A former client, Dr. N, wasn’t sure how to speak with the physician’s assistant who would be working with him because the PA reported through a separate chain of command. After several attempts to elicit suggestions from my client, I asked, “What would happen if you sat next to him in the male changing room and said something like, ‘You and I will be working together. What works for your schedule for us to get together and talk?’” My client did this, it worked and he was thrilled. He now does this routinely.

Which leads us to the second trait – develop relationships with your colleagues before you need them. Dr. F, a new specialty chairperson, created a spreadsheet to help him keep track of each time he stopped by a department member’s office to say hi and ask how things were going. Brilliant solution! I’ve shared this tool with my clients.

The third reason is critical for considering alternate viewpoints. We’re programmed to surround ourselves with the predictable, with those who will support us and who will not challenge our thinking. Dissenting views may delay decisions at the front end; at the back end they add to buy-in. A friend told me Richard Lamm, a three-term Colorado Governor, encouraged disagreement with his ideas and active discussion among his cabinet members, behind closed doors. Once the decision was made, all cabinet members were committed to the solution they crafted together.