A phenomenological approach to understanding the meaning of effective interpersonal skills in health care management and leadership

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to describe the meaning of interpersonal communication competence in the health care management and leadership environment. Max van Manen's procedural activities are utilized throughout the study; and as part of the existential investigation portion of the inquiry, experiential descriptions were obtained from two unstructured in-depth interviews from eight participants who were purposefully selected from two acute and long-term health care organizations in northern New Jersey. In addition to the in-depth interviews, at least one close observation of each participant was conducted in a group work situation. IRB approval was obtained to maintain human subject protection. Journaling bracketing was used to illuminate and to circumscribe the researcher's presuppositions and preunderstandings. All the data sources were examined for thematic aspects, thematic statements, and essential themes.; The essential theme of being other-centered, as well as the four sub-themes of being present, being genuine, being grounded, and being generous, which are aspects of being other-centered, emerge from the data and create the basis of the description of the phenomenon. The term other-centered is used deliberately in this study instead of other-oriented. Being other-centered is not an individual behavior or combination of behaviors, although most highly effective interpersonal skills could not be expressed without it. Being other-centered is a mindset (being present), an approach (being genuine), a cognitive (being grounded), and an emotional (being generous) framework. Being other-centered is the precursor through which interpersonal communications behaviors and elements arise and are filtered through.; The practical action based on this study is the consideration of the use of medical humanities as pedagogy for teaching interpersonal communication competence in graduate health care administration programs. This study demonstrates that being other-centered is essential to interpersonal communication competence. Thoughtful exposure to other people's lifeworlds can enhance the capacity to be other-centered; and medical humanities can provide such a gateway. Although future research is needed to definitively support that medical humanities is a valuable teaching pedagogy in graduate health care administration programs, this study points to medical humanities as a promising avenue for effectively presenting interpersonal communication competence learning opportunities.