I Sure Hope So!

Have you ever said that when asked how your next appointment is going to go? Or perhaps you say it silently entering a physician’s office who has a reputation for dining on MSLs! Hope is not a childhood wish. Hope is nothing to be ashamed of. Hope is a good thing. Of course, you’ll frequently hear (perhaps from your manager) the book title, “Hope is not a strategy!” And hope will not replace a strategy. However, it is a fundamental human emotion of optimism. It indicates a desire and a belief. However, it is often disparaged, so it is likely better as a private emotion rather than an answer to your manager. Someone once said, those who live with hope live differently than those without. Hope, like faith in yourself, is that quiet emotion that steadies us, gives us confidence, and becomes our inner emotional friend during difficult times. Those of you who were gymnasts as a child, how did you do that first successful backflip? Those of you who learned another language for your vacation or mission trip, how did you decide to just have the courage to say it in that language? Yes, these kinds of activities are built on skills, they are also built on our inner emotional life. It’s OK to hope and have faith in yourself. As I tell scientific presenters who are nervous before a big speech, “You know what you are going to say, they don’t. They want you to do well for their sake, and frankly after the first two sentences it is in the hands of a greater power than you!” Have hope and live differently.

Engaging the distracted decision-maker

I went to a funeral recently—a full house, standing room only. The eulogist took the podium silently, looked down at his notes, looked up at us, even scanned the crowd right to left and back again, down to his notes, then looked up and continued the story he started in silence.

His silent ascent to the podium and the silence continuing could not have been more than a minute or two, but it seemed longer—more reverent, more inclusive. And guess what? The crowd was completely silent. We were ready to hear what he had to say.

You can employ this too.

When I’m with a decision maker—an important person—and they’re looking at their screen, their phone, off in the distance, I simply say, “I’m OK, do you need to answer that?” or “Need to get that email off?” Or I put out a blank piece of 8.5x11 paper and I start drawing on it… usually geometric shapes, a Venn diagram, etc.

I do so slowly. This catches their attention and both of us are now looking down at the paper, and I have a collaborator instead of a judge or an impassive physician staring at PowerPoint slides.

The Venn diagram is a good one because the three interlocking circles create that middle circle. That middle circle need not have a name or anything on it. It often houses the future success or the critical question or the thing that we are researching. And of course, our distracted doctor is now looking at our material—our on-the-spot made material—not the company’s brochures (yet).

Use pauses to make sure that you are giving your physician time to take it all in, to think, and to respond. Coaches use W.A.I.T. as their professional mantra: Why Am I Talking?! You can too.

Slow your speech, allow for pauses, note overt and subtle physician interest (leaning forward, asking questions, brighter eyes, head nodding, guttural sounds, etc.). Like in The Princess Bride, “You let me in, prepare to be engaged!”

“You killed my father, prepare to die.”

“You killed my father, prepare to die.” Remember that line from the movie The Princess Bride? Mandy Patinkin was the actor. He is also an accomplished singer as well.

On The David Letterman Show one night, he was publicizing his latest album. Letterman said words to the effect that he knew this was an unusual request, but “would you sing this one?” and pointed to the back of the album cover. Mandy seemed surprised, as did the band. And then they did a drop-dead rendition of “Over the Rainbow” seemingly off the cuff.

Now, few things—very few things—on late night TV are spontaneous and unrehearsed, and I have no inner knowledge of this event. But it kept my interest. The persistent “what is going to happen?” thoughts in my head and the resulting song in a near-perfect “spontaneous” performance…

Moments like this, a do-or-die Masters golf shot, a rocket launch, your child’s first steps, a new Key Opinion Leader (!), are all moments of some anticipation if not suspense.

You can use this technique yourself. It is less of a technique and more of an awareness of the anticipation of the other.

In my next post, I’ll share a striking real-life example—and how you can channel this principle to engage the toughest audiences.

Introvert or extrovert: it's not who you are, it's how you prepare

Going from office to office, making those cold calls, initiating conversation with a new Key Opinion Leader (KOL), and of course socializing on those ever-fun ride-along days… While these are often the breakfast of champions for the extroverts on the team, they can be a real ache for us introverts. Often misunderstood, the introvert/extrovert labels are simply how we get our energy: introverts charge their batteries while alone and feel them slowly deplete over the course of the day while extroverts charge just by being around others are a bit drained when alone.

Shyness and anxiety have been associated with introversion, but extroverts feel those same emotions. Each person handles it in a different way. Some introverts hang back and wait for the other person to engage them (not always a winning strategy with your manager, or your career!). Extroverts, on the other hand, handle those same emotions with over-talking, silly talking, and yes, just talking! Again, when our job is to seek out the other person, we need not relay our life stories.

Anxiety is often an ambiguous feeling (“I’ve heard there are bears in the area”), whereas fear is more direct (“Look! A bear!”). Nervousness is a focus on the wondering what will or could happen, or am I ready, or do they know how nervous I am?

The cure for all of this is to look outward, to engage, to listen, and then listen a bit more. Introverts are exceptional at listening when they disengage from the fear. Extroverts are great listeners when they focus on the story of the other vs. how it reminds them of themselves!

One psychological technique that can be useful for both is to prepare with the following:

1.   I know this about this KOL and their practice_________.
2.   My hunch is that this KOL may ask me ____________.
3.   I know that I know ____________.
4.   Therefore I (*must) __________.

*Now here is the trick…switch the final #4 from “I must….” to “I can….”

When you can, you have an endless supply of encouraging actions you can take. When we go into a meeting with “I must,” we are usually confining ourselves unnecessarily to a defensive posture with few alternatives.

Don’t concern yourself with whichever personality trait you have. Instead, focus on the target, the KOL who is giving you the time to be useful to them and to the patients under their care.

Are you nervous? Or excited?

Being apprehensive when approaching a new Key Opinion Leader physician and researcher is understandable. You are walking into their territory, their questions, their time. This apprehension can give way to fear, nervousness, and doubt. It’s natural. If you have been following the series “The Pitt,” you can probably identify with the new medical students and even the residents. What is coming through the door next? Who is next? What decision do I need to make now? Am I ready? Even the attending in charge has some harboring doubts and mistakes are made now and then. A surgeon friend of mine told me that what characterizes the operating thinking of a surgeon is “Regardless of what comes my way today, I know I can fix it.” He went on to say that most surgeons in his experience love surgery because they are excited to fix and heal. “I know I can make this life better.” This is confidence steels them for the unknown, the unexpected.

So, as Medical Science Liaisons, are you nervous or are you excited? Nervous is about you… Excited is about them. Do I want my surgeon nervous or do I want her excited to fix me? One video ad for an east coast hospital had a surgeon greeting his patient early in the morning with “Nervous about today’s operation?” The patient responded, “Actually, yes I am.” The surgeon responded, “Good, ‘cause I’m not!” They both shared a reassuring laugh. Nervous is OK… Just translate it to excited at first blush. You are there for that doctor and her patients, she is not there for you. She wants to see excitement on your face and in your words. This visit is not a final oral grad school exam… It is a conversation of social equals figuring out how to heal others in their care.

Following is leading

Followership is an act of leadership, and as an MSL practicing the art of the role, your colleagues will look to you for your reaction when new goals or directions are shared with the team. How do you show up for this role? What will your colleagues see and hear in your response? Are you able to manage your emotions when you have objections to the direction provided? What is your tone when you ask clarifying questions? What does your non-verbal behavior say?

Aligning with and supporting the strategy and direction provided by your leadership team is an act of leadership.
·      What emotions do you experience when new is shared? Are they productive or distracting from the mission?
·      How do you manage yourself? Are you more reactive than reflective? How will others interpret your reaction?
·      Do you recognize your patterns and triggers? Once identified, there is an opportunity to plan your response.

Recognizing and managing your emotions is a critical part of being in a leadership role. Pay attention to your emotions to better understand what triggers them. Plan how you will handle a situation you know may be an emotional trigger, including a response that will help you focus on the goal rather than your emotions. Take a deep breath, hold it, breathe out slowly. It’s necessary to experience emotions but the key is to be mindful of how you react, especially in front of others who look to you as a role model. If you’ve got an eye on a role managing other in the future, this is the time to develop the skills that are required AND people are watching.

No doubt you realize that the goals that are rolled out to MSLs are the result of hours of discussion and negotiation which include many trade-off decisions that will influence how you spend your time. Having this shared purpose brings a team together. Be the person that helps solidify this purpose through leading as a follower.

From chameleon to connector: advancing MSL impact through empathy

On Monday, I shared how Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs)—like chameleons—adapt their agenda and style to meet the moment. Today, let’s take that one step further.

Taking our listening to the next level is when we demonstrate empathy. Here we identify and address the emotions expressed by the KOL based on what we see and hear in an authentic manner. This takes practice but when we are empathic, we move away from trying to fix a problem and can see what someone needs or feel what they feel, fueling our understanding of their perspective. Here are some ways to show your empathy:

• “How will this impact you?”
• “I can see why that would upset you.”
• “I appreciate you sharing that with me.”
• “That must have been frustrating.”
• "What do you need from me?"

Embedding these skills into our way of working demonstrates active listening. Here, we correctly identify the emotions behind the KOLs words to get to the underlying issue or challenge. The connection you make when empathetic and actively listen will enhance your relationship and provide better insights and outcomes.

KOLs deal with many pressures throughout the day, and your meeting may follow a tough conversation with a patient or a fight with the insurance company about trying to secure your medication. Adjusting to your environment like a chameleon and reading the emotions of a situation through active listening is an important part of the art of being an impactful MSL. KOLs will engage at a different level when they feel heard and understood.

Consider your last three KOL meetings. How would you rate your listening skills? What one change can you make to take your listening to the next level this week?

What do chameleons and MSLs have in common?

Perhaps this is just too obvious a question. Chameleons and Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) adapt to their environment and their emotions, enhancing communication. As an MSL, part of your art is to adjust for each interaction—including your agenda, approach, and the science you discuss. Sometimes you lead the discussion—but most of your time should be spent listening. The art of being an MSL is knowing when to set your agenda aside and let the KOL take the discussion where they want.

No matter the situation, active listening is the key to success. Remember those insights you’ve been asked to deliver? Actively listening will uncover them. Honing this skill requires practice and consciousness to move to the highest level of active listening in every conversation.

We’re all comfortable reacting to what we hear, providing feedback or answering a question. This is our quick response that doesn’t involve contemplation, just a quick reaction to the point or question posed. Think about this like shutting an open door. Instead, paraphrase what you’ve heard to gain confirmation that you correctly heard and interpreted what they’ve said. Often the KOL will take their thoughts to a deeper level and give you more insights. Asking for clarification will allow you to elucidate additional thoughts by asking questions to probe deeper and illuminate the underlying concerns.

Perhaps these three skills are second nature and tools you use routinely as an MSL. If not, they’re great ways to build rapport with your KOLs and dig deeper into their true insights and experience.

Want to take your listening one step further? On Wednesday, I’ll share practical tips for bringing empathy into your MSL conversations—and why it makes all the difference. Don’t miss it.

Doing the right thing: compliance isn't always easy

Have you ever received a request to do something that your gut told you wasn’t the right approach from a compliance perspective? It may have been a déjà vu moment, transporting you back to the numerous policies and SOPs you’ve read that outline the expectations for your role. I view building compliance strength in the same light as going to the gym. Building strength in the gym will help prepare me for challenges such as the distance or elevation of a hike. Building our compliance strength will help us navigate unexpected challenges in the field, which is an important component of the art of being an impactful MSL. Understanding of the “why” behind your company’s policies, procedures, and guidance will strengthen the base knowledge from which you can draw when an unpredictable situation arises and your gut chimes in. At the recent Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) meeting, I attended a workshop led by Adeola D., Pamela Lonzer, and Monchiere Commodore, who reviewed some important reminders and led us through a good discussion:

·        Upholding the integrity of the science we discuss is critical. Fair balance and scientific balance are critical during scientific exchange. Enough said!

·        The “Safe harbor” for non-promotional scientific exchange has guardrails, even with the new SIUU Communications Draft Guidance. Are you confident you know how to work within these guardrails as defined by your company?

·        Minimizing the risks or overstating the benefits of a product during a conversation with an HCP is misbranding (and a false claim). How do you ensure balance in each conversation, every time, even with the KOL’s with whom you have a long relationship?

·        There are clearly compliant and non-compliant ways of working in with commercial, there is a lot of grey in between. How does your company interpret that grey and do you reflect that interpretation in the field?

The workshop included an activity where we identified risks, assessed severity, determined the control, and monitored the outcomes. It was valuable to hear the different perspectives from others on their interpretations and experiences. There was no “group think” at our table! It was a good reminder that grey can be interpreted in different ways and depends on the space you are navigating (i.e. launch, device). Each company has a different risk tolerance which will be reflected in the types of activities that are implemented.

When has your gut chimed in to alert you to assess the compliance of a request?

Building strategy brick by brick

It’s always a good day when you get to play with Legos, and it’s an added bonus when you get to do it while working. At the recent Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) meeting, I attended a workshop on the “Best practices for building and leading medical affairs in a resource-constrained environment.” The workshop faculty included Rachel Leder Couchenour, Marianne Kenny, PharmD, and Melissa Wanner, PharmD, who brought their extensive experience to the conversation about building for launch with limited resources to optimize patient outcomes. Using a case study, we built the strategy using different colored Legos represented the many medical affairs activities, with the number of Legos selected for each color representing the budget we allocated to each activity. As you can imagine, there was spirited discussion about what to prioritize and the level of funding based on the participants’ experience and expertise.

We worked as a team, shared our perspectives, listened to others, and made the best decision(s) in the time allotted. Here are my takeaways:

· In this fast-paced environment, trade-off decisions are required.

· If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.

· Listening to others, we all gained wisdom.

· The budget only goes so far! Ensure you consider immediate needs but give thought to the investments that will impact your long-term strength.

The leadership team may need to enlist help through outsourcing if it’s not time to build the team. There are various outsourcing models available based on your needs and strategies. The facilitators did a nice job outlining the various approaches they’ve used providing examples of where outsourcing supported their success.

As a Medical Science Liaison (MSL), you may not be involved in these decisions, but you play a critical role in their success based on your support for those decisions. Part of the art of having impact as an MSL is to understand the strategic priorities and align your execution in the field to deliver results aligned. Demonstrate your value while working within those priorities. Provide feedback (with solutions!) based on your insights from the field but avoid pulling attention away from the priorities once they are set.

Our discussion led to a pile of disorganized, individual Legos organized into a thoughtful (and colorful) structure that represented our team’s thoughts about strategy.

How have you used your field experience to support the needs of the medical affairs team in a resource constrained environment?

Do I trust you? Building high performing teams

Psychological safety of teams was one of the valuable sessions I attended at the recent Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) meeting. Psychological safety means you are comfortable speaking up, making mistakes, and being vulnerable because you are confident you won’t be punished or humiliated for doing so. The discussion was led by Fatima Ahmad, Lori Mouser, and Sarah Jarvis who reminded us of the importance of trust to team success and employee well-being. Learning from mistakes and sharing vulnerability has helped their teams learn, grow, and thrive to foster the organization’s success.

How do you build psychological safety—and the trust that naturally follows? And what are the consequences when that trust is missing? Amy Edmondson’s TED Talk, “Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace,” offers powerful insights into both questions.

Key ways to build psychological safety and trust include:

- Sincerely valuing the voices of others

- Actively listening to understand and consider dissenting views

- Demonstrating vulnerability

- Embracing and encouraging feedback

Having an open dialogue where mistakes can be discussed and learned from, the team will grow stronger. Foster an environment where asking questions, including the tough ones, is valued. If we withhold questions, we withhold learning and innovation not only ourselves but the broader team. We also miss the opportunity to create a better path forward. People working in high-trust environments report less stress, more energy at work, and less burnout. This fosters an environment with more engagement and higher productivity.

As a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) practicing the art of the role, you can support your team in building psychological safety and trust by role modeling key behaviors—including vulnerability. This includes openly communicating your ideas and insights, valuing diverse perspectives, creating space for less experienced MSLs to share their thoughts and feel heard, and celebrating team wins.

How can you contribute to fostering safety and trust on your team?

Staying focused in a distracted world

Things have felt a little chaotic in the world lately. I can admit that I’ve been distracted, making it difficult to get things done. Distractions come in all shapes and sizes, from the basic buzzing of my phone/watch (which mainly consists of spam calls), to numerous irrelevant emails that overtake the important ones, to the opinions being voiced through every medium about the events happening in our world. The overwhelming nature of news that impacts us and our friends/family/colleagues can leave us feeling down. Can you relate?

Are you staying on track? It is well known that our productivity decreases when we’re distracted or not feeling our best, but we still have obligations to fulfil and goals to move forward. How are you staying on track? Here’s what I’m trying to implement:

·      Putting my phone aside (and take off my watch if needed)
·      Decide what I will conquer in the next 45 min. I set an alarm and focus on the project at hand. If I think of something else I need to do, I make a quick note and get back to the project.
·      When the timer goes off, I can go back to emails or my “to do” list for 10-15 min and then return to the project. Repeat.

I’ve found that once I gain momentum, time flies by and I’ve accomplished more than I expected.

To be an impactful MSL, it is necessary to stay focused to meet expectations whether that is related to your most important KOL’s request, a project for the team, or just doing the necessary administrative tasks. How are you dealing with the distractions you’re facing?

Aligning MSL goals with corporate strategy

It’s that time of year… Goals are being set and rolled out. The goals for the MSL team and how they support corporate and/or Research & Development goals are critical to help you prioritize your goals in your territory and your time. Do you have line of sight to how your goals support corporate success? While not all corporate goals are relevant for your work as an MSL, your work certainly directly impacts at least a couple of those goals.

When planning your quarter and specifically the upcoming meetings on your calendar, each meeting should support your goals and move the mission forward. This is the currency of the MSL role.
·      As you review your goals, are leadership’s expectations for you clear? If not, gain clarity. Ask questions.
·      What resources are available to support each goal? If it’s not clear, let leadership know what you need and support the development of those resources.
·      Each KOL has different interests which may not directly align with what leadership is asking you to discuss. How will you balance these goals with those of the KOL?

We all know that the art of being an MSL is meeting the expectations of the company while bringing meaningful information to each of your KOLs based on their individual needs and interests. How do you bring value to both your company and your KOLs?

The secret sauce of great colleagues

When you reflect on your career and the wonderful people you’ve worked with, which coworkers were amazing? You undoubtedly have an extensive list but narrow it down to your top three. It’s tough but necessary work. Think about what makes these three stand out above the rest. Take time with this reflection and make a list of the characteristics that set them apart. Was it technical knowledge? Their intelligence? Was it their empathy or emotional intelligence? What was their secret sauce?

When you look across the list of characteristics, what do you notice? Do you see a trend? Their specific qualities may be different, I suspect what you value about them is their relationship skills. Being smart is important but the secret sauce is being able to navigate people successfully. How many of those relationship skills are transferable from being a great coworker to being an impactful MSL? If someone made a list about your skills, how would it compare? How do you rank yourself? What opportunities do you have to optimize your relationship skills to provide more impact as an MSL?

What are the most important relationship skills an MSL must demonstrate to practice the art of an MSL and to have impact?

What MSLs can learn from great performers

Have you ever seen anyone do something so well that it takes your breath away? You see what they are doing and then you notice the expertise, the controlled subtly, the mastery at work right before your eyes.

I was re-watching “All the President’s Men” recently and took particular notice of the two stars, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. For a moment, I turned the volume down and simply watched them act. They did so much of it with little moves, eyes, glances, shuffling of papers in a precise way. So well, in fact, that I got used to the volume being off!

The movie won four Oscars, but neither Redford nor Hoffman were the recipients. Jane Alexander was one of two actors who were nominated, she for Best Supporting Actress. So, I went to her somewhat brief scene (and, yes, turned the volume down!) and my goodness what a mix of emotions and inner strength!

As I go through my day, I tend to look for these moments not only in film, sometimes watching television (sound on!), but also my day-to-day check-in with American Airlines, grocery store self-check-out helper, and even a friend or two, volume up!

Actors consider themselves “trained,” sometimes even “classically trained.” But no matter how trained or educated they are, the successful actors are able to convey real emotion in a pretend plot. One actor told me, “My job is to rehearse so much that it all looks spontaneous.”

And I thought of our MSL work. What are you doing that is equal to that standard? More than you think!

- We do look in the mirror ‘til we say “Yes!”
- We do prepare for our day.
- We do know our stuff.

But what are we doing with that little bit of Redford and Hoffman, and certainly of Jane? And what do we do so intentionally that it looks natural and spontaneous?

Take a look at their scenes and let me know what comes to mind about you.

How to create thunderbolt moments for your KOLs

In my last post, I shared how a simple conversation with a professor reignited his passion—and became a thunderbolt moment for me. But what about our work as MSLs?

How do we create those moments for our KOLs?

Our job isn’t just to report data. Data without meaning is just… data. Our role is to:

✅ Build trust
✅ Deliver useful insights
✅ Help KOLs connect the dots in a meaningful way

Want to make a lasting impact? Try these conversation starters:

- “Now what surprised us was…” → Share insights that shift their perspective.

- “Let me take a time-out…” → Pause to emphasize something they might overlook.

- “I wonder if I could ask you a favor…” → Engage them by inviting their expert input.

- “I may need your help on this one…” → Encourage them to apply data to real-life challenges.

It’s not about dumping information. It’s about creating connections that make them think differently. That’s how you become a trusted, memorable partner.

So, the next time you walk through the door to meet a KOL… bring your thunderbolt.

What’s one way you’ve made an impact in your conversations with KOLs?

Do you remember your thunderbolt moments?

Have you ever had the experience of wisdom coming right after you? You’re in a meeting, having a conversation, and suddenly—something hits you like a thunderbolt. It’s a moment of clarity, a shift in perspective, a realization that sticks with you long after.

That’s our job as MSLs: Providing our KOLs with that thunderbolt. They may not react in the moment, they may not even show it, but they will remember it. Just like you remember yours.

I had a moment like this years ago.

As an undergrad philosophy major at Loyola, I was fortunate to have Dr. Dick Westley for many of my courses. He was on fire with his content—passionate about Feuerbach, Marx, Thomas, and Plato. Every class was inspiring, fun, challenging, and gave a glimpse into not just the material, but the man behind it.

Fast forward 40 years later, and I found myself at a faculty meeting at Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus, sitting next to him. My favorite professor. But this time, he was close to retirement—his posture drooped, his fire dimmed. The energy I once saw in him wasn’t as vibrant.

I leaned over and said:
"Dick, I want to thank you for being my best teacher. I loved every class. You inspired me. I hope someday I will be for others as good a teacher for them as you were, and still are, for me.”

He paused, looked at me, and then—his fire reignited. His eyes lit up as he said:
"Well, Kev, when you've got it… you got it!"

And in that moment, he reminded me of something powerful.

Thunderbolts happen when we connect with meaning.

In part two, I’ll share how we can create those thunderbolt moments for our KOLs—because data without meaning? It’s just data hanging out there.

What’s a thunderbolt moment that’s stuck with you?

Break the cycle and reignite your impact

In my last post, I talked about breaking out of autopilot in your MSL career. So, how do we do it?

Let me share a story…

I was at a hospital in New York for a board of directors and physician leaders conference last year. Before the meeting, every attendee—including the physicians—had to hand in their phones. No distractions, no computers. I was skeptical, but to my surprise, everyone did it (even me!).

The result? Full engagement. The conversation was sharper, the energy was higher, and people actually connected. It threw me out of my own “same-same” and helped me completely focus in a new way. The difference was profound.

Now, you don’t have to surrender your phone in meetings, but what if you made one small shift in how you show up?

I recently coached an MSL preparing to host a panel discussion for 200 salespeople. Instead of sitting on stage, I suggested she step into the crowd, mix her questions with theirs, and engage directly. Inspired by legendary talk show host Phil Donahue, she decided to take a risk.

And the result? They loved it.

The lesson? Sometimes, a small change in approach can make all the difference.

✅ Step away from the usual routine.
✅ Find new ways to engage.
✅ Shake things up and watch what happens.

Your audience—whether it’s KOLs, colleagues, or stakeholders—notices when you’re fully present. And they’ll remember it.

What’s one small shift you can make this week to be more engaged?

Are you on autopilot? Time for a refresh!

How long have you been an MSL? Time for a reset?

Sometimes in every professional’s work, we tend to go on autopilot. “Same-same” becomes a kind of inner mantra of sorts. Though few see it, we know that the routine of our life, the routine of the meetings, and the physicians we call on become “same-same.”

This, of course, is not their fault. It is a normal part of having a specialty. We really do see the ‘same’ frequently. Think of your last commute home. Did you have to make conscious decisions at every moment? Probably not.
This sameness, though, in our professional life, can be not-so-good if it takes away from our aspirations, our intentionality, and our ability to create meaningful one-on-one connections with our KOLs, colleagues, and managers.

As I present to pharma and medical groups across the country, I notice those who seem to be on autopilot—listening, sneaking emails, sitting in the exact same chair they always do. And then there are those who are fully present, engaged, and making an impact.

I started to wonder: What makes the difference between these two groups? And I noticed something fascinating…

Stay tuned for part two—where a surprising experience completely changed my perspective on this.

Do you ever feel like you’re on professional autopilot?

Beyond the white coat: understanding what drives (and drains) physicians

I was with some physicians recently and one, a vascular surgeon, had to leave early. He’d been a big personality for the beginning of the meeting, a fun participant that all professional speakers love to have in their audience. He came up to me at the break and looked at me with deeply sad eyes and said, “I have to go to the hospital to amputate a leg.” And then after a short pause, he continued, “I hate this part of my job.”

I felt for him and wished him well. He then left quickly head down, no big personality now. Had we had the time to talk, I would likely have paraphrased, empathized, and perhaps been curious about this part of his work with some gentle questions allowing him room to process “This part of my job.”

An anesthesiologist at the same meeting loved his job because “I always win.” A family doc said, “I love seeing all the generations, I get to see them all.” Each physician responded to my question about their specialty and I always followed up with, “Do you still like it?” I get the inner part of their name and their noun (the specialty) with an extensional question meant to convey that I know there are some challenges associated with being a physician today. It tends to create a quick bond. One responded to me, “Oh you know it’s not like they told me it would be in medical school.”

How about your KOL? What do they really like about their work? Or really don’t like about their work? Sometimes after the “Hello” and the “How are you?” kinds of pleasantries, we may have a moment to say, “I don’t think I ever asked you this question and I thought of you last night. OK to ask you before we dive in?” I always get an affirmative response. And then some variation of:

·        Do you still like this work?
·        What’s the most satisfying part of this work for you?
·        What’s it like to have a patient who just doesn’t quite fit the pattern of your other patients?
·        Did med school prepare you for this?! (this can be a question or an exclamation!)

Of course you must pick the right time, right place, right KOL to extend this invitation to talk, but in my experience some of them want to talk to a receptive ear. Much of their day like ours is on automatic. This can be a reflective set of moments to create that human (and memorable) connection. This conversation will not be forgotten (by either of you).

And don’t worry if they disregard it, they won’t remember!