Ready to Grow? Read the Room

Recently we have looked at the value of a growth mindset and the importance of compassion in creating healthy practice outcomes. This week we will look at how to combine these two critical skills to strengthen your practice.

Think about the last time you had a great visit with a new patient and what made it great. What did you do differently? If your answer is nothing, then you probably are not giving yourself enough credit. You most likely had a patient that was appropriately engaged and asked thoughtful questions about their condition. You responded to their visit preparation with equally thoughtful responses and you both left the room with more knowledge and feeling positive about the visit.

I recently spoke with a friend who had visited two surgeons for a recommended procedure. The first surgeon entered the exam room 45 minutes after the appointment time without an apology or an introduction. When they discussed the procedure, the surgeon explained how simple of a procedure it was and that he normally deals with much more complex cases. The second surgeon was on time, polite and before leaving the exam room, asked my friend if she had any additional questions or concerns. My friend chose the second surgeon because he displayed respect and compassion. It was not a decision taken lightly as the second surgeon does not accept her insurance.

Whether you are walking into the exam room or a staff meeting, there is something to be learned from the person or people in the room, but often we are too busy to recognize this opportunity. To recognize these situations, we must be fully invested in the interaction.

This starts by acknowledging the people in the room through eye contact, a smile, or a verbal greeting. Listening to learn and asking questions to understand demonstrate both respect and value.

When you encourage participation through actions and words you are showing compassion and encouraging learning.

You are not expected to become a body language expert but as a leader, you are expected to recognize when an employee or patient is uncomfortable or disconnected and take steps to show that you value them. Simple gestures like asking “What questions or thoughts do you have?” demonstrate that they are important. They may respond with “nothing” but the fact that you asked shows concern and will have a positive impact.

As a leader your words and actions are magnified so if you want to grow your practice, start by reading the room. If you’d like support in growing your practice, please contact me at smays@impactpracticeconsultants.com