#5 ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐?
In radiography, we put a great deal of focus on capturing the right images, using the correct protocols, and getting the results that matter. But in the middle of all that clinical precision, we often miss something just as critical: how we communicate.
Effective communication isnโt just about what we say. Itโs about how we say it, when we say it, and the impact it leaves behind. Whether we realise it or not, every word, every tone, every sideways comment shapes our team culture. It tells people whether they belong, whether theyโre respected, and whether itโs safe to ask questions or speak up. Effective communication is about speaking with intentโฆand it's so easy to get it wrong!
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ: To a colleague, in earshot of a student:
โ๐ด๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ - ๐ธ๐ฆโ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ.โ
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐: To vent frustration
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐: The student feels like a burden, not a learner. They lose confidence in, and respect for, the radiographer.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ (spoken directly to student):
โ๐๐ฆโ๐ท๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ด๐บ ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ. ๐๐ฆ๐ตโ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ ๐ต๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ. ๐โ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข๐ด ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฐ.โ
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ: To a student or new team member:
โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐บ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ.โ
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐: To reinforce expected standards.
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐: Shame, doubt, and disengagement.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ:
โ๐๐ต ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฃ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ. ๐๐ฆ๐ตโ๐ด ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ต ๐ด๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ง๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ.โ
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ: To a colleague:
โ๐๐ช๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ต?โ
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐: To share concern.
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐: Gossip, assumptions, fractured trust.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ:
โ๐โ๐ฎ ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ช๐ต ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ. ๐๐ข๐บ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ.โ
So, if you want to communicate more effectively and intentionally, ask yourself:
Am I intending to support or shame?
Am I building trust or fuelling division?
Am I helping someone grow or just offloading my stress?
Communication is a tool and, like any tool, we need to ensure we use it properly. So before you speak, take a pause and ask โwhatโs my intent with what Iโm about to say?โ
And maybe thatโs how we start to shift from surviving to thriving. Not with grand gestures, but with purposeful words!