Learning people skills at the vet

(vet as in veterinarian)

We do have a dog, two cats, a hamster and five little birds at home. The dog and the gets are getting old(er), too. In sum, we see the vet a fair share of times per year.

After the last visit to get our cat Jay's teeth checked out, I was thinking back to how I felt during the visit... and I felt really good[1].

Why was that?

The doctor and her aid created an atmosphere of warmth, focus and clarity.

Warmth

I was greeted with a smile, but Jay was basically showered with love and affection the moment I got him out of his carrier. He was clearly the star of the show. And of course, this impacted me positively as a spillover, because it filled the whole room with a positive and inviting atmosphere.

Focus

Upon entering the room, the doctor was giving Jay and me her full attention. She interacted with her aid at the same time - but that went so smooth and needed few words, her attention seemed to never sway from us. Whilst making Jay think that he must be the bestest cat in the world, the doctor very skillfully examined him, calmly and efficiently - wasting no second of the time when the cat was still cooperative, which gave me the reassurance that professionals were at work, without being hasty or seeming in a rush.

Clarity

Both in the questions I got and in the diagnosis that she shared with me, the doctor was really clear and communicated on my level of expertise. She used school grades to tell me how the cat's fangs were faring (A-, ladies and gentlemen!), and used analogies to things I understood when explaining things that went over my head (which in medicine is quite a lot)

I could not help but think that I really want to be able to create a similar atmosphere when I am in meetings with humans. After all, who doesn't want to be met with warmth, have the full attention of the other, and leave the exchange with clarity. (I won't examine your teeth the next time we meet, no worries).

[1] Note that in this case, I was fairly certain that nothing serious was wrong with our grey furball. In a more serious case, my observation may still hold true in general, but I wouldn't be smiling about the whole experience.