So our CPE director wanted us to read a chapter titled, "The Law of Buy-in" which I used google to figure out that it comes from John C. Maxwell's book The 21 Irrefutible laws of Leadership. Basically, the leader comes before the vision...and that vision revolves around moving the people where they need to go.
It's my second day visiting patients and my first day on my own. It's no where near as bad as I heard, though I won't lie that I fear the "horror" stories on the nights that I will be on-call. Aside from learning procedures and making sure I see patients, the patient really gets a few initial impressions of their Chaplain.
That means your perceived image is everything when you step into that room. That includes body language, the clothes you wear, the things you say, the smile on your face, the smell of your breath, and the attitude/demeanor you bring.
It works for you and against you. Maxwell alludes that as a chaplain, patients already buy in to the idea that you are a spiritual leader and you're there to help them. It can work against you in certain situations: they aren't the same spiritual afiliation/denomination as you, the same age as you, etc. It is when your tone of voice, your understanding of the situation, and your professionalism is what completes the view of a Chaplain.
But it is all to say that our job as a chaplain is not to prove we are chaplains, but to give help and guidance that the people need. I sat down with many people today listening to their stories and just reaffirming their lives in some cases and asking the right questions in others.
No comments:
Post a Comment