compensation alone. AAHA’s staff-retention research, published in 2024, identified working as a team, practicing meaningful and modern medicine, fair compensation, flexibility, and feeling appreciated as top reasons veterinary professionals stay in their jobs. In parallel, leadership content across the profession has increasingly focused on communication quality, psychological safety, and whether team members feel heard. (aaha.org)

That broader context helps explain why a podcast on “influence” is timely. VetLead’s recent leadership materials argue that engagement grows when people feel their voice matters and that change works better when teams help build the path forward, not just receive instructions. dvm360 coverage of veterinary leadership has echoed a similar point, highlighting that effective leaders are not simply the most senior or technically skilled people on staff, but those who can listen, support others, and create conditions that prevent resentment and disengagement. (vetlead.com)

What the VETgirl episode adds is a more concrete framing for how that influence starts. In the discussion, Hall says a common complaint across roles is some version of “my boss doesn’t listen to me,” but notes that practice owners and leaders often say the same thing about managers and staff. His point is that alignment usually does not happen by accident. Listening is more likely when a practice creates an actual vehicle for it, such as regular meetings, check-ins, or other defined communication opportunities, instead of relying on someone to stop mid-task and absorb a concern in the moment. That shifts the issue from blame to process: if teams want to be heard, they may first need clearer space for the conversation. (Vetgirl podcast text provided by source material)

While the available public summary for the VETgirl episode is brief, that fuller framing is notable. Rather than positioning upper management as adversarial, the episode appears to focus on responsible and respectful influence, suggesting a practical approach to upward communication rather than confrontation. It also emphasizes setting expectations for what should be discussed in those meetings and what leaders need to hear from team members, which makes influence less about personality and more about preparation and structure. That distinction matters in veterinary settings, where lead technicians, associates, supervisors, and managers often sit between frontline pressure and business decision-making, and where unresolved communication problems can quickly spill into morale, workflow, and turnover. (podchaser.com)

Industry commentary supports the idea that better leadership pipelines are overdue. In a 2025 dvm360 leadership discussion, coach Jennifer Edwards said people are often promoted because of tenure or technical ability rather than leadership skill, warning that poor leadership fit can leave team members feeling unheard and drive disengagement. That perspective lines up with the VETgirl episode’s emphasis on influence: if practices want healthier communication with upper management, they may also need to be more intentional about who is leading and how those leaders are trained. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical value here is straightforward. Many operational pain points, from scheduling strain to staffing models to workflow changes, are decided above the level where they’re most acutely felt. If frontline teams and middle managers don’t know how to frame concerns, propose solutions, and influence decisions effectively, practices risk losing useful feedback until it shows up as burnout or attrition. In that sense, communication with upper management is not just a career skill for individuals; it’s part of practice infrastructure. AAHA’s retention findings suggest that when people feel supported, appreciated, and connected to team-based work, they are more likely to stay. The VETgirl conversation reinforces that one practical way to support that is to build intentional space for listening instead of assuming good communication will happen on its own. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect more CE and industry content to connect leadership communication with retention strategy, especially as practices look for scalable ways to improve culture, support supervisors, and keep skilled team members engaged without relying on compensation as the only lever. Structured one-on-ones, clearer meeting norms, and better training on upward communication are likely to become a bigger part of that conversation. (dvm360.com)