Busting the BS: Honest conversations in the Veterinary Practice Calgary
About this Event
Busting the BS: Honest Conversations in the Veterinary Practice
HR & Team Culture Workshop in Calgary, November 24, 2026
ABVMA approval being finalized for 6.5 credit hours
8AM-4PM
Overview
This full-day workshop brings together HR, communications and business operations expertise to empower veterinary practice owners, managers, and team members with the skills to manage the day to day operations. Attendees will leave with practical tools to manage team performance, foster a healthy workplace culture, and strengthen day-to-day operations — along with the confidence and skills to navigate difficult conversations, whether that's an employee who's chronically late, a performance issue, or talking to clients about money. The result: healthier teams, smoother operations, and a more profitable, growing practice.
Session 1 — A framework for performance and culture that leads to clinic growth
Presented by Wilson Wong, CPHR, RPR, PI Practitioner, who has also run ABVMA approved events previously
Veterinary teams face unique pressures — a high stress environment, competition for hiring skilled staff, and the need for seamless collaboration under stress. This session covers practical, actionable approaches to performance management and culture-building specifically for veterinary practice environments, including:
• Building a team culture that drives performance, retention and supports employee wellness. We’ll go through strategies to build trust, create psychological safety, support employees wellness and the role leaders play in this
• Implementing a proven system for managing performance and discipline. What are the early warning signs you need to start having conversations with an employee, the steps to take, how to set expectations and hold employees accountable.
• Aligning employee and organizational goals to support one another. Understanding your employees future goals, communicating the goals of the clinic and linking them together to create a win-win solution.
Session 2 — Clinic Operations, Difficult Conversations & Talking Money with Clients
Presented by Becky Taylor, MA, RV, BS Communication Straetgy Inc.
Drawing on her experience as a Registered Veterinary Technologist for over 30 years, Becky leads a practical, case-based session covering the day-to-day realities of veterinary practice and the conversations veterinary professionals dread most (about death, money and conflict).
• Communication skills your team needs to support patient care that drives revenue and increases the client's perceived value.
• Discuss treatment plans and costs with clients to enhance compliance and trust. Go beyond saying, "I understand, but....." or simply outlining the long list of items on an estimate or invoice.
• Taming the Drama Llama: Conflict is natural and healthy and requires effective communication skills to be productive. Using tools like the "5 Whys" and a curiosity-driven approach, teams can turn conflict into a normal activity. Lead conflict conversations, build self-awareness and create a team "Charter of Conflict."
Learning Objectives
By the end of these sessions, participants will be able to:
1. Apply practical performance management techniques to build a positive team culture and stronger clinic operations
2. Approach difficult workplace conversations with greater confidence and structure
3. Communicate more effectively with clients about cost and treatment decisions to improve case acceptance and revenue
Agenda:
8:30 AM - Doors Open & Networking
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM - Session with Wilson
12:00 – 12:30 PM - Lunch
12:30 – 3:30 PM - Session with Becky
3:30 – 4:00 PM - Panel Discussion (Becky & Wilson)
Wilson Wong, CPHR, RPR, PI Practitioner
Founder & Principal Consultant, Modern People Solutions
Wilson Wong is the founder of Modern People Solutions (MPS), a Calgary-based fractional HR and recruitment consulting firm. He works directly with veterinary and dental practice owners across Alberta on the people side of running a clinic — hiring, retention, team culture, and building HR systems that hold up as a practice grows across one or multiple locations.
Wilson holds his CPHR, RPR, and PI Practitioner designations, and brings a practical, systems-based approach to the human side of clinical practice management. He has developed HR workshop content specifically for veterinary and dental audiences, translating broader HR and organizational psychology principles into strategies that fit the realities of a busy clinic; high-stress environments, tight staffing markets, and the need for teams to collaborate seamlessly under pressure.
Wilson has previously delivered ABVMA-certified events, and through MPS, continues to support practice owners in building the culture, performance management systems, and leadership capacity needed to attract and retain skilled staff in a competitive market.
Becky Taylor, MA, RVT- BS Communications Strategies Inc.
Becky Taylor is a Registered Veterinary Technologist with over 30 years in the veterinary profession and the founder of BS Communication Strategies, where she helps veterinary teams build stronger communication, culture, and conflict management skills. Her career spans 19 years teaching in college-level animal health and communication programs, 7 years in private veterinary practice, and 5 years coaching professional skills directly to veterinary students, giving her a rare, ground-level understanding of the pressures veterinary teams face every day.
Becky holds a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University, along with certifications in Leadership and Development and Veterinary Hospital Management. She is active on the committee for the International Conference for Communication in Veterinary Medicine and has served on the council and committees of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, the Alberta Veterinary Technologist Association, and the Board of Directors of the Registered Veterinary Technologists and Technicians of Canada.
Through her signature programs including Building Better Leaders, Clinically Clear, and Mobilizing RVTs, Becky equips veterinary leaders and teams with practical, skills-based tools to navigate difficult conversations, build trust, and create workplace cultures where people want to stay.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 315.51 to CAD 374.08
