Deep breaths are vagal stimulators. They’re one of a set of actions called “pacifying behaviors”—things you do to make you feel less stressful. In business situations, like when you’re dealing with your supervisor or administrator, they are seen as signs of anxiety, uncertainty, and weakness. A well-trained counterparty is trained to look for them and adjust their behavior accordingly. They will demand more, be more assertive, accept less—all because...
Read MoreTouching your face or the notch above your sternum is called a “pacifying behavior.” It’s something you do to reassure yourself when you feel anxious. Touching your face gives you a small but significant boost of dopamine. It’s why dogs like to be petted. Petting does the same thing with them. The administrators and executives you work with understand that when they see you do this, you’re nervous. They’re trained to pick up...
Read MoreYour thumbs are subtle indications of your power. In dealing with those in authority, make sure they’re exposed at all times. Don’t put your hands in your pockets. If you must, leave your thumbs exposed. Thumbs forward when you have your hands at your side. Shake hands with your thumbs up. Successful executives will try to establish authority during a handshake by turning their hands...
Read MoreI was finishing a routine meeting with my medical director and administrator when another doc came through the door. Her meeting was not routine. She was being called to the principal’s office because she refused to see more patients and do her busy work at home in the evening—she would rather spend the time with her children. I knew her to be an assertive, professional physician. Yet,...
Read MoreClinicians are taught nothing about persuasion—and yet an increasing amount of our compensation depends on our ability to persuade our patients to improve their lifestyle. And we’re expected to do it in the teeth of a society that wants them to spend money on things that make them ill. You must use every trick in the book to be successful. What book? “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini.” If...
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