My Really Huge Communications Blunder

Let's talk about communications blunders for a few minutes. Like everyone else I've made a few, but one of mine really stands out. It's a little story about how to always make doubly sure the person on the end of the phone line understands exactly what you mean, and not just what they think you mean.

As I tell my teenager, it's not whether you know what you're talking about, it's whether the other person knows what you're talking about.

AUGUSTA GA

Like all new doctors, I was finally able to open my own office. It took fourteen grueling, hard years of higher education, and training after high school, but I was ready. I rented an office. I hired a secretary. I bought some old office equipment, and basic furniture. I was ready to go. I was finally a medical doctor, a specialist, a psychiatrist.

Like all the new doctors I'd been watching as they went into practice for the first time, I decided to put an advertisement in the newspaper so people would know there was a new shrink on the block. I hoped maybe somebody would send me a patient or two, or make an appointment, and my children wouldn't starve.

We call those things we doctors put in the paper an announcement, but really they are advertisements and they aren't cheap, especially when you spend your last paycheck on buying one, which is what I did.

My ad said something simple about me. My name, Jim Wallace, M.D. My office address in Augusta, Georgia. My services, "General Psychiatry," and "Psychotherapy."

Well, not exactly. It was supposed to say "Psychotherapy," but it said "Psycho Therapy."

My friends all called me up to make sure I was planning to just practice medicine on "Psychos." Some wanted to know if I was a "Psycho" doing "Psycho Therapy?" It was all in fun, but, believe me, it wasn't funny for me. My idea was to be a seriously good doctor. Maybe not too serious about it, but looking out for my patients, and looking for seriously good outcomes, but that wasn't going to happen if everybody in town got the wrong initial impression.

Obviously, it all worked out. Here I am over 25 years later. But, I really thought the newspaper had shafted me. Of course, it was all my fault for not making 1000% certain the person on the other end of the line and I were on exactly the same page.

Live and learn, right?

The purpose of communication is to communicate, but that's not exactly what I did.

My Really Huge Communications Blunder

AUGUSTA GA