Saying "thank you" goes a long way

Commentary. By Charles Atkins, MD, AMNews contributor. Feb. 12, 2001.

COMMENTARY

Observations on the state of medical practice and medical life

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"Play nicely." It's something Mom said, right up there with "the Golden Rule" and "You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" -- although why we would want to catch so many flies eludes me.

I bring this up because some of the old "when giants walked the halls" types of behavior continue into the 21st century. I want to discuss how physicians interact in teams and how what we say and do affects those around us.

The team concept of medicine, which has largely replaced the solo model, puts the physician in a leadership role. It doesn't matter if it's in our job description; it's implied. The physician is still in the pilot's seat. But any time someone is put into a leadership role, his or her attitude and behavior toward others change.

Similarly, we morph in the eyes of those around us. Suddenly we look a whole lot like someone's father/mother/principal/parole officer.

It doesn't matter that the perception is inaccurate; it's what most people take for reality. And seeing that we can't reach inside someone's noggin and realign their thoughts, we have to face ourselves and see how our actions are positively or negatively perceived.

As leaders, whether on medical/surgical teams or at the head of organizations, physicians typically have little or no formal training in management. We either have a talent, which we then develop, or we don't have a talent but, if we're conscientious, we try to acquire the fundamentals -- one of which has to do with our behavior.

As a leader, it's generally not OK to throw tantrums. Yet it seems to be something for which physicians are known. What I notice is that these episodes happen when we don't get our way or when we feel overwhelmed or believe that care is being compromised. Often it's a combination of two or three of those factors. The tantrums are largely nonproductive and make those around us feel a combination of unpleasant emotions -- anger, sadness, guilt, etc. [...]