Good communication skills key to success

Practice and thought might gradually forge many an art

Virgil 70-19 BC

A successful career in veterinary medicine, be it in academia, research, industry, the diagnostic laboratory, or private practice, is dependent on the individual having scientific knowledge and skills, and the art of using them to best effect.

The art is largely one of communication: through talking, listening, writing, or reading; by way of body language; or through that mystical factor, interpersonal chemistry.

Good communication skills are what separate the distinguished, from the good, from the indifferent teacher. The distinguished teacher delivers the message with enthusiasm, ensures that it is understood, and has it remembered; the good teacher delivers the message with enthusiasm and ensures that it is understood; while the indifferent teacher merely delivers the message.

The complete researcher, in addition to having knowledge, skills, an inquisitive mind, and the stubbornness to overcome setbacks, has to be able to communicate his or her ideas and hypotheses to those who would support the work, and the results and conclusions of his or her labors to peers and public. Some universities used to, maybe still do, employ ghost writers to help their scientists in submitting grant applications and publishing papers — a poor reflection on the communication skills of supposedly well educated persons.

Good communication skills are the difference between the good and the much sought after laboratorian. It takes knowledge and skills to make a diagnosis, but they are largely wasted if the results and rationale cannot be accurately and succinctly described for colleagues to understand.

Veterinarians in leadership positions also have to be skilled communicators, able to communicate with the public, the media, politicians, and peers. The most effective communicators are also good listeners; unfortunately, many in leadership positions are good talkers but poor listeners. They ask questions and then quite obviously are not interested in the answer, because they are too intent on what they are going to say next, like those people who like to orchestrate conversations so that they do most of the talking.

Assuming their knowledge and skills to be on a par, the more successful private practitioners will be those who communicate well with clients, patients, colleagues, technicians, and supporting staff. The challenge for the practitioner in communicating effectively with clients is the most daunting. Presumably, a practice's clientele comes from all walks of life, from different generations with different standards and expectations (1), from different cultures, from different lifestyles, and with different levels of intelligence, so the challenge for practitioners is to communicate (talk and listen to) with clients on the client's own wavelength. In this (page 675) and following issues, Dr. Milani exemplifies in her inimitable and arresting style the art of establishing good veterinary- client-patient relationships in various practice situations.

We live at a time when the means of communication have never been better, but unfortunately communication skills have not kept pace with the means, and, in some cases, have deteriorated because of the means.

Personalities like gears have to engage before there is movement.