Practical Pearls: Motivation from Failure

Imagine the following scenario:
   
Your patient presents for a routine follow-up appointment. As you review the chart you realize the labs, blood pressure, and/or weight deteriorated since the last visit.  You recall sharing valuable clinical pearls with the patient and providing ample counseling, but now you are questioning if you did enough. As you enter the room the patient appears hopeful to hear good news, excited to tell you how they tried to follow the plan of care you outlined. Regretfully, you now need to break the bad news.

So, how do you tell them the bad news without leaving them discouraged or causing a confrontation? As health care providers, we face the challenge to conceal our own disappointment and find a way to help our patients move past this point.  At these times it is important to keep in mind that for some it takes a few disappointments before they can achieve their best results. Oftentimes, the best motivation for our patients may not come from our knowledge and experience as lipid specialists, but rather from an unexpected and even unwanted source — Failure.(1)

The Benefits of Failure

Let’s be honest. No one likes to make mistakes or be wrong, and it can be even hard to admit when we are. But if we do not acknowledge and learn from mistakes, we are at risk of making them again.   Simply put, it would be a mistake to not learn from our mistakes. Sometimes, we have to “get it wrong” so we can adjust our efforts to “get it right.” If you or the person you are working with cannot be wrong it can hinder the change process and prevent future growth.

Humbled by Failure?

What to do Now How should we handle these moments of failure and disappointment with our patients? Below are suggestions to help move on from these disappointments:

1. No one likes to be “should-on”(2) or told a list of things they “should have” done differently. Although it is important to reflect on our failures so we avoid repeating a mistake, it is not productive to spend too much time caught up in guilt or regret. It is important to remember at the time of our actions that we did not have the advantage of knowing what we know now. Hindsight is always 20/20. It is likely that if we had the ability and tools to exercise restraint and take a different action, we would have done so. 

2. Be kind to yourself and remember it is impossible to get everything right the first time. No one is capable of that.

3. Assess the damage.(1) Sometimes our mistakes can lead to serious consequences and place us on a different care path. It is important to take inventory and decide the best choice from where you are now. For example, if a patient with impaired fasting glucose does not work on lifestyle modifications, they may ultimately develop Type 2 diabetes. At this point, additional medications would be needed along with the assistance of a diabetic educator to ensure steps are taken to prevent future complications related to diabetes. 

4. Set your intention and be resilient.  When your patient is at a crossroads between breaking through to a positive behavior change or breaking down into silence or resistance, use the opportunity to encourage change for the better. The process of adapting well in the setting of a struggle or traumatic event is called post traumatic growth resilience, a term coined by Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun.(3) This can be an opportunity to not only bounce back but bounce forward.

5. Create a growth mindset. Create an environment for growth to develop and strengthen an individual’s abilities. Encourage your patient to set his or her sights on growing beyond the person he or she has always been and create a vision on how he or she would like to be.

6. Change perspective from “failure” to “not yet.”(4) Carol Dweck uses the term Power of “Yet” to help individuals believe they can improve.  It involves understanding that you are on a learning curve. Use life’s setbacks as an opportunity to be challenged. 

7. Praise their effort, perseverance and improvements they have made.(4) The journey we take with our patients to optimize their risk factors and lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires consistent and positive feedback and encouragement along the way. The more engaged we are with our patients the more likely they are to achieve positive outcomes.

8. Strategize with patients on creating a path for success they can reference in the future.

Conclusion

The patient path to success will often encounter some setbacks and failures along the way. Healthcare providers are the vessels to help our patients achieve their created goals. A temporary setback or failure is a valuable lesson that can serve as a learning opportunity for growth in the future.

Disclosure statement: Ms. Ciffone has received honoraria from Amarin, Amgen, Akcea, Healthscript, Astra Zeneca, Sanofi, Regeneron, and Esperion. Ms. Halli-Demeter has no financial disclosures to report. 

References 

1. McCracken, E. (3/12/2019). Deriving Motivation from Failure. PBS NewsHour Available at:https://www.pbs.org/video/a-humbleopinion-on-deriving-motivation-from-fa... (Accessed on: 11/14/19)
2. McKay, B. (3/26/2020). “A Man’s life, Anxiety and Assertiveness, Personal Development” Art of Manliness.com Available at: https:// www.artofmanliness.com/articles/dont-should-all-over-yourself/ (Accessed on 3/30/2020)
3. Chowdhury, M. (11/30/2019). “What is Post traumatic Growth; Positive Psychology.” Postive Psychology.com Available at: https:// positivepsychology.com/post-traumatic-growth (Accessed on 11/30/19)
4. Dweck, C. (11/30/2019).  The Power of Believing you can Improve. Ted Talk. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_ the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?language=en (Accessed on 11/30/19)