You Can Transform the way Team Members Are Treated

"One way to enhance your ability to work with people is to beware of preconceptions and first impressions. Deciding that you know what to expect from another person based on limited and sometimes mistaken information is a sure way to hinder the relationship-if not completely derail it. Even worse is to label the other person. The labels, names, and characterizations we put on other people create barriers to effective relationships."

"For example, physicians and nurses are agreeably admired for the pivotal roles they play in any society when it comes to healthcare. In fact, they are the healthcare backbone of any given society. Because of the stressful nature of their jobs, physicians are known to be overloaded-making it difficult for them to give adequate attention to their patients. On average, 29% of specialty physicians spend about 13-16 minutes with each patient."

"Some physicians unconsciously perceive their patients in a depersonalized way-patient, case, or category-without perceiving them as a person. This subtle and unthinking disconnect can sometimes be felt by their patients as a physician enters the room. Think of the busy health care provider who unknowingly focuses on the computer screen or handheld device, while asking their patients health-related questions with little or no eye contact."

People are more than the position they occupy at the office and are both team members and loved ones; individuals are multidimensional and whole. Preconceptions and first impressions limit the ability to work with others and can derail relationships when based on limited or mistaken information. Labels, names, and characterizations create barriers to effective relationships and no one deserves such treatment. High-level positions bring expectations that make interpersonal ability as important as technical tasks. In healthcare, stressful workloads lead to short patient visits, depersonalization, and provider focus on devices, producing disconnect and reduced respect.

Read at Psychology Today