How to Stay Calm through Complaints (Even When It’s Personal)

Can you keep cool when you receive a complaint about your work?Complaints are part and parcel of every profession. No matter how common they may be and how hard you work to avoid them, the anxiety that you’ll get one is always there. It’s even more nerve-wracking if you work in healthcare. Often, complaints come with threats of referral to a professional regulator. All of a sudden, your career might be on the line.This week, Dr Annalene Weston of Dental Protection Australia joins us to discuss how to stop taking complaints personally. We talk about the thought process that comes with patient complaints and discuss strategies on how to depersonalise and best deal with them.If you want to know the mindset shift that will change how you deal with complaints., listen to our full conversation in this episode of You Are Not a Frog.Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:Learn the root of practitioners’ fear of receiving a complaint.Find out how you can shift your mindset around getting complaints.Discover the value of support when dealing with complaints inside and outside your control.Episode Highlights[04:41] Getting More Complaints in Healthcare[10:19] Getting Affected by Complaints Even When You’re Not at Fault[13:39] Fear of Complaint[18:42] Mindset Shift around Getting a Complaint[25:15] Understanding It from the Patient’s Point of View[34:21] Being Right vs Being Good in a Relationship[38:49] Dealing with Things Outside Your Control[43:20] Getting Struck Off[45:36] What Helps When Dealing with Complaints[53:42] How to Depersonalise Complaints[57:57] Annalene’s Top Three Tips in Dealing with Complaints[1:01:04] Forgive YourselfResourcesDental Protection AustraliaConnect with Dr Annalene Weston: LinkedIn | TwitterEpisode 78: Complaints and How to Survive Them Ep1: Preparing to Fail Well with Drs Sarah Coope, Annalene Weston and Sheila BloomerEpisode 80: Complaints and How to Survive Them Ep2: What to Do When You Make a Mistake with Drs Clare Devlin and Dr John PowellEpisode 82: Complaints and How to Survive Them Ep3: Surviving the Process with Drs Jessica Harland, Caroline Walker, and Heidi MounseyFrederik Imbo: How not to take things personally | TED TalkGetting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William UryDownload our free ‘Just Say No’ toolkitTHRIVE Weekly PlannerSign up here to receive a link to the episode workbook and CPD form downloads for each podcast. You can use them for reflection and to submit for your appraisal.Enjoyed This Podcast?Write a review and share this with your friends.Connect With MeHave any questions? Contact Rachel through these platforms:LinkedIn: @Dr-Rachel-Morris Twitter: @DrRachelMorrisEmail: [email protected] out more about our training here.Mentioned in this episode:🌞 [FREE DOWNLOAD] Summer Recharge Checklist for Doctors🟦 Learn More About Our Training