Is aggression your style?

On Monday we discussed individuals that have a passive communication style. Now, we are going to focus on the characteristics of an aggressive communicator. I'm sure that all of us can think of a person we have interacted with lately that discuss topics at a heated level. Everything may seem intense, critical and everything maybe an emergency. These individuals are not afraid to share their opinion on items and will be happy to tell you what you should do when you have a problem. Individuals with this type of communication may use aggression to intimidate you into completing a task their way.

Communicating with patients that are aggressive:

You may have a patient or two that comes to mind when you began to read about this type of communication style. This patient may show up late and demand that you see them anyway. They may tell you how horrible the work was and tell you they would pay you if it had been done better. This type of patient may also lack self-esteem and may be trying to make up for it by being aggressive. They will probably yell louder than you could or should.

When you are working with this type of patient, be calm and breathe. It is important that you stand your ground if you are in the right. You do not want them thinking they will get their way by throwing a “fit.” The facts are important. Make sure you have all of the information in front of you and make sure you back up what your saying with data.

When you are working with these type of patients, own up to mistakes, and fix them right away. However, you also want to make sure that you use a firm voice. If you appear weak or nervous then they may attempt to take advantage of the situation.

Dealing with an aggressive individual it can be stressful, especially if you are a passive individual. However, by practicing dialogue before you talk to this type of patient can help you to feel more comfortable in the situation. 

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.