EYE ROLL ON THE TELEPHONE
Rolling your eyes conveys annoyance. And sometimes contempt. Psychologists point to the eye roll as a predictor of divorce. Happy relationships can be hurt by even small doses of eye rolling.
When care and service are being provided via telephone, what’s the equivalent of the eye roll?
The sigh.
The “I don’t have patience today” sigh.
The “I’m too busy for this” sigh.
The “They don’t pay me enough for this” sigh.
The “Are you really this clueless” sigh.
You may not be aware of how often you’re sighing. One woman counted her mother’s sighs and reported 80 sighs in one hour.
There can be physical reasons for frequent sighing and you would want to check on that. For this Caring Minute, we’re focusing on habitual sighing.
You may simply be a shallow breather, but when you sigh on the phone, it sends a negative message to your patient. A sigh is like a verbal eye roll.
Here are 5 tips to stop sighing when you’re on the telephone:
• Ask a trusted friend to signal you whenever you sigh.
• Find a focused breathing exercise and practice it just before you place a telephone call. YouTube offers focused breathing exercises from professionals at respected medical organizations.
• Check your posture. If you are hunched over with your chin jutting toward your computer screen, you will be more likely to sigh.
• Smile as you speak. Please don’t roll your eyes at this smile-school suggestion. Smiling as you speak gives you more energy, which reduces shallow breathing and a tendency to sigh.
• Create a visual reminder to prompt better breathing:
YOU’RE WORKING AT THE FRONT DESK
You’re working at the front desk.
A patient begins a loud cell phone conversation. Other patients exchange eye rolls. As the call continues, grimaces and heavy sighs are becoming almost as loud as the patient on the phone.
Your policy is posted for all to see.
Mercifully, the call ends before the situation gets out of hand. But then…
Uh-oh. The patient is placing another call.
What do you do?
A. Look super busy, avoid eye contact, and pray the reception area doesn’t erupt.
B. In your most authoritative voice, say: “Sir, please use your cell phone outside. I’ll come get you when we’re ready for you.”
C. Call the patient’s name, take him to a private area, and explain the reason for your ban on cell phones.
D. Walk over to your no cell phone sign and point to it. Smile as you do it.
When someone is doing something they shouldn’t, you demonstrate respect by speaking with them privately.
People are more likely to acquiesce when they don’t have an audience.
And as they say at Disney: “We hope our guests are always right. But when a guest is wrong, let the person be wrong with dignity.”
CARE, LEARN, LEAD
Redefined: 3 ideas, 2 quotes, 1 question. (James Clear blog)
Reimagined: Radical listening. (Forbes)
Caring for the Whole Person: How to screen for SDH. (Physicians Practice)
Irritated: Avoid these customer service phrases. (Help Scout)
Appreciated: Thank you notes from 15 healthcare CEOS. (Becker’s)
YOUR 30 SECOND CHALLENGE
In his book, Hardwiring Happiness, Dr. Rick Hanson recommends that when happy moments occur for you during the day – not the moments you seek out but the ones that happen serendipitously – take an extra five seconds to savor the experience. Don’t rush to the next thing you have to do. Instead, take five seconds to appreciate and extend your happiness by reflecting on it. Dr. Hanson says that when you do this six times a day, physical and emotional health benefits result.
This happiness-booster takes only thirty seconds of your day.
Let’s take this technique up a notch by giving unexpected happy moments to others.
Your challenge? Make a conscious effort to provide appropriate touch at the end of your patient encounters. A handshake that you hold for a moment longer than usual. A pat on the arm with a few words of encouragement.
Then, close the loop. As you see or hear the appreciation of your patients, remember to take five seconds to cherish what you are feeling.
I’d love to hear how this turns out for you.
CARE, LEARN, LEAD
Smaller is better: How Cleveland Clinic improved daily huddles. (The Lean Post)
Presence: Kind care requires unhurried conversations. (NEJM Catalyst)
Trading cards: Bios and photos improve doctor-patient connections. (PXJ)
Winter: Mayo Clinic: How to make your home a wellness refuge. (In the Loop)
A great loss: Bernard Tyson and his lessons are worth remembering. (Fortune)
AVOID THE RAPPORT GAP
The FORD method helps people make connections.
FORD stands for family, occupation, recreation, and dreams.
A rapport gap may exist if you see a patient regularly and don’t know something from at least two of the four categories.
This method has been used successfully in health care, non-health care and networking settings. If you’re not already using FORD, give it a try in your personal or professional life.
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CARE, LEARN, LEAD
Come together: 7 Ways to Diffuse Sticky Situations. (Thrive Global)
Don’t let me down: The best way to reject a job candidate (Inc)
Getting better: Nurse listening skills = higher HCAHPS scores. (Health Leaders Media)
We can work it out: Complaining vs venting (The Atlantic)
In my life: Your home life is what you make it. (KevinMD)
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PATIENT SURVEY SCORES
When your patient survey scores are not as high as you’d like, define highly visible, observable behaviors to help patients know what to expect and when to be satisfied.
Example: Did staff members treat you with respect?
- Ask your team, “when you are a patient, how does someone show respect for you?” Write down the responses then pare the list to the four or five most universal behaviors.
- Ask you team to follow the behaviors consistently. Once the behaviors are expected and routine, promote them to your patients.
- Publicize what you do to show respect. For example:
Hint: Don’t let your long term goal become your patients’ near term expectation. Resist the temptation to tell patients about your behaviors immediately. Instead, test your ability to consistently meet the standards first.
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CARE, LEARN, LEAD
Best icebreaker for times of discord. (New York Times)
What I’m reading: The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg. Perfect for your empathy book club.
Uninsured patients and smokers less likely to believe in full recovery, so rate you lower. (Orthopedics Today)
Want to know what’s really happening? Listen in the lunchroom. (HeraldNet)
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