The Interpersonal Communication Services, Inc. Team

Carolyn Shadle, PhD and John Meyer, PhD, the ICS team, have made it their mission is to provide you with the tools you will need to build a satisfying and profitable business. Through their specialty in training and writing for the pet care industry they help professionals focus on effective communication within their practices. 

Carolyn and John are co-authors of Communication Case Studies, Building Interpersonal Skills in the Veterinary Practice. In the book the authors have applied their skills in communications to the everyday issues which pet care team members face.

Both of the authors bring an academic and applied  background in communications to their work. 

Carolyn Shadle, PhD

Carolyn was awarded her PhD by the State University of New York at Buffalo in interpersonal and organizational communication and has trained managers and team members in businesses as diverse as General Mills and Oracle’s Sun Microsystems. 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 has also trained for the International Association of Public Participation (iap2). She is a certified Myers-Briggs assessor and trained with Gordon Training International. 

John Meyer, PhD

John was awarded his master’s degree by the University of Wisconsin and his PhD by the University of Minnesota in communication studies. He has trained civilians and military from classrooms at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh to the air force bases in Dayton Ohio, Shreveport Louisiana, Omaha Nebraska, Peru Indiana, and Marquette, Michigan, to name a few.

Whether it’s in the veterinary practice or elsewhere, it’s a pleasure helping others unlock some of the simple (but oh-so-difficult) skills that make communication go more smoothly. 

Employees always appreciate being reminded of what they already know or learning how to replace an ineffective script they learned from childhood with patterns that a more successful.

How did they get involved in veterinary communication?

That’s the question they are often asked. They’ve been trainers, teachers and consultants in the areas of interpersonal and organizational communication for many years  – serving religious, educational, corporate and governmental organizations – but are currently devoting most of their time working with pet care professionals. It’s a nice place to be, because they get to see and hear about a lot of wonderful companion animals!

Pet Care professionals want to get to know their clients and pets. Effective communication skills are needed in the rush to get things done. Employees need the skills to prevent or deal with tensions as they arise.

Practices also, not unlike many workplaces, must deal with stress on a regular basis. There is always more to do than there is time to do it. Clients come in with unscheduled emergencies. Both client and owner become emotionally attached to these loving pets. Effective communication can go a long way to easing the burden.