Many years ago, I had the task of hiring computer programmers to create some healthcare software. While I knew alot about the subject matter and the content for the programs, I knew nothing about programming or the people who did this for a living. And, I realized quickly, that you don't conduct an interview with a programmer in the same way that you do for a marketing assistant or an HR manager.
One of my first interviews was with a man named Hiram, who was in his 30's and had several years of computer programming experience. Hiram had a difficult time responding to most of my questions. In fact, based on his responses, it was difficult for me to determine if he knew anything about programming or if he had ever actually created any computer applications. I think Hiram sensed my frustrations and just before I was ready to escort him to the door and have the HR manager script out a no thank you letter, he reached for his briefcase.
The case was quite large, and as Hiram picked it up, he said, "Wait, if I can just show you somethings on my computer it might help." I sat in amazement as Hiram became a totally different person in front of his computer than the gentleman I had been interviewing a few minutes earlier. He was at ease, walking me through complex programs and explaining the logic, how he created certain code and how the program interfaced with the end user. I eventually hired Hiram. I also re-learned an important lesson from my encounter with him.....we're all most comfortable with the familiar. I use the verb "re-learn" here because we all know that we're most comfortable with the familiar, we may just forget it, or forget to use it.
As a manager, we may not always want our employees to be comfortable and we certainly need to push (or pull) them to develop and grow. But, what about our physicians and their role with clinical documentation? So much has been written about the psyche of physicians, how they're impacted by medical school and residency training. It's easy to scour through the research and also to spend time with physicians to get a good sense for what they're comfortable with.....things like clinical trials, evidence-based medicine, competition, being "the best", etc. But, how often do we incorporate this into our training? It's highly likely that if we incorporate the familiar into physician training, physicians would flow with the process instead of fighting it.
