This 2-Minute Monday Mindset is about communicating with difficult people
Handle Difficult People with C.A.R.E.
My negotiating and coaching often involves communicating with some very difficult people: Personal injury attorneys and aggressive law firm staff.
But I can’t avoid dealing with difficult people, and the same goes with most medical offices.
And how do you deal with difficult people and difficult communications?
It’s like driving in difficult conditions: Your Drive with C.A.R.E.
C.A.R.E. is an acronym.
C stands for Control.
Control what you can, which is YOU.
Recognize your emotions, regulate your response, and stay composed.
You’re not trying to change them, you’re solving a problem. Calm is power.
A stands for Assurance.
Show you know what you are doing, and you disarm their tactics.
Speak clearly, confidently and concisely, demonstrating your medical-legal knowledge.
They will realize you know your rights, your role, your value and the law involved.
R stands for Resolution.
Focus on fixing the issue, not proving a point.
Don’t get pulled into ego battles, or proving they are wrong.
Keep it solution-oriented. That’s the overriding focus.
Finally, E stands for Empathy.
Yes, even with difficult people.
Understand their stress, their situation, even when they don’t show you understanding.
Empathy isn’t weakness. It’s strategic. It lowers defenses and builds credibility.
So when the road gets rough and the pressure’s on, don’t let a difficult person’s storm steer you off course. Drive difficult people with C.A.R.E.
Because control of yourself, assurance you’re knowledgeable, focusing the communications back to resolution, and empathy by understanding the other person’s situation will take you farther than confrontation will.
And I’ll see YOU at the next 2MMM!
