19 Rules for Meaningful Conversations With Physicians
Written by Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA, Principal, Barlow/McCarthy | December 07, 2012
Physicians need to do a better job of communicating with their patients. Could the same be said for how executives communicate with physicians?
Healthcare executives recognize the need to have meaningful conversations with physicians about quality, safety and patient care. They also understand the need to have consequential dialogue about referrals, partnerships and shared visions for the future. While it’s easy to fall back on conventional agendas, it’s far more valuable to take the time to understand the multi-dimensional problems at hand and craft a multi-dimensional solution. In short, executives need to take the time to “read” the situation, understand the dynamics and carefully craft a message that resonates with physicians.
Many executives pride themselves on being great communicators, but in the heat of the moment, they sometimes fail to draw on their best skills. What sets the world’s greatest communicators apart is that they go into every conversation with a clear objective, yet they’re astute enough to go with the flow, create an interesting segue and adapt their message without missing a beat.