Two years ago my dad needed a quadruple bypass and to have 3 heart valves replaced. The surgery came with risks. There was a 10 – 15% risk of death during or shortly after surgery. My family arranged a meeting with my dad’s surgeon where the entire family could ask questions about the surgery.
The surgeon walked into the simple exam room to meet with us. He greeted us, shook our hands and took a seat across from my dad. I was the first to ask a question. “If my dad doesn’t have this surgery, what are we looking at doctor?”
The surgeon expertly handled my question, all of our questions. I noticed how calm we were as we took in the bad news the doctor was delivering. There’s a lot customer service professionals can learn from doctors when it comes to delivering bad news.
Doctors, surgeons and trauma teams are strategically trained and highly skilled in delivering bad news. In fact, doctors who deliver bad news best have mastered 3 things: Attitude, Clarity and Openness to Questions.
Watch this short YouTube video where I explain The 3 Keys Doctors Use to Deliver Bad News
