Effective Communication Some Practical Strategies for Understanding Others and Making Sure They Unde

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Effective CommunicationSome Practical Strategies
for Understanding Others and Making Sure They
Understand You1,2A Presentation for the SOMC
Physician Leadership Institute

• Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBA, DFAPA
• September 24, 2009

1My aim is to offer practical insights you can
put to use in your personal and professional
lives. 2Please let me know whether I have
succeeded when you complete your evaluation form.
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Why is this important?

• Communication is hard.
• But this doesnt keep everyone from trying.
• Perfect communication is impossibleeven with the
  people we are closest to.
• Always a challenge, effective communication is
  much harder in the context of a limited
  relationship.
• But there are some practical strategies that can
  help us become more effective communicators in
  all the relationships of our lives.
• If you aspire to communicate more effectively,
  you will want to give these strategies a
  tryrepeatedly.

• After mastering the information in this
  presentation, you will be able to
• Identify three common challenges to effective
  communication in the workplace,
• Describe three practical strategies for
  communicating more effectively
• Explain why these strategies make sense,
• Describe how to deploy one of these strategies in
  your everyday life and
• Assess the effectiveness of others who are
  attempting to communicate with you.
• Even a small improvement in the effectiveness of
  your communication will make a big difference in
  the quality of your life.

1Even highly educated people are often
communication-challenged. 2An OB GYN professor
asked a woman whether she desired contraception.
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What are some of the communication challenges in
the workplace?

• There are too many incoming messages.
• We dont want to hear what others have to say.
• We suspect that others are spinning.
• Messages are frequently inconsistent.
• People talk too much.
• Folks tell us more than we want to know.
• The message is not clear.
• Emotions get in the way.
• People forget to tell us how to do whatever it
  is.1,2
• And so on

1People often forget to tell us the most
important things. 2My cousin instructed me on how
to ride a Harley-Davidson but he forgot to tell
me the most important thing.
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What are some of the key steps in an effective
communication process?1,2

• Invite personal participation and engagement in
  the communication process.
• Solicit feedback to confirm understanding.
• Use self-deprecating humor.
• Anticipate, encourage and address opposition.
• Never become argumentative.
• Tell people only what they need to know.
• Take a problem-solving approach.
• Identify the best optiontentatively.
• Request a modest but meaningful commitment.

• Prepare to communicate.
• Build the best relationship possible.
• Focus on the common ground.
• Focus on others needs.
• Listen intently.
• Wait for others to pull your opinion instead of
  just pushing your opinion on them.
• Ask permission to persuade or speak frankly.
• Know your stuff.
• Tell your own story.
• Let your passion show.
• Make a compelling case.

1Obviously, communication is a critical skill for
a psychiatrist these are some of the steps I
have diligently practiced. 2When I am at my very
bestand that is not very oftenI think I succeed
about 50-percent of the time.
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What have we learned?

• Communication is hard.
• We usually know exactly what to do, but its the
  doing it thats so hard.
• While the communication process is complex and
  typically quite flawed, you own part of that
  process and youand you alonecan improve your
  part of the process.
• Adoptingand adaptingthe steps outlined in this
  presentation can help.
• While your communication process will rarely work
  perfectly, with communication a little
  improvement goes a long way.1,2

1Now I would like to demonstrate this process by
telling you a very personal story. May I? 2How
many of you would like to lose some weight and
keep it off or know someone who would?
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Where can you learn more?1

• Download the classic principles for Dale
  Carnegies classic, How to Win Friends and
  Influence People at http//www.dalecarnegie.com/go
  lden_book.jsp?keycodegoogle06WT.srch1WT.mc_id
  G_Communications.

1Please visit www.KendallLStewartMD.com to
download related white papers and presentations.
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How can you contact me?1
Kendall L. Stewart, M.D. VPMA and Chief Medical
Officer Southern Ohio Medical Center President
CEO The SOMC Medical Care Foundation, Inc. 1805
27th Street Waller Building Suite B01 Portsmouth,
Ohio 45662 740.356.8153 StewartK_at_somc.org
KendallLStewartMD_at_yahoo.com www.somc.org www.Kend
allLStewartMD.com
1Speaking and consultation fees benefit the SOMC
Endowment Fund.
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