Have you ever had an unpleasant experience with a particular business – rude or indifferent service, an obvious lack of interest in solving an issue – and then looked at the mission statement they have framed on the wall, the one that says they are “committed to providing the best customer service?” It makes you wonder what “commitment” means to them. The gap between the ideals expressed in those noble words and the reality of your experience can be frustrating to say the least.

That's an extreme example of someone not having an emotional investment in the words that they supposedly represent. But I think we should all be aware of the “big concept” words we use and work to make sure we are living up to them. Because when these words become too familiar and too easily thrown around, they start to lose their deeper significance.

For instance, it's great to say that you enjoy good relationships with your patients. But how exactly do you define “relationship” and what makes it good? What are the standards and how do you measure them? Having friendly interactions with your patients, and knowing their families is wonderful.

But do you have a relationship, as defined on a deep professional level as an agreement between two parties on a course of action, where they understand your role and theirs, what the fees are, how they are going to pay for it, and so on? That's what a relationship has to mean in this context.

Commitment. Dedication. Caring. Words like these are supposed to carry a lot of emotional weight because they speak to some of the greatest human qualities. We do ourselves – and the language – a disservice when we use them carelessly or define them too loosely.

This is a discussion worth having with your team. You may all agree on the wording of your practice's vision statement, but do you all agree on what those words mean? This is an exercise I have gone through many times with the people around me over the years. I always find that discussing and debating our definition of the words that define us does wonders for achieving real philosophical alignment.


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