Medicines can cure, but a good doctor’s bedside manner can give the strength to fight from within.
In this fast-paced world of change … one thing that remains for certain is pain points.
Every business… every leader and every customer has a pain point.
The trick is this … if you invest time to identify these pain points and offer compelling solutions to solve them, you can win the hearts and minds of each and every individual … in return there is ‘gratitude’ – whether it’s an increase in sales for your business, dedication from your leaders or loyalty from your customers.
To do that is to become an empathetic and caring physician … to work with these pain points. View yourself as the ‘specialist’ – the professional who can find a solution.
Is there a doctor in the house?
When you go to the doctor what do you experience? The doctor is present in the here and now, he / she is an empathic listener, he / she is respectful about your feelings without judgement and communicate with you in a respectful manner, in a clear, concise and honest way.
If your doctor is confident, you are confident about what they know, if he or she is empathetic and understanding about how you feel, you feel connection. If your doctor takes the time out to listen in a compassionate way, you feel heard. When your doctor is straight to the point and tells it how it is, you have clarity. When your doctor is diligent, persistent and conscientious, you feel like this person is in control.
A doctor prepares and does the deep work, they listen, they evaluate and they diagnose the situation. They give you their uninterrupted and undivided attention.
Holding space for people to open up …
Why are we so closed off to being friends with our customer, our co-worker and our leaders? If you have a connection then it makes sense to treat them like a friend… After all, how many hours are you investing every day in your work? You might as well enjoy spending time with the people you come into contact with.
What’s more, when you become ‘friends’ your relationship deepens with a greater layer of connection and intimacy. And it doesn’t have to get in the way of your relationship – it can enhance it, so long as you respect the ‘professional boundaries’. And it enhances your relationship because it becomes a real two-way deal. When you invest time in listening empathetically, with your ears, eyes and heart you’ll be surprised how much you learn in return and then you begin to ‘collaborate’ with them, as you would with a friend, and the positive outcomes of working together are amplified.
Letting people ‘turn up’
Many of us are quick to judge – we don’t mean to be, but we’ve grown up giving people and things and situations labels and expectations. Often, we judge because we’re seeking to clarify and then be helpful. But to truly add value to someone’s life, is to hold space. And in doing so, give them the opportunity to discover their pain points. And then empower them to help themselves.
Life is a collection of moments …
Pain points for individuals don’t just pop out of nowhere. They build and accumulate overtime. And if you were to invest in regular connection time with your tribe, to be truly present and observe, to hear and notice what is going on. Then you, my dearest, would be able to know with certainty what their pain points are.
Walk a mile in their shoes …
Understanding pain points allow you plenty of creative opportunity to repurpose and re-evaluate the way you approach doing business for the simple reason that most of the time your peers, customers, or leaders are trying to resolve a frustration they’re feeling and you are going to be the advocate that helps them resolve their problem and the way to do that, is to think like them. Approach like a doctor, then make the appropriate suggestions. When you invest in all areas of your communication and collaborate you’re better able to invest in others. And there is no business that doesn’t benefit from our investment in others.
