What’s The Difference? Liked Vs. Respected

What's the difference between being well liked vs. respected? For starters, there are telltale signs of being well liked: friends and admirers often describe you as the ‘life of the party’ and full of personality or maybe you’re the person everyone wants to tell their problems to. As funny as it sounds, being liked is not the same as being respected. Just like in the dating realm, being open to getting a beer with someone doesn’t mean you want to start a relationship with them, you can like someone without respecting them. Close, but no cigar.

Far too many DCs are way too friendly with their patients.  Sure, when it comes to matters of health, you’re the best friend they have; but you can’t afford to be their friend when it comes to money and commitment.

What are some of the signs of being too friendly?

Let’s start with caving with your recommendations.  Why give recommendations if nobody follows them?

How about not doing an adequate case history or exam?  Focusing on pain and symptoms only, some DCs don’t perform a case history or exam (with or without x-rays).  Even if your technique is decidedly tonal or low-force, you want to evaluate each and every patient.

Agreeing with other socially held beliefs. Being a DC means that we do not think like most other doctors.  When a patient asks you what do you think about another doctor’s treatment, if you can’t prescribe drugs, can you really offer your opinion?  How would you feel if a MD talked poorly about your care?  You can disagree with what you’re hearing without making that person feel like they’re being told they’re wrong.

Not practicing the way you want to.  If you want to be something other than an adult, pain relief doctor, then do it.  If you want to see kids, then learn how to do it.  Practicing just to pay the bills comes from a scarcity mindset.

Taking a rain check on patient education.  Focusing only on symptoms will ensure that many of your patients will stay only for a handful of visits.  Every person needs to be educated in your office.  Let them make the decision for care based on education and knowledge, not what they think or heard Chiropractic is.

Have you ever been in the situation of knowing that one of your friends is drunk and is attempting to drive home?  Did you make it your business to not let this person drive drunk? Remember, it’s just not his/her life at risk, but other motorists and pedestrians as well. Most people in the heat of the moment will be very agitated and angry, perhaps even violent; but in the end, it’s still the right call to make.  Call a cab or drive them home yourself and they can pick up their car the next day. Sure, they may never talk to you again, but they could also call to apologize and thank you for your actions. Either way, it’s the right thing to do.

Respect is something that is earned, not given.  Being there for our patients is not always easy.  But if we always fall back on giving in to their demands, it leads to an average patient visit of less than 8 visits. You are better than this. Even if they don’t agree, it’s your office and you know better than they do.

We are looking for DCs who have always suspected they had an untapped potential within that just wasn’t being used.  It’s not enough to know that you have this untapped potential, you have to have it have this inner dimension start working for you immediately.