https://grayoakjournal.com/ Essays on veterinary leadership, mentorship, culture, and practice management by Dr. Susan Ries Valashinas, DVM. en-us Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://grayoakjournal.com/empathy-vs-sympathy/ https://grayoakjournal.com/empathy-vs-sympathy/ Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A veterinarian on why sympathy, not empathy, is the emotion that survives a veterinary career, and what burnout research says about empathic distress. https://grayoakjournal.com/doctor-first-room-flow-veterinary-sick-appointments/ https://grayoakjournal.com/doctor-first-room-flow-veterinary-sick-appointments/ Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A veterinarian on why seeing sick cases first, before the assistant takes the history, speeds up appointments, protects the team, and gets pets into diagnostics sooner. https://grayoakjournal.com/veterinary-scheduling-leave-on-time/ https://grayoakjournal.com/veterinary-scheduling-leave-on-time/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Phantom appointments and gatekeeping are symptoms of broken veterinary scheduling. Six causes, and the fix for each one, so your team gets home on time. https://grayoakjournal.com/accountability-in-veterinary-leadership/ https://grayoakjournal.com/accountability-in-veterinary-leadership/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Two stories on what happens when leaders fail to hold people accountable, plus a six-step framework for getting it right. From The Gray Oak Journal. https://grayoakjournal.com/we-teach-our-clients-how-to-treat-us/ https://grayoakjournal.com/we-teach-our-clients-how-to-treat-us/ Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 We teach our clients how to treat us. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes by answering texts at 10:47 p.m. A veterinarian on boundaries, systems, and the special client problem. https://grayoakjournal.com/veterinary-self-doubt/ https://grayoakjournal.com/veterinary-self-doubt/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A veterinarian on the 3am gremlin, the question her therapist asked, and how to tell veterinary self-doubt from actual malpractice. https://grayoakjournal.com/talk-the-ear-off-of-corn/ https://grayoakjournal.com/talk-the-ear-off-of-corn/ Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 How to help your veterinary team redirect chatty clients without losing warmth. Practical phrases, coaching tools, and why protecting the schedule is an act of kindness. https://grayoakjournal.com/when-the-leader-is-the-emergency/ https://grayoakjournal.com/when-the-leader-is-the-emergency/ Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 What happens when the person your team relies on is the one who needs help. A real story about crisis leadership, debriefs, and what near-misses reveal about your culture. https://grayoakjournal.com/the-tail-on-the-counter/ https://grayoakjournal.com/the-tail-on-the-counter/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 How strong veterinary leaders teach their teams to prioritize the right work, in the right order, at the right time. Sequence, deadlines, and why the reasoning matters. https://grayoakjournal.com/if-you-dont-trust-them-why-did-you-hire-them/ https://grayoakjournal.com/if-you-dont-trust-them-why-did-you-hire-them/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Why leaders fail to empower employees, and what it costs them. A practical look at hovering, micromanagement, and the bottleneck you built by accident. https://grayoakjournal.com/the-family-crest-had-a-donkey-on-it/ https://grayoakjournal.com/the-family-crest-had-a-donkey-on-it/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Stubborn does not need instructions. A veterinarian on recognizing the trait in yourself, understanding why people resist change, and knowing when patience stops being leadership. https://grayoakjournal.com/lost-in-translation/ https://grayoakjournal.com/lost-in-translation/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 If your client leaves the room confused, it does not matter how correct you were. Clear communication is not a soft skill. It is a clinical skill, a service skill, and a leadership responsibility. https://grayoakjournal.com/the-lost-art-of-porch-sitting/ https://grayoakjournal.com/the-lost-art-of-porch-sitting/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most veterinary leaders are present but not observing. Dr. V on why stillness is a leadership skill, and what you miss when you never stop moving. https://grayoakjournal.com/some-people-would-rather-quit-than-say-sorry/ https://grayoakjournal.com/some-people-would-rather-quit-than-say-sorry/ Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 When an employee walks out rather than apologize, it reveals a personality trait that can quietly destroy your veterinary team's culture and patient safety. https://grayoakjournal.com/try-again-tomorrow/ https://grayoakjournal.com/try-again-tomorrow/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Snapping doesn't make you a bad person. Refusing to reflect on it does. Self-reflection, apologies, and fixing the systems behind veterinary burnout. https://grayoakjournal.com/decision-fatigue/ https://grayoakjournal.com/decision-fatigue/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 When you make high-stakes decisions all day, your brain needs real rest. A veterinarian on decision fatigue, burnout, and building a daily off switch. https://grayoakjournal.com/rip-the-bandaid/ https://grayoakjournal.com/rip-the-bandaid/ Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A veterinarian with 20+ years of leadership experience on how to terminate an employee with clarity and dignity, without unnecessary damage to them, to you, or to your team. https://grayoakjournal.com/one-bad-apple/ https://grayoakjournal.com/one-bad-apple/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A veterinary leader with 20 years of practice experience on knowing when coaching has run its course, and why waiting too long costs more than you think. https://grayoakjournal.com/the-unicorn-in-sensible-shoes/ https://grayoakjournal.com/the-unicorn-in-sensible-shoes/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 We have become so accustomed to indifferent service that when someone simply does their job well, we talk about it as though we have spotted a unicorn in sensible shoes. https://grayoakjournal.com/the-best-veterinarian/ https://grayoakjournal.com/the-best-veterinarian/ Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Great veterinary medicine is not enough. The service experience surrounding it determines whether clients return, refer others, or quietly disappear. A leadership perspective on hiring, culture, and the mindset shift most hospitals have not made yet.