Giving and receiving feedback: it can be a tricky business

By Marsha Freeman

Giving and receiving feedback can be tricky business. Husbands have known that for years. "Honey, do I look fat in this dress?" What self-preserving male would volunteer a completely truthful, direct, unedited answer to that question? Not many. The truth is, we all tell "forgivable fibs" at one time or another to maintain harmony, make our lives easier, and to avoid hurting someone's feelings.

However, when we do not accept truthful feed back, it can dramatically impact our ability to meet our customers' expectations. In dentistry, we are concerned about standards of care, service, and performance to a third party — our patient! This tendency to "not rock the boat" can unfairly impact the efficiency and quality of care they receive and that is not acceptable!

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Click here to read more articles written by Dr. Rob Veis for Dental Economics.