Lynda, a private practice physician bragged about her ability to spend extra time with her patients since she owned the practice and was not beholden to “produce” like other physicians.
Even though Lynda was considered a top expert in her field she struggled to fill her private practice and retain patients. As a result she kept very limited office hours because she didn’t make enough revenue to pay for a full time assistant.
So What’s the Real Problem?
Part time hours?
Sales and marketing?
Office location?
Or is the issue that she is understaffed?
On the surface these are reasonable assumptions.
Lynda’s biggest problem was one of connection. She failed to really connect with her patients. Lynda’s focus was on herself, her expertise, her personal problems and her brilliance. I speak about the connection challenge in depth in my book, 7 Ways to Stop Drama in Your Healthcare Practice.
While meeting with patients, Lynda talked about herself: her kids, her upcoming vacation, her previous divorce and how accomplished she is. Lynda didn’t realize she was wasting her patient’s time instead of providing value.
Lynda lacked boundaries between her personal and professional life and lacked the clarity on how to lead her own practice.
Whether it’s lack of connection, interrupting, or failing to listen effectively, we all have blind spots when it comes to communication, and those blind spots affect every aspect of our lives including leadership, sales, customer service, and personal relationships.
If Lynda would focus her conversation on her patient she would grow her business instead of slow her business.
Carl Jung said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Bottom Line: Your Conversation is Your Destiny.
For a copy of Marlene’s complete Manifesto, click here!
Marlene Chism is a consultant, international speaker and the author of “Stop Workplace Drama” (Wiley 2011) and the author of “No-Drama Leadership (Bibliomotion 2015). Visit her website, and connect via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
