How Mindset Impacts Communication

Mindset can change everything. What does it look like to have the “right” mindset? 

Have you ever been working alongside someone with the same goals, but a completely different mindset of getting there? Not only does mindset impact the avenues you use to reach a goal, but it also impacts your motivation while achieving that goal. To some, a People First mindset may seem ineffective for productivity or financial success, but the People First mindset is the exact approach to help your business achieve more. By setting your mind and your intentions to supporting your team, your team can then support patients, customers and the business goals.   

If you find yourself asking questions like “how do I get people to do what I want them to do?” or “why won’t good people stay?”, you likely aren’t supporting your team in a People First way.  Creating a culture of empowerment, leads to team members doing what needs to get done and more.  Building an employee experience that focuses on supporting their growth and development will entice the good people to stay.     

Communication 

When organizations are struggling, one of the most common complaints from the team is lack of communication, messages that are poorly communicated or that leaders aren’t listening.  Many organizations think: 

  • There is no time for meetings because the work needs to get done. 
  • Giving someone a job description on day 1 and providing a quick training should be enough for someone to know “what they are supposed to do”
  • The only time you need to talk about performance is at the annual review.  
  • That by putting someone on a corrective action plan, they have done the coaching needed to ensure improvement.  

 

Leaders with a People First mindset shifts your communication style to one of powerful questions and listening to understand.  Business owners who take time to understand what their team is experiencing every day, the owners can then make adaptations to make work flow more smoothly.  They will understand what gets in the way of productivity and find ways to solve it.

Instead of shying away from financial discussions, People First leaders share the metrics of financial success and engage their team to find ways to increase revenue and decrease expenses.  

People First organizations have consistently scheduled team meetings focused on dialogue not status updates.  Leaders regularly meet with individual team members to discuss what is going well, what needs improvement and how the leader can support them in their growth.

Once a leader reflects a People First mindset in their communication, it will transform how a team works together and performs. In my book, People First, I discuss a People First mindset more in-depth, and how you can implement this mindset in your everyday life. The book is out now and you can order it HERE.

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About Amy Lafko

As a Physical Therapist, Amy spent years in school learning best practices for patient care and how to put the patient first. Like so many technically skilled clinicians, she advanced to a leadership role. Spending 20+ years in operational leadership, she had an epiphany: Putting the customer first isn’t the path to success or fulfillment. Rather, the most successful organizations and practices put their people first – and exceptional customer care, profitability, and effectiveness naturally followed.