The Goal of All Communication: Connecting with People
In the demanding and high-stakes world of healthcare, effective communication is more than merely exchanging words. For physicians, it's about forging connections with patients, colleagues, and staff on a deeper level, leading to better patient outcomes, enhanced...
How to Demonstrate You Are Listening With Empathy
If you’re a physician struggling with how to employ empathetic listening with your patients, then this post is for you. Years ago, Helen Riess, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, worked in conjunction with the Massachusetts General Hospital and...
4 Reasons Why Physicians Don’t Listen Well (and what to do about it)
Pursuing a career in medicine is no easy feat. There are dozens of qualifications, credentials, and specific areas of expertise required for doctors to have. However, there is one particular skill that often remains elusive to physicians: empathetic listening. ...
What Is Empathic Listening and What Does It Look Like?
As a physician, employing empathetic listening can help you boost health outcomes, establish trust, and improve communication with your patients. It is also a skill that can help you minimize burnout in a career that often requires emotionally-charged and stressful...
The Benefits of Empathic Listening for Physicians
Just a few months ago, I experienced firsthand why empathetic listening is so important when it comes to patient care. After arriving at my doctor’s office for a routine check-up, the following events occurred: a nurse called my name from the waiting room, she...
The Correlation Between Care and Competence – Why It Matters
As a physician, you’ve spent many years and countless hours learning about and dedicated to the field of medicine. There’s little doubt of your high level of competence when it comes to your skills and knowledge as a doctor. But while this commitment to continual...
Want to Productively Move Through Your Midlife Malaise? – Create a Life Plan
You might be feeling it already if you're over 40 – the uncertainty as the cares of the world press in. You realize that life is short. You're not necessarily where we want to be. Maybe you've lost your perspective and your sense of direction and purpose. Not sure...
Set Yourself Up For “Significance” By Addressing These Four Areas
For many of us, leading in midlife is a time to take stock of where we've been and where we're going. Typically, it's an opportunity to evaluate our choices and wonder if we're on the right path. We naturally reflect on our accomplishments and set new goals for the...
6 Questions That Will Help You Boost Your Self-Awareness and Navigate Midlife Successfully
I recently had someone ask me what I do. Rather than answering the question like I typically do, I said, "I'm tired of hearing about leaders in midlife just getting by. Even worse, I hate that some of them derail their families, careers, and, at some level, their...