Top 6 Communication Tactics in Healthcare

This video provides an in-depth exploration of six key communication tactics specifically tailored for the healthcare industry. Dr. Eric Bricker, the presenter, begins by establishing the fundamental premise that successful interactions, whether for improving patient care or transforming healthcare, hinge on people's propensity to do business with those they like and trust. He introduces a framework from communication expert Dr. John Lund, which posits that recipients of communication are primarily concerned with three things: the potential for pain, the duration of the interaction, and the communicator's underlying objective.

The presentation systematically categorizes communication into two main forms—speaking/listening (in-person, video, phone) and writing/reading (email, text)—and then combines these forms with Dr. Lund's three recipient concerns to create a matrix of six actionable tactics. For verbal communication, the video emphasizes the importance of one-on-one interactions for relationship building, the strategic use of enthusiasm, and the critical skill of active listening to make conversations less "painful." For written communication, particularly emails, tactics include optimizing send times and ensuring readability through larger font sizes, acknowledging the prevalence of mobile email consumption.

The discussion then shifts to addressing the "how long" concern, advocating for concise conversations (10-15 minutes) and short meetings (under 30 minutes) to respect attention spans. Similarly, emails are advised to be brief, resembling text messages with approximately two sentences and 30 words, given the average 9-second read time. Finally, to clarify "what do you want," the video recommends setting clear expectations in conversations regarding tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines, ideally allowing the other person to set their own timeline. For emails, a clear, questioned call to action, highlighted for visibility, is presented as essential. Dr. Bricker concludes by stressing the importance of managing expectations for others' communication quality, acknowledging that healthcare organizations often struggle with miscommunication, and encouraging individuals to focus on controlling their own communication effectiveness.

Key Takeaways:

• Build Liking and Trust for Success: The foundation of effective communication in healthcare is building like and trust, which is crucial for improving patient care, fostering collaboration, and driving positive change within the industry.
• Address Core Recipient Concerns: When communicating, always consider the other person's three primary, often subconscious, questions: "Is this going to be painful?", "How long is this going to take?", and "What do you want from me?". Tailor your approach to proactively alleviate these concerns.
• Prioritize One-on-One Interactions for Relationships: For verbal communication, one-on-one conversations are paramount for forming genuine relationships, which Stephen Covey refers to as "production capability," essential for sustained and effective future communication.
• Cultivate Enthusiasm in Conversations: Injecting enthusiasm into your verbal interactions, even when not naturally inclined, can make the conversation less painful for the recipient and can also be personally refreshing, contributing to a more positive exchange.
• Practice Active Listening: To minimize the "pain" of a conversation for the other person, allow them to do the majority of the talking. Seek first to understand their perspective before attempting to convey your own.
• Optimize Email Timing and Readability: Send emails earlier in the day and earlier in the week to maximize engagement before recipients experience email fatigue. Crucially, use a 14-16 point font (14pt is a recommended compromise) as 50-60% of work emails are read on mobile devices, and larger fonts improve readability, especially for those with vision challenges.
• Keep Conversations and Meetings Concise: Respect attention spans by limiting conversations to 10-15 minutes and meetings to 30 minutes or less. This approach minimizes the perceived "pain" of long interactions and increases productivity.
• Draft Emails as Concise Text Messages: Given that the average person spends only 9 seconds reading an email (approximately 25-30 words), structure your emails to be around two sentences and 30 words long, much like a text message, to ensure key information is absorbed.
• Clearly Define Expectations in Verbal Communication: To address the "what do you want" concern, explicitly state who is responsible for what, what specific tasks need to be done, and by when. Whenever possible, allow the other person to set the deadline, as this fosters greater commitment and accountability.
• Implement a Clear Email Call to Action: For written communication, place a clear call to action, phrased as a direct question (e.g., "Could you do this?"), within the second or third sentence of your email. Bold or underline this question to ensure it stands out and explicitly communicates your request.
• Manage Expectations for Others' Communication: Recognize that a significant portion of the workforce (up to two-thirds, according to a Gallup poll) is disengaged, which often translates to poor communication. Maintain low expectations for others' communication quality but hold yourself to high standards, as you can only control your own actions.
• Acknowledge Widespread Miscommunication in Healthcare: The video highlights that "all Healthcare organizations are essentially cesspools of miscommunication," underscoring the critical need for individuals to master these tactics to navigate and improve communication within this complex sector.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking Fast and Slow": A book by the Nobel laureate in economics, referenced for insights into human decision-making and the importance of trust in business interactions.
• Dr. John Lund: A communication expert whose framework on the three primary concerns of communication recipients (pain, time, want) forms a central pillar of the video's tactics.
• Stephen Covey's PPC Balance: A concept (Production vs. Production Capability) used to illustrate the dual importance of achieving immediate tasks and building strong relationships in communication.
• Gallup Poll: Referenced for statistics on employee engagement, indicating that a large percentage of employees are not engaged at work, which can impact communication effectiveness.

Key Concepts:

• Recipient-Centric Communication: An approach to communication that prioritizes understanding and addressing the needs and concerns of the person receiving the message.
• PPC Balance (Production vs. Production Capability): A framework emphasizing that effective interactions not only achieve immediate goals (production) but also nurture the underlying relationships (production capability) that enable future collaboration.
• Introvert/Extrovert Communication Preferences: The understanding that individuals' personality types can influence their preferred communication channels, with introverts often favoring written communication and extroverts preferring verbal.
• Low Expectations for Happiness: A pragmatic philosophy suggesting that by setting realistic, often low, expectations for external factors (like others' communication quality), one can better manage personal satisfaction and focus on controllable actions.