But there’s something you can do to drive desired behaviors.
Empathy is a trait that is generally considered a “must have” in healthcare. But what is empathy? And can it be trained or developed in others? Can it be demanded through policy and regulation?
I was working with a CEO recently who thought so. He was frustrated with some of his physicians who he felt weren’t showing enough empathy to patients. His feelings were supported by patient feedback which was clear: while clinical care was excellent, the human connection was missing. His solution was to create policies mandating empathetic behaviors.
What Is Empathy?
I stopped him in his tracks. “You can’t policy peoples’ hearts,” I said. Think about it. A policy on empathy? That’s an oxymoron.
Empathy is a human response to another person’s feelings or situation. It’s organic and genuine and comes from within. The word comes from the Greek “em,” meaning “in,” and “pathos,” meaning “feeling.”
In human interactions, people are either empathetic or they’re not. You can’t create policies to mandate human emotion. You can, though, create expectations for behaviors and set standards.
Policies vs. Standards
Policies are rules or “must do” mandates that are designed to direct employee behavior and in many cases, mitigate risk. They’re often created in response to a problem, very reactively. If the problem is that patients feel the human connection is missing, a policy won’t create a better human connection!
That simply doesn’t work.
Standards are different—standards are behavioral and observable. They help establish expectations for how we act and they demonstrate, “how we do things around here.” They support the mission, vision, values and brand in observable ways that will ultimately shape the culture.
So, you can describe objective, observable behaviors that support positive patient interactions. For instance:
- Make eye contact when interacting with patients.
- Sit down during conversations with patients.
- Acknowledge a patient’s concerns before launching into clinical solutions.
You can recognize the presence or absence of these behaviors. You can coach to them. You can hold people accountable for them.
Engage the Heart, and the Mind Will Follow
The sentiment “engage the heart and the mind will follow” is a concept widely used in marketing circles—“sell the sizzle, not the steak.” But it’s also applicable in healthcare settings.
Humans are emotional beings. They connect with others, first, at an emotional level. That’s an important concept to understand as healthcare leaders. If we want to change the behaviors of physicians and staff, we need to first engage their hearts. Do that, and you’ll engage their minds and drive the behaviors you’re looking for. They, in turn, will take steps to engage the heart—and minds—of patients.
Here’s an example that I think illustrates this well.
I was with my sister at a medical appointment. The medical assistant who roomed us was exceptional. As we were leaving, I thanked her, and she said something that stopped me in my tracks:
“No, thank you. We know you have a choice, and we’re always so honored when people choose us.”
My sister was blown away. She turned to me and said, “Did you hear that?”
I told her it was probably scripted.
Her response? “I don’t care. That made me feel like I’m the most important patient here today.”
And that’s exactly what you want.
Months later, I told that story to their VP of Marketing. I mentioned that it was probably scripted.
He smiled. “No, we don’t script here. We hire people with that in their heart.”
That’s the answer.
You don’t policy empathy. You hire for it. You train for it. You recognize it. You reinforce it. You make it part of your culture.
You can’t policy peoples’ hearts. But you can engage their hearts. And, when you do, their minds will follow. Try it.
