You are right, Suzanne, busyness is the #1 enemy of communicating appreciation in the workplace. And from work I have done with hospitals and med schools, they are one of the most frenetic workplaces I know. Let me give you a few suggestions of how you can use brief snippets of time to \u201cconnect\u201d with your colleagues. All of them can be done in 2 \u2013 5 minutes.<\/p>\n
*When you are on the way to a meeting or a different part of the facility, try to leave a couple of minutes early and stop by one of your colleagues\u2019 offices or station, stick your head in and ask, \u201cHow\u2019s it going?\u201d \u00a0Spend 1-2 minutes listening about their day.<\/p>\n
*When you are talking with a colleague about business-related or treatment-related issues, at the end of the conversation, take a minute to ask how things are going for them generally. Try to give them some eye contact, listen for a couple of minutes, and then give a positive or caring response (\u201cSorry to hear about the challenges \u2026\u201d, \u00a0\u201cHope the rest of the day goes better for you.\u201d)<\/p>\n