How often do you think about your perceived value at work? What do you sound like to your boss and co-workers each day, whether it is a good day or not? How about to your patients, customers or clients? Webster’s definition of perceived is; to become aware of through the senses, to achieve understanding and value is; worth as measured in usefulness or importance; merit. How we carry ourselves when we are at work is one way that our perceived value is determined by others. A patient or customer who hears you complain to a co-worker might give them the idea that you are not a happy employee and make a judgment about the care they may get and practice as a whole. This does not seem fair, but it happens, we do it ourselves when we are in places of business and hear complaints by the staff. Take for instance you are in a restaurant and the wait staff seem to be running around in a bit of chaos, you hear one of them complain that a co-worker did not show up and now they are short-staffed. You can tell they are not happy, and rush you with your order because they need to get to the rest of the customers. What are you thinking to yourself? “Gee maybe we shouldn’t eat here, we are not going to get good service, the staff is stressed and this could effect the outcome of our meal”. I am sure similar thoughts are going through our patient’s mind if they catch an ear full of complaints from us or our staff. We realize that not everyday can we be “on top of the world”, but we need to make sure that our patients or clients do not know when we are not. We can smile, be friendly and say positive key words that show we care and give our patients the valued visit that they deserve. We are there to help them and that is the bottom line. Keep yourself in-check, your value depends on it.
Further Reading: Statements that increase your perceived value
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