In this episode of the Vet Mind Works podcast, host Petra Agthe is joined by Alex Harrison, founder of Vetquity and one of the first profoundly deaf veterinary graduates in Australia, to explore a dimension of psychological safety that rarely gets airtime: disclosure.

Alex introduces the concept of disclosure culture — shifting the question from "why won't people speak up?" to "what is it about our systems, leadership, and everyday habits that makes it unsafe for people to share what's going on?" It's a reframe that moves the responsibility for inclusion from the individual to the organisation.

This conversation covers:

• The scale of the issue
• Why disclosure culture matters for retention
• How disclosure culture can be seen as the "ultimate manifestation" of psychological safety
• The disclosure paradox
• The difference between partial and graded disclosure
• The importance of confidentiality and control
• Why a healthy disclosure culture also applies to leaders
• The significant difference between visible vs. invisible disabilities in regard to disclosure culture
• The importance of trauma-informed disclosure
• Why strengths-based language matters
• The business case for disclosure culture

Ready to find out more about how to create safer work environments where people can truly thrive and fully contribute with their strengths? Then listen in or read the transcript and join our conversation!

Where to find out more about Alex Harrison and his work:

• Vetquity: https://www.vetquity.com.au toolkits on disclosure safety, accessibility, inclusive hiring, policy redesign, and inclusive surveys
• Blogpost on Disclosure Culture on Vetquity: Why So Many Vets Hide: The Blind Spot in Veterinary Culture — Vetquity
• Follow Alex Harrison on LinkedIn

Join the conversation:

What resonated with you in this episode? Have you experienced disclosure — as the person sharing, or as the one receiving it? We'd love to hear your reflections. Share, rate, and send us your thoughts and suggestions for future guests and topics.

This podcast is in partnership with the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). More about VIN here.

We value your feedback! Please email us your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to vetmindworks@gmail.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook

Want to find out more about our host? Follow to Petra on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-agthe-562bb65b

Credits:
Music- Deep Ambience by Coma-Media, Pixabay; Images for Artwork- OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay

This podcast is in partnership with the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). More about VIN here.

We value your feedback! Please email us your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to vetmindworks@gmail.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook

Want to find out more about our hosts ? Follow on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-agthe-562bb65b

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clive-elwood-b7aba216/

Credits:
Music- Deep Ambience by Coma-Media, Pixabay; Images for Artwork- OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay