Here's how you can assert yourself without appearing aggressive when working with physicians.

In my experience working with physicians and physician leaders, the best way to understand their roles is in the next topic, active listening. Simply asking a series of good questions, starting with what concerns they have for which you may be able to provide support. is a good place to start. As you actively listen, you can explore in more depth their understanding of their role, and respond with explanations of your role in the context of their expectations. What the physician leaders with whom I have worked found especially helpful is when we have agreed on respective roles and shared roles, essentially being partners for improvement that ultimately leads to improve patient care. As a model for development I like the quadruple aim.

I concur that active listening is one of the most important means of earning physician confidence and trust, and learning what you need to know to support them effectively. I have found that having a physician partner with whom you co-create opportunities for active communication with physicians is especially helpful. In working with physician teams, here are a couple approaches that have proven helpful in my experience, partnering with a physician leader. 1. Using a 360 assessment by virtually all the physicians peers, nurses, and administrators with whom the physician works, with coaching. 2. Using my "View of Consensus" SM, (C) process to make physician team decisions, including scope of service planning for a new service line.

I had a physician who had recently accepted the role of Medical Director for Primary Care come to me and ask for leadership coaching. He stated his medial school training did not provide lessons in leadership. Serving as an internal Organization Development Consultant for the health system, of course I agreed to provide that support. We took lunch together often, as that was when he was typically free given a busy schedule with patient encounters and meetings, along with supervision of other physicians, policy development, and administrative communication. We also planned together for physician team interventions and development, and we co-facilitated those meetings. He also borrowed references I had from my PsyD in OD degree program.