Our mission: building a better workplace through improved communications

At ICS our goal is to provide you with the tools you need to establish constructive and efficient relationships with pet owners and one another. Your practice’s profits and your workplace satisfaction depend on positive communication. Without it, staff performance is compromised and client compliance suffers.

For nearly twenty years Carolyn Shadle PhD and John Meyer PhD, the ICS team, have worked towards the application of their knowledge in communications to the issues confronting the pet-care industry. ICS is a non-profit 502©3 Corporation. Carolyn is certified by AVMA in Workplace Wellbeing. She has also completed the Human and Animal Bond and the Fear Free Pet Professional certifications. She is a member of VetPartners and Women in the Pet Industry Network. She is a certified Myers-Briggs assessor and has trained with Gordon Training International. She has also trained for the International Association of Public Participation (iap2).

The ICS team 

• Conducts onsite training
• Presents at veterinary and pet care conventions
• Publishes in various veterinary and pet-care publications
• Blogs on communication issues 

Carolyn Shadle PhD and John Meyer PhD

Through their personal experience and academic training, Carolyn and John have come to realize the positive effects of effective communication in the workplace. Both have provided training in a variety of corporate and professional settings, and both have worked in the academic sphere. Their university work taught them the importance of research-based results and provided them with a deep background in the world of communication. 

Positive Communication Skills Can Be Learned

Carolyn and John have applied what they learned in academia and what they observed in their corporate work to the everyday issues of communication facing the staff of veterinary and pet-care organizations around the world. Positive communication skills can be learned, with beneficial outcomes spreading through the organization.

ICS Onsite Training

The ICS team visits veterinary hospitals and pet-care practices across the country, conducting skill-based workshops, informal case study presentations and staff participation exercises. Their video “Is Tabby Toby Too Tubby” illustrates the engaging, and instructive nature of ICS’s training session.

ICS Veterinary Conference Presentations 

ICS presents regularly at veterinary conferences and pet-care industry conventions. The industry understands the important role that effective communication plays in the well-being of its teammates and and its relations with clients.

ICS Publishing 

Carolyn and John are the authors of Communications Case Studies, Building Interpersonal Skills in the Veterinary Practice, published by the American Animal Hospital Association, as well as Positive People Experiences. They write for a variety of veterinary and pet-care publications.

Blogging

The ICS team has published blog posts addressing current issues relating to communication and practice management issues in the pet-care industry.