While many people typically think of bedside manner as something restricted to the medical field, it can actually be a helpful tool to have in the business world as well. Want to know how your business bedside manner stacks up? Here are some helpful factors to consider:
Do You Communicate Clearly with Others?
Communication is the cornerstone of many successful businesses. Consider your own communication skills, and whether you have properly conveyed the goals of the business year to your team and colleagues. Are there clear objectives, timelines, and check-in points? Does each member of your team know their specific role in ensuring the success of the organization? If the answer is yes, great! If not, consider taking some time to communicate more clearly with your team members.
The same can also be true when working with new customers. Be sure to ask them their overall goals and objectives, what they’re hoping to gain from their interaction with you, and more.
Do You Actively Listen?
When listening to others, it can sometimes be easy to interject your own opinion or thoughts into the conversation. However, good business bedside manner indicates that active listening is a more helpful approach. Avoid common thought processes like “skip thinking” where you begin to prepare a response while the other person is talking, and instead listen to every word they say, only interjecting when you have a clarifying question. At the end, you’ll be able to have a full comprehensive understanding of the other person and what they hope to achieve from the dialogue, and you can respond accordingly after thought and consideration.
Perform a Detailed Exam
Now that you’ve communicated and listened to others, whether they be employees, coworkers or customers, you’re able to perform a “detailed exam,” meaning you can take what you’ve gathered from the conversations and think about how you want to bring that to life. For employees, it may be that you’re now prepared to tackle a project and are ready to put a game plan in place. For customers, it may be that you’re ready to gather materials or come up with a new approach to their business endeavors or that you now know which products to offer them or what services they require based on their needs and desires.
Keep these factors in mind as you conduct inventory on your business bedside manner.
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