Address correspondence to the author at: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Hilton 3-60E, Rochester, MN 55902. E-mail baumann.nikola@mayo.edu.
Search for other works by this author on:The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, Volume 1, Issue 4, 1 January 2017, Pages 460–461, https://doi.org/10.1373/jalm.2016.021865
01 January 2017 24 October 2016 25 October 2016 01 January 2017Nikola A Baumann, The Importance of Effective Communication: Some Food for Thought, The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, Volume 1, Issue 4, 1 January 2017, Pages 460–461, https://doi.org/10.1373/jalm.2016.021865
Navbar Search Filter Mobile Enter search term Search Navbar Search Filter Enter search term SearchHaving been active in the Society for Young Clinical Laboratorians (SYCL) 2 for several years, the opportunity to give something back as a speaker at the SYLC Workshop preceding the 2016 AACC Annual Meeting was an honor. The SYCL workshop centered around the theme of communication and leadership, and I was asked to provide insight into effective communication with staff and trainees—a rare chance to reflect on the soft skills that we all use every day. These are the skills that some believe can't be taught. This may be true, but time spent on thoughtful contemplation of what we do and how we do it is usually time well spent. Researching and reflecting on this topic has raised my awareness of the importance of communication, including communication challenges such as providing constructive feedback and listening. Below, I attempt to share my findings and my experience.
Notice that these 5 habits have little to do with what one says but rather how one says it. Keeping your message simple and genuine will go a long way. In addition, more than half of communication is nonverbal including body language, gestures, and eye contact. It is important to be aware of what you are saying nonverbally. Even a brief moment of checking your email during someone's presentation conveys a nonverbal message. Styles of communication vary. An excellent article by Mark Murphy distills communication into 4 styles: analytical, intuitive, functional, and personal ( 2). Although no style is superior, effective communicators know how to recognize and match their communication style with their audience whether it be their boss, peers, direct reports, or trainees.
As leaders and educators, some of our most valuable and formative communication will be in the form of feedback. Statements such as “great job” and “well done” are easy to give and are certainly well received. However, the receiver may be left wondering what specifically they did that was great and wondering if there are areas that could be improved. When giving feedback, it is important to be positive (if it is genuine), be specific, be immediate (or at least timely), and be tough if needed, but not mean (or rob the recipients of their dignity) ( 3). In many cases, the person receiving the feedback recognizes what is going well and what is not, so start by asking for his or her perspective. Ask them how they feel they performed or if there are areas they want to improve upon. This step opens the door for constructive feedback without a defensive atmosphere. Formative feedback should be given in private and not in the hallway or in front of peers. And although it is often a delicate process, honest assessment of a person's progress can lead to substantial growth and improvement.
In my experience, the most underused and least perfected communication skill is listening. In professional settings, individuals with authority should listen more (i.e., talk less). I have a favorite quote: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” (Stephen Covey). To illustrate the truth of this statement, I asked the SYCL workshop attendees to pair up and do an exercise in listening. Each pair chose one person to be a speaker and one to be a listener. The speaker was asked to talk about any topic they wanted to for 2 minutes. The listener's job was to listen and not say a word. Just listen. As I watched this exercise unfold, I observed listeners who were struggling not to speak, desperately wanting to share their own story, offer their advice, and provide their feedback. On discussing the activity, attendees felt that “just listening” was difficult and far more challenging than speaking. This is more food-for-thought in our daily interactions.
Finally, it was indeed a rare (and somewhat terrifying) opportunity to stand in front of the next generation of leaders and be asked to provide them with a few personal golden nuggets of professional advice. Initially, it was overwhelming, but once I really thought about what I have found to be important in my professional interactions, the following came to light: (a) Say what you mean and mean what you say (even when it's easier to say what you think people want to hear). (b) In leadership and management relations, a “unified front” will make your job easier and your team more confident. Conversely, a “divided front” will do the opposite—create division in the work unit and drain positive energy from the team. (c) Don't tip-toe around the hard stuff, it won't go away. (d) Be real. And perhaps most importantly, (e) wrap it all up in a package of kindness.
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Authors' Disclosures or Potential Conflicts of Interest: Upon manuscript submission, all authors completed the author disclosure form. Employment or Leadership: None declared. Consultant or Advisory Role: None declared. Stock Ownership: None declared. Honoraria: N.A. Baumann, AACC. Research Funding: None declared. Expert Testimony: None declared. Patents: None declared.