The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast
414 - Staff Are Leaving and Ownership Already Knows Why
Host Maria Pirita and Ron Sosa discuss a mailbag from a veterinary team member who feels their practice manager plays favorites, talks down to employees, and is creating low morale and turnover, while ownership seems aware but inactive. They stress that staff may not know what accountability conversations are happening privately, and encourage replacing labels like “toxic” with specific, documented behaviors and objective facts. Suggested action steps include documenting incidents with dates, witnesses, and exact wording, tying concerns to business impacts and metrics, communicating in ways that resonate with ownership, asking curiosity-based questions directly to the manager when possible, and avoiding gossip or “trauma bonding” that fuels negativity. They also emphasize setting personal boundaries, defining a timeline for change, and deciding when it may be time to leave if improvement does not occur. Ron Sosa is the Executive Director of Uncharted Veterinary Conference, a published author, international speaker, and veterinary leader with more than 20 years of experience in operations, practice management, leadership development, and consulting. From client service representative to business partner to industry educator, Ron has built a career around helping veterinary professionals create healthier teams and more sustainable workplaces. As the founder of Syn APT Neuroinclusive Leadership, he is especially passionate about neuroinclusive leadership, workplace culture, burnout prevention, and helping people thrive at work.
