VIDEO: Overcoming ineffective workplace communication

Key takeaways:

• 67% of managers are uncomfortable talking to the people who they manage.
• Start with yourself and be empathetic.
• Follow up with action.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Having effective communication involves starting with yourself, coming to shared meaning and following up with action, Melinda M. Rathkopf, MD, FACAAI, told Healio in this exclusive interview.

During her talk at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting, Rathkopf explained that she read Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny and colleagues as part of one of her courses during her Physician Executive MBA program at Auburn University, providing insights into how important conversations are in the health care field and beyond.

A crucial conversation is one in which “stakes are high, opinions vary and emotions tend to run strong,” Rathkopf, associate professor of pediatric allergy/immunology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University and chair of the practice management committee for ACAAI, said, adding that data have shown 67% of managers are uncomfortable talking to the people who they manage.

“Most of us would rather avoid the problem than confront the person,” Rathkopf told Healio. “It’s just the way we are wired.”

However, there are specific ways crucial conversations can be approached to make them successful, she added.

First, start with yourself and understand the issue that needs to be addressed, Rathkopf said.

“Master your own stories,” she said. “What am I telling myself? Am I using victim talk: ‘Why is this happening to me?’ ... Or villain talk: ‘It’s all your fault.’”

Then, approach the conversation with heart, she added.

“You really want to come from a good place, you want to empathize with the person,” she said.

Other tips Rathkopf shared eventually should lead to a place of shared meaning to help those in the conversation resolve the issue.

Importantly, action should follow.

“You want to decide how you are going to move from the conversation to action,” Rathkopf said. “You want to know who is going to do what, by when. And then be sure to follow up.”