How to Improve Communication by Speaking Less
Transcriber: Chika Mizuta
Reviewer: Hiroko Kawano
It’s Monday morning,
and I’m looking
at my schedule for the day.
I notice that over the last few weeks,
I’ve seen a number of patients
with injuries on Monday mornings.
They’re not serious,
but neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain
and a bruise here and there -
all sustained over the weekend.
And they describe it as a fall,
a simple fall, a loss of balance.
It really didn’t make sense to me
because it came from nowhere.
And as a doctor of general medicine,
we ask questions.
We ask questions to be more specific
until we find out
what had really happened.
A few friends go out to a bar,
and they have a few drinks
and then decide to challenge
a mechanical bull.
[Bull bellows]
It was at that moment I realized
that the mechanical bull
was the reason why
I was busier on Monday mornings.
It’s Tuesday afternoon,
and while checking through my email,
I realized that I’ve been receiving
an increasing number of job applications.
(Ringtones)
It came to me as a surprise
as I haven’t been seeking staff
or offering any positions.
The applicants wanted
to learn English language.
So,
why did they all of a sudden
want to learn English?
I figured out the Olympic Games
were coming to Tokyo.
They wanted to be a part
of this once-in-a-lifetime event
held in their own country.
But why me?
I’m not an English teacher,
and I’m not even in medical education.
I’m a clinician.
I’m completely out of my comfort zone,
but we never say no.
I felt I needed to give them a chance -
a chance to learn or at least expose
them to what I had to offer.
After receiving more requests
from health care professionals,
I decided to create a study group.
We didn’t have all the time in the world,
so for efficiency,
I laid down a few rules:
I will not teach English.
I will not teach medicine.
I will teach what they haven’t learned
at medical school or in their training.
We will learn today
what we can use tomorrow.
It’s ironic.
They came to me for the language,
but I’m providing them
with everything except the language.
At this point,
my students have absolutely
no clue of where this is going.
According to one survey I conducted,
communication is more
important than language.
These results were exactly the same
across patients, doctors
and medical staff.
If communication were an iceberg,
the tip of the iceberg
would be the language.
The underlying mass, volume
would be nonverbal communication.
If nonverbal communication accounts
for 80% or more of communication,
why are we not teaching
nonverbal communication?
I needed to tackle this first.
Nonverbal communication
would be like a simple handshake.
For the record, before 2020,
we used to shake hands
when greeting someone.
It was a powerful message -
a powerful way to express
that you practice American culture.
And it only takes a few seconds.
We also follow up with actively
introducing ourselves.
It’s an opportunity to make
a huge positive impact
because the first impression
is how a person will remember you.
Consider the first impression
to be the last impression.
Next, to enhance cultural knowledge,
we study the values Americans hold.
And we studied dress codes,
table manners.
We held dinners at small parties,
and we celebrated St. Valentine’s Day,
April Fools', Independence Day.
We wore green on St. Patrick’s Day
and had turkey for Thanksgiving.
We even went online shopping
for Black Friday.
Another important part of communication
is physically listening.
Our bodies should face
the person we are talking to,
our eyes looking
into the other person’s eye
and our ears wide open.
We should not be using
any phones, computers,
not even taking any notes.
We should be focusing on the speaker.
We needed to physically show
we are present,
and we are here now
with our undivided attention.
Unfortunately, physicians
are not exactly very good at this,
and we tend to interrupt patients
within 11 seconds
of a medical consultation.
Patients are literally explaining to us
and telling us the diagnosis,
but we interrupt too soon.
I’m a Japanese American,
so I understand
the differences and similarities
of both cultures.
Therefore, I was able to teach
my Japanese students
what they needed to know
in taking care of Americans.
But I believe this method is universal.
Anyone with any cultural knowledge
can teach any foreign national
in any country, in any industry,
not only for the Olympics.
Currently, I have a group
of 50 health care professionals
in my 2020 study group.
They come from various
hospitals and clinics all across Japan.
I empower them with nonverbal skills,
cultural skills, cultural knowledge
and physical listening.
For the Tokyo Olympic Games,
I believe these health care professionals
will be present in a clinic
or hospital near you.
And they will be introducing themselves
with the understanding
of your culture and values.
And they will be listening to you,
assisting you every step of the way
if in the case you happen to need it.
Thank you.