Communication
A Personal Reflection by Alan Yordy

"Communication is at the heart of being a caregiver. It’s also at the heart of being a leader.  We must be in touch with one another and understand one another if we’re to effectively deliver care to patients and families; deliver the health care ministry true to our mission. 

"To communicate effectively, we must be fully present in the moment, and a little vulnerable.  We have to be willing to share our joys, fears, sorrows, and hopes. I also believe that being able to relate our own experiences helps engender trust and gain the support – or even inspire – others. In the process you’re building strong interpersonal relationships. 

"All individuals, whether they’re patients, staff, family members, or friends are seeking to be heard and understood. So often the most important thing we can do is to simply be good listeners.

"We must also remember that much of communication is nonverbal. Patients, families, and staff are reading us all the time. They want to know if we’re genuine; if we care; if we have some hidden concern we’re not sharing. So we must think as much about what we tell people through nonverbal expression – our body language – as with our words. Sometimes the things we show belie the statements that we make. If we’re being genuine and present in the moment, our nonverbal cues and expressions will be consistent with what we’re saying. If we’re not in the moment or we’re not being transparent with information, people can quickly figure it out.

"Good communicators know what type of communication will work best for what types of messages. Sometimes a phone call works best. Sometimes a note is appropriate. And, sometimes email is just fine – it can be a tremendous time saver to get basic things accomplished and share information. But when there are sensitive human emotions and human factors involved, face-to-face communication is almost essential. When complicated group dynamics are involved, face-to-face is critical.  So understanding which type of communication is best for certain settings and situations is really an important dynamic of leadership."