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delivering them poorly. Listening and asking questions is an important part of communicating. Clearly delivered instructions to a patient may save f ut ure t ime a nd misunderst a nd- ings. Working relationships among your staff may suffer due to lack of good communication. Changes to the way we communi- cate should not alter common courtesy and the goal to have positive impact in dealing with others. "Please" and "thank you" never grow old. Diane M. Burge is a CPA and Principal of Weidr ick Livesay & Company in Akron, Ohio. ■ Communicate? M ETHODS OF COMMUNICATING have undergone incredible t r a n sit ion over re cent yea rs. Just t hink about your daily activities and how much you rely on mobile and digital devices to communicate. Messaging options seem endless. But, when you get back to the basics, communication is still the sharing or conveying of informa- tion and meaning through verbal, non-verbal or written media. Successful business communica- tions must achieve their intended effect. The written word via a formal letter individually written is now sel- dom used. Emails are the preferred business communication tool, and text messages are becoming more and more prevalent in office interactions. Linguistic ability and conveying a messa ge clea rly is necessa r y no matter how you choose to deliver it. A Ca nadia n study determined that a business can lose more than $4,000 annually with only one poorly worded memo per week written by one employee. Written communications have the advantage of providing a record for referral or follow-up. Composition skills, however, are suffering because of short cuts being utilized in con- ve y ing t he w r it ten word. Ma ny individuals have problems writing clear and unambiguous directions. R e c ipient s m ay not complete a task correctly or completely due to By Diane M. Burge, CPA How Do You +++++++++++++++++++++++++ + + + + +++++++++++++++++++++++++ ❯❯ BUSINESS SECTION ❯❯ Prime Medical Office Space for Lease. KENT - STARK PROFESSIONAL BUILDING 6225 Frank Avenue NW, in Jackson Township 1/2 mile W. of I-77 & Portage Road 2,500sq. . KONOVSKY BUILDERS 330-499-9811 • www.konovskybuilders.com misunderstanding. Double-checking the content of a communication before sending it is important. Think in terms of you being the recipient instead of the sender. Is the message conveying what you intend and are you making sure that you request feedback or questions if needed? Oral communication includes non- verbal forms such as a tone of voice, body language, eye contact or facial expressions. It's not only what you say but how you say it. This is most important when interacting with staff and patients. You or a staff member may be saying all of the right words but 2 0 1 5 M AY/J U N E ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Cleveland/Akron/Canton | 3 1