"People are hard to hate close up." I attended a seminar about two years ago and this comment was made. It was made so casually that I fear most people missed it. Practitioners are often required to collaborate with other medical/allied health professionals; however, they don't often collaborate with one another. Here are three steps to moving into a closer collaborative relationship with another practitioner in your field.
Identify a practitioner who seems less threatening.
When you find a practitioner with whom works in your field, but does something different than you, you can feel more comfortable that they won't "steal" your clients. For example, if you're a neuropsych find a clinician who does psychoanalytical therapy. This way you can have conversations without feeling as though you're giving away your trade secrets.
2. Recognise that you don't have any trade secrets.
Let's be honest here. Regardless of you being in the same field as another practitioner, it's all the same. You market, you see your clients for 50 minutes, you write your notes, rinse and repeat. The best thing you have going for you is you. So share your ideas, make a plan, put yourself out there and team up with someone else.
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” ― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!
3. Find even playing field.
Search through LinkedIn, Meetup, or any platform to find someone you can admire. Think of some topics, away from your given field, in which you can talk to them. Invite them to a coffee. Bring them close so you can see they aren't the big bad monster of your nightmares. If you're really lucky, they've been wanting to talk to you too. Want help making that connection? Maybe I know who you'd like to meet. Ask me for a warm introduction. You never know what kind of friendships you'll make.
