The Successful Physician Building and Sustaining Satisfying Collegial Relationships Some Behavioral Conclusions from SOMC Nurse Focus Groups 1 A Presentation for the SOMC Physician Leadership Institute Valerie DeCamp, Valerie DeCamp, RN, NE-BC, BSN, MHA Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBA, DFAPA January 28, 2010 Draft 1 Valerie DeCamp conducted these nurse focus groups in January 2010.

Why is this important? Most physicians would say they intend to be successful. Our relationships with our colleagues are critical to our success however we define it. 1 Using how people feel about working with us as a measure, some of us are a lot more successful than others. This presentation will explain how you should behave if you want to be viewed as –Respectful, –A team player, and –A physician who is passionate about achieving and sustaining exceptional organizational results. After listening to this presentation, you will be able to answer the following questions: –How do physicians who are viewed as respectful behave? –How do physicians who are viewed as NOT respectful behave? –How do physicians who are viewed as being team players behave? –How do physicians who are viewed as NOT being team players behave? –How do physicians who are passionate about achieving and sustaining exceptional organizational results behave? –How do physicians who are NOT passionate about achieving and sustaining exceptional organizational results behave? 1 See Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Bradberry et. al., 2009.

How was this SOMC employee survey conducted? We invited all SOMC employees to rate every physician they had worked directly with in the past 12 months on the following statement: “This physician is a respectful team player who is passionate about achieving and sustaining exceptional organizational results.” Employees went online and clicked Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. Physicians were then percentile-ranked according to the percentage of their respondents who chose “Strongly Agree.” 16 SOMC physicians were in the top decile. These are the relationships stars. 1 We then asked nursing employees to specify those physician behaviors that inclined them to rate physicians the way they did. Here are their answers. These are the keys to improved collegial relationships at SOMC. 1 The physicians whose photographs are in this presentation were ranked in the top decile.

How do physicians who are viewed as respectful behave? They acknowledge my presence, value my knowledge and respect my opinion. They treat me with the same respect they extend to their physician colleagues. They make eye contact with me, know my name and use it. They ask me whether I need anything else before they leave the floor. They are positive, considerate and they say, “Thank you.” They build a relationship with me. They seek me out before seeing patients to invite my input, and they listen to their patients. They treat me with respect no matter what time of day I call. They treat everyone the same no matter where they work or what their position is.

How do physicians who are NOT viewed as respectful behave? They don’t acknowledge my presence and act as if they don’t want to be bothered. They are impatient; they interrupt me when I am on the phone or talking to someone else. They indulge in childish behaviors such as screaming, raising their voices, stomping their feet, rolling their eyes or sighing. They use a disrespectful tone when clarifying an order. They hang up on me. They are condescending, unappreciative and they do not work at building relationships.

How do physicians who are viewed as team players behave? They make themselves easily accessible by cell phone. They do not put nurses in the middle; they call their physician colleagues themselves. They seek out the nurse who has been caring for the patient. They are approachable and willing to teach. They demonstrate that they care about me and my department. They seek my advice and they respect my input. They take ownership of problems, make decisions and follow through. They are never arrogant or condescending.

How do physicians who are NOT viewed as team players behave? They put me in the middle instead of speaking to their colleagues themselves. They refuse to see their patients when I ask them to do so. They do not value my expertise or my opinion. They are always in a hurry and discourage my questions or suggestions. They avoid or refuse to include their patients and their families in decision making.

How do physicians who are passionate about achieving and sustaining exceptional organizational performance behave? They enjoy being a physician and they are passionate about their jobs. They suggest opportunities for improvement and they are eager to be part of the solution. They are open to change if it will improve patient care. They keep themselves up-to-date with the latest evidence-based practices. They buy into our organizational goals and incentives and participate in our suggested scripting for patients. They invite nurses’ input and are receptive to our suggestions. They take time to talk and listen.

How do physicians who are NOT passionate about achieving and sustaining exceptional organizational performance behave? They ignore or criticize our organizational values and policies, referring to them as, “stupid.” They compare us unfavorably to other hospitals. They are hurried and not thorough; they do not invite or allow time for questions. They do not communicate with their patients or with me. They rely on consultants and avoid seeing their patients. They are resistant to change and unwilling to learn new things.

Where can you learn more? Review 66 proven strategies for improving your emotional intelligence and increasing your self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management by reading Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Bradberry, Greaves and Lencioni. You can purchase this book here.here. Take an examination to discover your EQ strengths and opportunities here.here. Buy Dale Carnegie’s classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” here.here Buy Stephen Covey’s classic, “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People,” here.here.

 Safety  Quality  Service  Relationships  Performance   Safety  Quality  Service  Relationships  Performance  Are there other questions?