In a world of ubiquitous distractions, everything from cell phones and texts to our laundry lists of daily concerns and deadlines, active listening becomes increasingly challenging, yet remains a high priority. How often does the person speaking to us get the full attention that leads to an engaging and productive exchange? Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH, CPCC, PCC, has posted a great blog on EntrepreneurialMD titled “Physician Business Leaders Need Excellent Active Listening Skills.” Here is a brief excerpt:
“As business-oriented physicians move increasingly into leadership roles, either in your own businesses, or within your organizations, your ability to communicate effectively will become critical.
And great communication begins with great listening!
Hopefully, as a clinician, you honed the art of listening to your patients. But since we physicians are renowned for interrupting early in a patient visit, and our brains are usually furiously working on diagnosing what is wrong with the patient, it’s a fair bet that we are not very good at Active Listening.”
The blog then walks through 10 steps to excellent active listening.
This one is definitely worth the read, so dodge the many distractions facing you and check it out. Dr. Kennealy’s blog post can be found at this link.
