“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” – Peter Drucker

This issue discusses:

Editor's Column: What if All Doctors Went on Strike?

Creating an HR Experience

Shifting for HR Success

Protecting Your Data

5 Things You May Not Know About the ADA

Question of the Month

We have also provided you with the Form of the Month.

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Editor's Column: What if All Doctors Went on Strike?

I recently spoke to a group of physicians about frustrations with their practices. They complained how the insurance industry has taken their practices from a profession to a business. I realized each one of these physicians was under a great deal of emotional stress.

I don't know about you, but I don't want my physician to be under much stress, especially when treating me. I don't want my physician to think of me as simply another account to be rushed through the office. And I know my physician doesn't want to practice medicine that way either. Fast medicine, simply for speed’s sake, is dangerous medicine.

One of the physicians asked me what I thought the solution was. Without hesitation I told them that physicians must heal thy selves. They cannot control out there nor can they blame or justify why they find themselves in their current condition. Their only salvation is to take 100% responsibility for their condition and be determined to do something about it.

I asked them this question "What if all the doctors in United States decided to go on strike tomorrow saying we won't take this anymore? How long would it take for there to be immediate action in Congress and insurance company boardrooms?"

One problem is there are many physicians who love Big Medicine. They love playing medical entrepreneur. Many are getting rich doing so, whether ethically or otherwise.

Physicians and their lawyers will have to work around the insurance system. Concierge medical programs are one example but that option is limited to the well off. Canadian physicians have been working around the problem for many years with alternative service structures.

Or you can downsize your practice and lifestyle and live a simpler and saner existence where you are whole and can be fully engaged in providing real medical care. You may not make as much money but you can practice like the doctor you grew up wanting to be.

Creating an HR Experience

HR executives are most valuable when they help create a great employee experience. Creating a great employee experience begins with a clear understanding of the company's vision, mission, values, and goals. Collectively they make up the company's culture.

While it is important to hire skillful employees, it is equally important to hire for their behavior, attitude, and personal culture. All must align with the company culture. This means HR must visit the shop floor. They have to walk among the employees and observe their behaviors and attitude. They have to train employees on proper behaviors and attitude.

Southwest Airlines continues to set the benchmark for employee experience in the airline industry. They've also been the most profitable company in the industry. They continue to attract the most talented people in the industry. Southwest knows that when they create a great employee experience, they can do the same for their customers—and that grows the bottom line.

Shifting for HR Success

Tory Johnson's New York Times bestselling book, The Shift, talks about how she lost 62 pounds in a year. For her shift she developed five specific questions to help her meet her goals. Let's look at how each of these steps would apply to your HR career:

How fed up are you, really? Do you have the expertise you want, recognition you want, success and financial rewards you want? Are you truly ready for a change yet?

What are you willing to give up? Fact is, to grow in your career,