On this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP® welcomes Shelly to discuss her work and research about better communication — particularly with doctor-patient communication.
After spending the first part of her career in political and governmental affairs for healthcare companies, Shelly O’Donovan noticed that there was a pattern to effective communication.
These patterns separated the strong communicators who could accomplish agendas and climb corporate ladders from the communicators who didn’t achieve their goals. That observation sparked a passion for decoding communication and understanding what makes others tick.
“I started to be interested in what those patterns were and started to do some research on my own ... and eventually got trained in nonverbal communication by a behavioral research lab,” Shelly says of her journey to becoming a body language and communication expert.
On this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP® welcomes Shelly to discuss her work and research about better communication — particularly with doctor-patient communication.
Shelly, who delivers training programs to help executives and teams use authentic communication to deliver a message, shares how important strong communication and nonverbal cues are for building trust between doctors and patients.
“If the physician walks in and really takes a moment to look at the patient, make some eye contact, be open, also be front-facing … that's going to make a big difference in opening up that trust,” Shelly says of the all-important nonverbal communication skills that encourage trust between two people.
Shelly also discusses how this trust is vital to the physician’s practice as it encourages patients to be more open and communicative about their current health, ailments, or whatever may be bringing them into the office.
Name: Shelly O’Donovan
What she does: As the CEO of the Authentic Influence Group, ITM LLP and a Persuasive Speaking Lecturer at the Wharton School, Shelly helps healthcare executives and teams learn and apply effective and authentic forms of communication.
Company: Authentic Influence Group
Words of wisdom: “We build our first impression of someone within 20 seconds of seeing them. It actually has nothing to do with hearing them speak — but 20 seconds of seeing someone.”
Top takeaways from this episode
[05:49] Gestures (aka suggestors) tell a story: Shelly explains that hand movements, facial expressions, and voice tone are three forms of nonverbal communication that can really enhance an interaction.
[07:28] Putting in the time: According to research, if a doctor can give any fraction of face-to-face time to a patient, it really helps open a trusted line of communication.
[10:33] Quick first impressions: Shelly says first impressions are made within the first 20 seconds of meeting someone, so medical professionals have to really engage in strong nonverbal communication skills to build trust with patients.
[13:36] Attention pays: One of the best things a physician can do to build trust is simply pay attention to their patient. Trying to remain still and in a neutral stance send a nonverbal cue to the patient — communicating that they are being heard and given the time of day.
[19:42] Engagement in the time of Zoom: Shelly describes good Zoom etiquette for clinicians, which includes looking directly into camera and having good lighting.
[22:58] Mirror communication: A good rule of thumb for communication is using the same method initially used to reach you. For instance, if someone calls you and you miss it, return their call, answer an email with an email, and so on.
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Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors and dentists to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of professional successes and failures in addition to personal stories and financial wellness advice. Spaugh Dameron Tenny is a comprehensive financial planning firm serving doctors and dentists in Charlotte, NC. To find out more about Spaugh Dameron Tenny, visit our website at www.sdtplanning.com. You can also connect with our host, Shane Tenny, CFP at shane@whitecoatwell.com or on Twitter.
Compliance code: CRN202408-660062
Top quotes from the episode:
[02:51] “[I] spent a lot of time just digging into those nonverbal behaviors and saw firsthand how that can really open up a room when someone has those behaviors and is using those versus somebody who's completely ignoring that nonverbal communication.”
[07:28] “If a doctor, a physician, can take time to sit down face-to-face with that patient, even just for a couple seconds, that's going to make a big difference in opening up that trust.”
[10:37] “We build our first impression of someone within 20 seconds of seeing them. So it actually has nothing to do with hearing them speak, but 20 seconds of seeing someone.”
[11:12] “You have to really make that first day count with that new patient and really connect with them right off the bat.”
[20:23] “I've seen too many meetings where someone has a screen off to the side [when doing a virtual consultation with a patient] and so they end up kind of sideways. I don't know with physicians if they're literally putting information in on another computer … it becomes really important to have that face-to-face, that eye contact, that direct interaction even on a video.”