Last week we discussed the art of listening well, which is a huge part of clear, effective communication.

A good rule to start is even before you utter a word, do 2 things: 1. Check-in with yourself briefly. What’s the real intent behind your communication? – Are you happy with it? 2. Check your stress level.

We want to come with a clean mindset when we communicate all the time, but in higher stakes communication with patients, staff, colleagues, consultants,...

George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

It's so true. We email someone, text someone, say something, and then are shocked when the person feels we didn't communicate.  And at other times, people expect that we know something because they're under the false assumption we are in the loop.

We can only be responsible for our own part of communicating. So let's zero in on a couple...