I’m one of those (hopefully not annoying) people who can always find the silver lining in situations that are not good. This week I finally saw a specialist about a nagging undiagnosed knee problem. Although the results were upsetting to me, I was struck by this doctor’s personal leadership skills and how well he ran his business. In fact, when I left his office I was compelled to do two things – 1) call my husband and let him know the results, and 2) jot down what impressed me about my visit. Oh, and text my running partners to let them know what’s up.
Here is what struck me about “Dr. John”:
1) Delegation – Dr. John delegated the beginning of my exam to a trusty assistant. She took my story, completed the x-rays, and generally managed some pieces of the visit so Dr. John could help more people. I realize this is typical – the dental hygienist does the cleaning, the nurse takes the blood pressure and weight, but it is not just the role, it’s WHO you choose to delegate to. Are you delegating to people who are the best fit for the assignment?
2) No Assumptions – It would have been easy for Dr. John to let me know very quickly what my problem was after reading the x-rays. He could have shortened his visit with me by 10 minutes by not examining my knee carefully. Instead, Dr. John gave me a thorough knee exam before telling me what was wrong. Why is this important? Dr. John sees a lot of patients with my problem and knows fairly quickly from reading x-rays what the issue is. But, is that all there is? Am I exactly like the last patient with similar x-rays or is there an important nuance or additional problem that makes me unique? As a leader it is important to hear the whole situation even when on the surface it seems like the same old story, or the same type of employee problem. There should always be something new to consider.
3) Clear communication – Dr. John’s communication was clear, on my level of understanding and two-way. I’m sure you know leaders who are directive, brisk, and don’t hang around to see if you have questions or understand what they want from you. In my appointment I felt heard, partnered with regarding my treatment choices, and talked to with respect and empathy. As a leader you know there is a time to be directive and a time to be collaborative. Dr. John managed that balance well.
4) Teach to different learning styles – I’m pretty sure Dr. John did not consciously decide that he needs to explain things to patients using multiple learning modalities. However, he did that very well. First there was a verbal explanation, than he showed me my problem using a visual model of the knee. Finally, he had me flex and experience a variety of positions that got me physically in touch with the diagnosis. Since I’m an experiential and auditory learner, it was very helpful to have things explained to me that way. As a leader, how often do you only explain or teach using your most comfortable learning style rather than using a variety of styles that make it easier for others to understand?
5) Involving others in finding the solution – Dr. John referred to himself as my “Tour Guide”, meaning his role was to present treatment options to me and explain the benefit vs. cost of each one. This means that: I was not told what to do and my input into the discussion was equally important as Dr. John’s input in finding the best treatment for me. As a leader, how often do you collaborate and brainstorm with your team in finding solutions to problems vs. feeling like it’s your job only to come up with the best answers?
Last Tuesday was an important day for me. I received bad news – I have arthritis under my knee cap and am not supposed to run or hike. If you know me, you know that this is a big loss. Amazingly though, I felt really good about my appointment with Dr. John not because of the news but because of the way it was delivered and the respect and time he gave me as one of his patients. As you move forward in your own leadership development be aware of your opportunities to delegate well, communicate clearly using a variety of communication modalities, and avoid assuming that you’ve seen or heard everything so you can fully listen to what your employees have to say.