134: 5 Reasons Veterinary Teams Feel Undervalued—And How to Leverage ‘Zone of Genius’ to Change That. With Dr Natalie Fayman and Crystal Stokes

Hands up if you feel truly valued and respected at work. 

In this episode, we dig deep into what truly makes employees feel valued and how leaders can create workplaces that people never want to leave. Spoiler: It’s not just about pay, pizza parties, or avoiding toxic behaviour. We’re aiming much higher! 

Why You Should Listen

Workplaces that crack the code of real team respect and value don’t just retain their talent — they thrive. Whether you’re a team leader or an employed vet, this episode is packed with actionable insights on creating meaningful change, improving communication, and unlocking your unique “zone of genius.”

What Team Leaders Will Learn

• How to spot and fix the subtle cues that make employees feel unheard and replaceable. 

•.The counter-intuitive financial upside of investing in team development.

“I think that organisations are sometimes coming in backwards, where it’s like: ‘Let’s just focus on the numbers and the metrics.’ If you develop amazing talent and build a strong team, you will make so much money. It is not the other way around.”

•.Practical tips to tackle team disengagement and avoid the high cost of turnover.

• Strategies for better communication and feedback without burning out as a leader.

“Because our brains are pre-programmed to attune to the negative, it’s going to be a negative story. So when people don’t understand what’s happening, they’re going to jump to the worst-case scenario, spread rumours, and act accordingly.”

What Employed Vets Will Learn

• How to advocate for yourself without feeling ‘pushy’ or ‘needy’.

• Why you might be feeling stuck in your role, and what to do about it. 

• How to discover and step into your ‘zone of genius.’

“If I can maximise my time and attention there, I will be of most use to my company, my team, myself, my patients — everybody.”

Our guests are:

• Dr. Natalie Fayman: A veterinarian with 30+ years of clinical experience turned certified Positive Intelligence coach, and champion for less workplace dread and more veterinary dream teams

• Crystal Stokes: A former ER vet tech turned licensed psychotherapist and leadership coach. As the founder of Full Circle Lab, she’s on a mission to bridge the gap between veterinary leadership and teams.

Say not to settling for a ‘meh’ workplace by hitting play on this episode  in to learn how to create (or find!) a role where you’re truly respected, valued, and thriving. Your veterinary dream team starts here!

Topics and Time Stamps:

06:23: Recognising the subtle things that make people feel undervalued

08:50: The counter-intuitive truth about investing time and money in team development

12:36: The repercussions of getting this wrong

18:13: Leveraging the team to get this right

21:25: Why it’s important to know the limits of your skills

25:23: Upcoming events and conferences

28:41: Pushing for change as someone who is not in a leadership role

35:05: Better systems for better feedback

37:32: Discovering your ‘zone of genius’

45:59: Addressing team disengagement

52:21: Effective communication and feedback

58:12: Podcast recommendations

58:52: The pass-along question

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