Issue 11 - September 2003

Build trust on a foundation of shared values
By Mark Sanna, DC

Who do you trust? Who can you trust? A lack of trust is a common complaint. Patients don’t trust their doctors; parents don’t trust their children; car owners don’t trust their mechanics; and people don’t even trust green traffic lights!

Trust is essential to building your practice because trust forms the base of the relationships we develop with our patients as well as our staff. Without trust, we achieve little.

Trust is founded on expectations. We trust people as long as they fulfill our expectations.

It’s human nature for us to want our expectations to be fulfilled, but why would anyone want to do what you want? Because you’re nice or interesting? Because you are a doctor? The truth will empower you to motivate people to fulfill your expectations: People will only want to do something for you if you and they share the same set of values.

The problem is that each of us comes packaged with our own set of values, so don’t assume that other people share the values you have — even when you seem to have things in common.

For example: As a doctor of chiropractic, you are a professional healthcare provider. Why did you get into this field? Was it because you wanted to help people? If so, your decision was based on the value of altruism. But other colleagues may have chosen chiropractic because of its science.

And still others made their decision because they value the money, power or social prestige that accompany the profession. Because everyone has a different set of values, your responsibility is to do three things:

• Communicate your values to others. Team meetings are a great place to do this with your staff. Re-examinations are a good time to share values with your patients.
Some ways to communicate your values include these statements and questions:
“Let me share my vision with you.”
“I’d like to share something important to me …”
“Here’s my problem …”

• Find out our their values. After you have shared your values, probe to discover the other person’s values:
“Tell me — what do you picture after you hear that?”
“How does that sound to you?”
“Do you feel the same way?”

• Link the two sets of values. This is necessary if you want to establish trust, because the result is a shared set of values. As you discover common ground, comment on it:

“It sounds as though we think alike.”“We differ on some points, but on the main point we agree that …”

Sharing values is different from imposing values on others. If you share values, each of you buys in to them. But if you impose your values on others, the “trust” that is built is fragile.

For example: Telling a patient what he has to do to stay well will have little effect if he doesn’t truly value wellness! Or, team members who do not share your values may not “buy in” to your goals for the practice and they may feel purposeless. They may not even be aware that they do not share your values, but they create problems in the practice because something inside of them is searching for a purpose.

Once you recognize that a team member’s values are inconsistent with yours, you should reassign that person to another position on the team or give him or her the opportunity to move on to another team whose values are in line with theirs.

Your philosophies about health and your profession are the values that drive your practice. Share them regularly with your patients and with your staff. These are the values upon which your expectations for job performance and patient compliance are built.

Now is the time to start building your own, your team’s and your patients’ performance around your shared values. Speak up. Speak wisely. And listen. In a value-sharing environment, you get out what you put in. Commit to sharing your values and you will pass the ultimate test — you’ll experience the compelling difference the bonds of trust make in your practice and personal relationships.

Dr. Mark L. Sanna is CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, a practice-management consulting firm. He can be reached at 800-723-8423 or through his Web site at www.mybreakthrough.com.