Have you ever had someone in a day 2 seem like they were on board, say all the right things but either not start care or drop out in the first few visits?
Have you ever had someone seem really engaged at a talk or a screening and then when it came time to book an appointment they back out?
Have you ever had someone say that you are pushy?
If you want to upgrade your communication you have to learn about reactance (also known as the boomerang effect) and how to structure your communication to NUDGE people towards action without PUSHING them and having them push back!
This week's Whiteboard Wednesday is an 8 minute dive into this concept and the key phrases you need to know to avoid reactance.
The number of referrals you get is probably the most important stat you can keep. It shows (in the mind of your clients) how good a job you are doing.
Those of you who have attended my Communication workshop know that I think one of the things that we should get rid of in our client/ patient education is scripts. They too easily come across as us selling our agenda rather than serving others. In this video Barry shows how using scripts says to our team that we don’t trust them. I believe scripts can be demoralising. They prevent our team members from using their “practical wisdom” in really serving people. He doesn’t advocate it being a free for all, just that prescriptive scripts are an “insurance against disaster but ensure mediocrity”. It reminds me of the point that Daniel Pink makes in his book "Drive" - that to be really engaged and perform at their peak, people need autonomy.
So how do we move from prescriptive scripts and avoid disaster – I think communication templates are the best balance. They give the “notes on the page” but leave the expression of those notes to the musician.
