Making an Important Identity Shift
10/03/12 15:22
By Dr Anthony Nicholson. Chiropractor, Chief Executive of CDI
This issue of Leaders Read is a transcript of a recent university forum post by Dr Nicholson on the important issue of the identity of the chiropractic profession. The post was written in response to the following question by a chiropractor that is currently studying medicine (excerpt only):
Initial Question by Medical Student
Hello, I was wondering if I could ask a favour and ask for papers regarding the efficacy of chiropractic/HVLA on LBP. I've gathered a couple but would be nice to have a little more to share with medical students who largely have a negative attitude towards this profession.
Read More...
This issue of Leaders Read is a transcript of a recent university forum post by Dr Nicholson on the important issue of the identity of the chiropractic profession. The post was written in response to the following question by a chiropractor that is currently studying medicine (excerpt only):
Initial Question by Medical Student
Hello, I was wondering if I could ask a favour and ask for papers regarding the efficacy of chiropractic/HVLA on LBP. I've gathered a couple but would be nice to have a little more to share with medical students who largely have a negative attitude towards this profession.
Read More...
Comments
Inattentional Blindness – Don’t Miss The Invisible Gorilla!
01/12/11 11:52
Based upon: The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons
As clinicians we like to think that we are highly trained to notice things. We’ve spent years honing our powers of observation. So how is it that you can sometimes miss something on first glance that seems so obvious when you look back on it? Indeed, even very experienced clinicians are not immune to this.
Was is that you actually didn’t see it, even though it was right in front of you? Was it a lapse of concentration?
Not necessarily. It seems to have more to do with the way the attentional system of the human brain works. And it was a landmark study by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris back in 1999 that generated intense interest in two related phenomena of the human visual system: ‘change blindness’ and ‘inattentional blindness’. In their book titled The Invisible Gorilla Simons and Chabris examine six everyday illusions that demonstrate how reliable our senses actually are - illusions that have profound implications in all areas of our life and professional endeavour – from clinical practice, to road safety, to the reliability of patient reporting and eye-witness testimony.
Read More...
As clinicians we like to think that we are highly trained to notice things. We’ve spent years honing our powers of observation. So how is it that you can sometimes miss something on first glance that seems so obvious when you look back on it? Indeed, even very experienced clinicians are not immune to this.
Was is that you actually didn’t see it, even though it was right in front of you? Was it a lapse of concentration?
Not necessarily. It seems to have more to do with the way the attentional system of the human brain works. And it was a landmark study by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris back in 1999 that generated intense interest in two related phenomena of the human visual system: ‘change blindness’ and ‘inattentional blindness’. In their book titled The Invisible Gorilla Simons and Chabris examine six everyday illusions that demonstrate how reliable our senses actually are - illusions that have profound implications in all areas of our life and professional endeavour – from clinical practice, to road safety, to the reliability of patient reporting and eye-witness testimony.
Read More...
Posturing for Power and Pain Tolerance
01/12/11 11:47
Sources and recommended reading:
1. It hurts when I do this (or you do that): Posture and pain tolerance by Bohns and Wiltermuth
2. Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance by Carney et al
As chiropractors we certainly appreciate the importance of posture in terms of healthy spinal function. But could the simple act of changing your physical posture actually produce feelings of power? What about influencing your behavioural selection? And are there specific body poses that could increase testosterone production, decrease stress hormone levels and increase your tolerance to pain?
Well, in this edition of Leaders Read we take a look at two related research studies: the first focuses on what’s called the embodiment of power (1); and the second takes this further to examine the relationship of ‘power poses’ to pain tolerance (2).
We tend to think of posture as an expression of a powerful behavioural state; in other words a powerful person naturally positions their body in a certain way. This occurs right throughout the animal kingdom and it’s all about expanding the body, being perceived as larger, and basically occupying more space. Think of the way a cat gallops sideways at an enemy in order to appear larger; the way a chimpanzee expands its chest; and the way an executive swaggers into a boardroom and leans back on a chair with fingers interlocked behind the head.
Read More...
1. It hurts when I do this (or you do that): Posture and pain tolerance by Bohns and Wiltermuth
2. Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance by Carney et al
As chiropractors we certainly appreciate the importance of posture in terms of healthy spinal function. But could the simple act of changing your physical posture actually produce feelings of power? What about influencing your behavioural selection? And are there specific body poses that could increase testosterone production, decrease stress hormone levels and increase your tolerance to pain?
Well, in this edition of Leaders Read we take a look at two related research studies: the first focuses on what’s called the embodiment of power (1); and the second takes this further to examine the relationship of ‘power poses’ to pain tolerance (2).
We tend to think of posture as an expression of a powerful behavioural state; in other words a powerful person naturally positions their body in a certain way. This occurs right throughout the animal kingdom and it’s all about expanding the body, being perceived as larger, and basically occupying more space. Think of the way a cat gallops sideways at an enemy in order to appear larger; the way a chimpanzee expands its chest; and the way an executive swaggers into a boardroom and leans back on a chair with fingers interlocked behind the head.
Read More...
Emotional Intelligence
30/11/11 22:16
Sources and recommended reading:
1. The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence: White Paper by Joshua Freedman
2. EQpowerment: Emotional Intelligence Achieved by Dr Izzy Justice
The purpose of this edition of Leaders Read is to:
1. Define emotional intelligence in a practical way
2. Outline the components of emotional intelligence and how it can be improved
3. Use examples to demonstrate how emotional intelligence can be applied in the real world to get better results
Imagine how much more effective you’d be if you had complete control over your emotions every day. Imagine how much better your decision-making would be.
Read More...
1. The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence: White Paper by Joshua Freedman
2. EQpowerment: Emotional Intelligence Achieved by Dr Izzy Justice
The purpose of this edition of Leaders Read is to:
1. Define emotional intelligence in a practical way
2. Outline the components of emotional intelligence and how it can be improved
3. Use examples to demonstrate how emotional intelligence can be applied in the real world to get better results
Imagine how much more effective you’d be if you had complete control over your emotions every day. Imagine how much better your decision-making would be.
Read More...
Critical Thinking: A Crash Course
30/11/11 22:07
Keynote Address by Richard Paul - Director of Research and Professional Development at the Center for Critical Thinking, Chair of the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking
The Foundation For Critical Thinking (http://www.criticalthinking.org)
We all think, and we have no choice about that. But could we be thinking at a higher level? Is thinking a skill that can be improved and exercised? According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking the answer is most certainly yes.
This month’s Leaders Read explores the important topic of critical thinking and is based upon a keynote address by Richard Paul, Director of Research and Professional Development at the Centre for Critical Thinking in California.
As clinicians and health care leaders, we’re expected to be critical thinkers and the wellbeing of our patients depends upon it. Not only that, but as human beings our behaviour, our character, our path in life, and the meaning of our existence is undoubtedly determined by the quality and depth of our thinking.
But how often do we actually think about the way we think?
The purpose of this edition of Leaders Read is to:
1. Make an effort to define critical thinking
2. Outline a set of practical tools we can use to develop our critical thinking skills
3. Use examples to show how critical thinking can be applied to everyday tasks in the real world to get better results
Read More...
The Foundation For Critical Thinking (http://www.criticalthinking.org)
We all think, and we have no choice about that. But could we be thinking at a higher level? Is thinking a skill that can be improved and exercised? According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking the answer is most certainly yes.
This month’s Leaders Read explores the important topic of critical thinking and is based upon a keynote address by Richard Paul, Director of Research and Professional Development at the Centre for Critical Thinking in California.
As clinicians and health care leaders, we’re expected to be critical thinkers and the wellbeing of our patients depends upon it. Not only that, but as human beings our behaviour, our character, our path in life, and the meaning of our existence is undoubtedly determined by the quality and depth of our thinking.
But how often do we actually think about the way we think?
The purpose of this edition of Leaders Read is to:
1. Make an effort to define critical thinking
2. Outline a set of practical tools we can use to develop our critical thinking skills
3. Use examples to show how critical thinking can be applied to everyday tasks in the real world to get better results
Read More...
How to be a Better Leader
30/11/11 22:00
Competencies of a Good Leader
By Robert Cragg, Peter Spurgeon.
Clinician in Management, Vol. 15, No. 3-4. ( April 2007), pp. 109-114.
Are leaders born? Or do they rise to the occasion when the environment calls for a set of skills that they happen to excel in? Do some people just have an innate quality that naturally propels them into positions of power and importance? Or can the competencies and skills required to lead be consciously developed? It’s an ageless question, and there many different theories and models of leadership.
In our featured paper from the International Journal of Clinical Leadership, Cragg and Spurgeon summarise the development of leadership as a concept throughout the 20th Century. And in this review we’ll look at the main theories that they cover and, most importantly, outline some practical steps that you can take to enhance your leadership skills.
Let me emphasise that last sentence above: some practical steps that you can take. Entertaining insights are one thing, but to really make a difference in your professional and personal life, distinctions must translate into actions, specific things that you can do. And this is the problem with a concept like leadership. It’s a quality that is vague and difficult to define. We all desire better leadership skills, but without some practical steps to take it just becomes a passing desire as we get back into the business of our day. Every industry publication, newsletter and seminar that you care to mention will make some form of reference to leadership. It’s the same in the business world. Leadership has been popularised by political and business icons throughout history that have inspired the masses and united people with a compelling vision. So, naturally the essential traits for leadership must be what they had! But let’s look at the little opportunities that you have every day for providing good leadership in both your professional and personal life.
Read More...
By Robert Cragg, Peter Spurgeon.
Clinician in Management, Vol. 15, No. 3-4. ( April 2007), pp. 109-114.
Are leaders born? Or do they rise to the occasion when the environment calls for a set of skills that they happen to excel in? Do some people just have an innate quality that naturally propels them into positions of power and importance? Or can the competencies and skills required to lead be consciously developed? It’s an ageless question, and there many different theories and models of leadership.
In our featured paper from the International Journal of Clinical Leadership, Cragg and Spurgeon summarise the development of leadership as a concept throughout the 20th Century. And in this review we’ll look at the main theories that they cover and, most importantly, outline some practical steps that you can take to enhance your leadership skills.
Let me emphasise that last sentence above: some practical steps that you can take. Entertaining insights are one thing, but to really make a difference in your professional and personal life, distinctions must translate into actions, specific things that you can do. And this is the problem with a concept like leadership. It’s a quality that is vague and difficult to define. We all desire better leadership skills, but without some practical steps to take it just becomes a passing desire as we get back into the business of our day. Every industry publication, newsletter and seminar that you care to mention will make some form of reference to leadership. It’s the same in the business world. Leadership has been popularised by political and business icons throughout history that have inspired the masses and united people with a compelling vision. So, naturally the essential traits for leadership must be what they had! But let’s look at the little opportunities that you have every day for providing good leadership in both your professional and personal life.
Read More...
The Curse of Knowledge
30/11/11 21:11
By Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur
Your level of professional and personal success hinges upon your ability to communicate. You might need get a patient to understand how your treatment works. Or perhaps it’s helping a staff member handle certain situations in your practice more effectively. Then there is the challenge of conveying your diagnostic and problem solving ability to the patient’s medical doctor using concepts that are meaningful to them.
One of the biggest pitfalls with communication is falling victim to the 'curse of knowledge'. What is this curse? It’s simply this: you can’t imagine not knowing what you do.
Do this simple exercise. Get another person to try and identify a tune that you will tap out with your finger on a table. Pick something very familiar such as ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘Jingle Bells’. As you’re tapping out this tune, you’ll naturally sing the tune in your head. Now, to you, this will seem amazingly easy for the other person to identify. So easy, that you expect them to pick it within the first 4-5 taps. But to your surprise you will probably find that the other person will have real trouble picking the tune from just your tapping.
What’s happening here? Well, because you know the tune, you’re automatically adding all sorts of extra information that is layered around the tapping on the desk such as the tone and melody. You can’t imagine what just the tapping itself would sound like anymore. Therefore, you can’t imagine the other person’s perception of this information. This is the curse of knowledge.
Read More...
Your level of professional and personal success hinges upon your ability to communicate. You might need get a patient to understand how your treatment works. Or perhaps it’s helping a staff member handle certain situations in your practice more effectively. Then there is the challenge of conveying your diagnostic and problem solving ability to the patient’s medical doctor using concepts that are meaningful to them.
One of the biggest pitfalls with communication is falling victim to the 'curse of knowledge'. What is this curse? It’s simply this: you can’t imagine not knowing what you do.
Do this simple exercise. Get another person to try and identify a tune that you will tap out with your finger on a table. Pick something very familiar such as ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘Jingle Bells’. As you’re tapping out this tune, you’ll naturally sing the tune in your head. Now, to you, this will seem amazingly easy for the other person to identify. So easy, that you expect them to pick it within the first 4-5 taps. But to your surprise you will probably find that the other person will have real trouble picking the tune from just your tapping.
What’s happening here? Well, because you know the tune, you’re automatically adding all sorts of extra information that is layered around the tapping on the desk such as the tone and melody. You can’t imagine what just the tapping itself would sound like anymore. Therefore, you can’t imagine the other person’s perception of this information. This is the curse of knowledge.
Read More...
Business Model Generation
30/11/11 12:41
By Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur
A unique strength in our clinical approach as chiropractors is that we take a holistic view of our patient. Rather than just focussing on a problem area in isolation, we take a step back and look at the entire organism and how all of the parts are interacting. That same approach also flows through into patient management, where the focus is not just on one part working better but rather optimising the interaction of all of the pieces to facilitate a more effective ‘whole’.
Have you ever looked at your own practice this way? This is where a business model becomes such an important tool of analysis. No doubt, you’re constantly refining your clinical model in order to optimise your patient treatment outcomes, but what about your business model? How harmoniously are the different parts of your practice working together to optimise the effectiveness of your business?
In our featured book this month, Osterwalder and Pigneur offer a really easy read with a great visual format. They take you through the essentials of using a business model as a tool to continuously analyse, refine and redesign your business. And don’t think that this is only the stuff of boardrooms and big corporations. A small business with a well-designed and innovative model can produce big results. Furthermore, there is an important reason to ensure that you’re running a highly efficient business model – the service you provide is worthwhile and adds to the wellbeing of your community.
Read More...
A unique strength in our clinical approach as chiropractors is that we take a holistic view of our patient. Rather than just focussing on a problem area in isolation, we take a step back and look at the entire organism and how all of the parts are interacting. That same approach also flows through into patient management, where the focus is not just on one part working better but rather optimising the interaction of all of the pieces to facilitate a more effective ‘whole’.
Have you ever looked at your own practice this way? This is where a business model becomes such an important tool of analysis. No doubt, you’re constantly refining your clinical model in order to optimise your patient treatment outcomes, but what about your business model? How harmoniously are the different parts of your practice working together to optimise the effectiveness of your business?
In our featured book this month, Osterwalder and Pigneur offer a really easy read with a great visual format. They take you through the essentials of using a business model as a tool to continuously analyse, refine and redesign your business. And don’t think that this is only the stuff of boardrooms and big corporations. A small business with a well-designed and innovative model can produce big results. Furthermore, there is an important reason to ensure that you’re running a highly efficient business model – the service you provide is worthwhile and adds to the wellbeing of your community.
Read More...
The 48 Laws of Power
29/11/11 22:31
By Robert Green and Joost Elffers
A core part of being a clinician is providing strong leadership – to your patients, the wider community, and inter-professionally as an ambassador for the chiropractic profession. In this issue of Leaders Read we focus on a law of power that has been carefully applied by some of the greatest leaders, royal figures and statesmen throughout history. And this fundamental principle of influence is just as important today to promote your growth and development as a leader in your field.
Recall the last time you heard an expert talk. To artfully connect with a wide audience they appeared to have a clear understanding of the bigger picture and didn’t bog down in the details. Gracefully, they appeared to use multiple layers in their communication that satisfied all levels of the audience, from the layperson to fellow experts in their own field. Their words were measured and there was a sense of proportion to their statements. The language they used contained the right balance of terminology and turn of phrase so as to be meaningful to people with varying knowledge levels. They seemed to appreciate a range of different perspectives, which immediately engendered respect and projected an air of authority.
What was it that enabled this expert to so effectively connect with everyone in his own field as well as the wider audience? Well, a big part was probably how they developed their mind over time through constant exposure to different perspectives and viewpoints. And this reminds us that one of the biggest dangers to be avoided is professional isolation.
Read More...
A core part of being a clinician is providing strong leadership – to your patients, the wider community, and inter-professionally as an ambassador for the chiropractic profession. In this issue of Leaders Read we focus on a law of power that has been carefully applied by some of the greatest leaders, royal figures and statesmen throughout history. And this fundamental principle of influence is just as important today to promote your growth and development as a leader in your field.
Recall the last time you heard an expert talk. To artfully connect with a wide audience they appeared to have a clear understanding of the bigger picture and didn’t bog down in the details. Gracefully, they appeared to use multiple layers in their communication that satisfied all levels of the audience, from the layperson to fellow experts in their own field. Their words were measured and there was a sense of proportion to their statements. The language they used contained the right balance of terminology and turn of phrase so as to be meaningful to people with varying knowledge levels. They seemed to appreciate a range of different perspectives, which immediately engendered respect and projected an air of authority.
What was it that enabled this expert to so effectively connect with everyone in his own field as well as the wider audience? Well, a big part was probably how they developed their mind over time through constant exposure to different perspectives and viewpoints. And this reminds us that one of the biggest dangers to be avoided is professional isolation.
Read More...
Clinical Reasoning for Manual Therapists
29/11/11 22:25
By Mark Jones and Darren Rivett
You may recall that the very first Leaders Read was all about the power of thinking without thinking. Well, you could view this issue as being all about the power of thinking about thinking. The only disappointment with this book is the word ‘therapists’ in the title. A more apt term would have been ‘practitioners’. That said, this book is such a valuable read for chiropractors, not because of the specific clinical approaches, which you may have a different opinion on, but because of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ view of the clinical reasoning involved. In short, it’s a study into the process of clinical thinking itself, and why you make the decisions that you do with your patients.
Expanding your mind will expand your results. What this book does, in my view, is highlight the forces at play in our clinical interactions that we are often not aware of. There are so many different types of knowledge and skills that we employ with our patients every day, and being more aware of them can help you more intentionally harness their power.
As a chiropractor you’re a problem solver. But the problems that you are called upon to solve are rarely simple. A human being is complex and it’s your clinical reasoning ability that is probably the greatest determinant of success that there is. Yet, it’s probably not too often that you even think about your reasoning in ‘real time’ and how it can be continuously improved.
Read More...
You may recall that the very first Leaders Read was all about the power of thinking without thinking. Well, you could view this issue as being all about the power of thinking about thinking. The only disappointment with this book is the word ‘therapists’ in the title. A more apt term would have been ‘practitioners’. That said, this book is such a valuable read for chiropractors, not because of the specific clinical approaches, which you may have a different opinion on, but because of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ view of the clinical reasoning involved. In short, it’s a study into the process of clinical thinking itself, and why you make the decisions that you do with your patients.
Expanding your mind will expand your results. What this book does, in my view, is highlight the forces at play in our clinical interactions that we are often not aware of. There are so many different types of knowledge and skills that we employ with our patients every day, and being more aware of them can help you more intentionally harness their power.
As a chiropractor you’re a problem solver. But the problems that you are called upon to solve are rarely simple. A human being is complex and it’s your clinical reasoning ability that is probably the greatest determinant of success that there is. Yet, it’s probably not too often that you even think about your reasoning in ‘real time’ and how it can be continuously improved.
Read More...
Selling the Invisible
29/11/11 22:18
A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
By Harry Beckwith
To the casual practitioner of 'marketing', the word itself is synonymous with advertising. That is, marketing is something you 'do' to 'get' sales. In a chiropractic context, it might appear that marketing is a process of advertising your practice and your services in a compelling way to attract new patients. However, author Harry Beckwith is keen to disprove this notion from the outset in his hugely respected book "Selling the Invisible".
As Beckwith says "Marketing is not a department. It is your business". In other words, every point of contact between your practice and your patients is a place where marketing occurs.
So what is marketing?
Quite simply, it is finding out what your clients want, then giving it to them.
Read More...
By Harry Beckwith
To the casual practitioner of 'marketing', the word itself is synonymous with advertising. That is, marketing is something you 'do' to 'get' sales. In a chiropractic context, it might appear that marketing is a process of advertising your practice and your services in a compelling way to attract new patients. However, author Harry Beckwith is keen to disprove this notion from the outset in his hugely respected book "Selling the Invisible".
As Beckwith says "Marketing is not a department. It is your business". In other words, every point of contact between your practice and your patients is a place where marketing occurs.
So what is marketing?
Quite simply, it is finding out what your clients want, then giving it to them.
Read More...
Blink
29/11/11 20:58
The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
By Malcolm Gladwell
Think about the last time that you made a snap clinical judgment based upon the smallest sliver of information. You followed your instinct and made the diagnosis. Yet, if asked, you would be hard pressed to explain the rational basis for your suspicions. Was it an educated guess or simply pattern recognition?
Well Gladwell would call it ‘thin-slicing’ or ‘rapid cognition’ and in his book Blink he offers some fascinating insights into how we make certain decisions in a heartbeat - and how often they are actually right! Gladwell takes an interesting look at why we really only trust our conscious decisions, when we gather as much information as possible and take as much time as we can to deliberate.
But are there situations where snap judgments are actually more reliable?
Read More...