Think Like JAVMA, Speak Like Hello! Why Analogy is a Vet’s Best Friend.

A line from an article I was reading today struck me. The article had nothing to do with veterinary medicine (it was about prehistoric meteorites and their impact—no pun intended—on the formation of life), but it served up a broad lesson we could use in our day-to-day communications.

The part of the article that got my attention was the skilful use of a subtle yet highly effective tool for helping people understand complicated things, even without a full grasp of the facts. I’m talking about the awesomeness of analogy.

Here’s the section that jumped out:

“Life was not only resilient but actually bounced back really quickly and thrived,” she says. “It’s like when you brush your teeth in the morning. It kills 99.9% of bacteria, but by the evening they're all back, right?”

I love this because the expert adjusted her language to meet the audience (in this case, the general public) closer to where they are. The expert used an analogy to describe something hugely complicated in a way that anyone reading the article could easily ‘get.’

Analogies are awesome. In this case, the scientist interviewed had, no doubt, an encyclopedic grasp of the complex subjects of microbiology, ecology, and historical extinction events. The complexity of ecosystem recovery is far beyond my understanding. But that didn’t matter because one well-placed analogy bridged my ignorance and transported me from where I was to where the author wanted me to be. Without it, I might have gotten bogged down and lost in the quagmire of technical detail that would have sailed over my head. More likely, I’d have just stopped reading.

When it comes to communication, particularly where large gulfs in knowledge or experience exist, it pays to communicate concisely and comprehensibly.

The most obvious place in veterinary medicine where this is a risk is in the exam room, where vets must explain complex diseases to those who have no clinical training. It’s also a place where I’ve observed hundreds of exams performed by colleagues over the years. And I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that we are not rising to this challenge.

We routinely fail by either confusing clients with too much information or making them feel overwhelmed with overly complex details. The result is often an overwhelmed pet parent who doesn't feel comfortable making a choice. Too often, the result is no decision and a compliance failure. The dental doesn’t get booked. The parasite treatment recommendation goes unheeded. The pre-operative blood work is avoided.

A lack of clarity leads to decisions based on what all clients do understand—cost. In many moments, this may not greatly affect the outcome. But in the big moments, when more aggressive intervention is needed, the patient is less likely to get the care they need, and everyone feels bad as another pet leaves without the care it needs.

These moments stack up in a series of daily wins or losses, determining how an individual experiences their career and the level of success available to the practice. Days when clients tend to say ‘yes’ are vastly different from those where you feel like you’re fighting for every inch.

Why Analogy Matters

Analogy is a tool that can make a real difference. Here’s my advice: when faced with the challenge of explaining a complicated problem or solution to a pet parent, think like a vet, but speak like a normal human might at a dinner party.

For example, how might you follow our scientist’s example and use a simplifying analogy to explain something complicated like periodontal disease?

“Your pet has severe dental disease, which has caused a huge amount of damage around the teeth. This has resulted in several teeth becoming infected, painful, and loose. The problem is a bit like not cleaning your gutters or repairing broken roof tiles; eventually, the roof leaks and water gets into the wrong places, badly damaging your home. Just like your roof, your pet’s teeth need to be fixed, and then we need to talk about ongoing care.”

See how it removes any need for a science degree and makes it more relatable?

Why Some Struggle with Analogies

Some people are very good at thinking of analogies on their feet, while others find this challenging. Sometimes, this is because they don’t see the need. Many vets are really smart, and to them, an analogy isn’t required. In such cases, they may lack awareness that these tools are useful or may even view them as patronizing.

For others, creative comparisons don’t come naturally. Or perhaps they just haven’t had enough practice using this tool.

Developing a Back Pocket Analogy

Whatever the reason, it’s handy to have a “back pocket analogy” ready for the top ten to twenty common problems you discuss. How can you describe the effect of vaccination to counter anti-vaxx sentiments? Can you simplify the explosive and infuriating nature of the flea reproductive cycle so clients also understand the importance of environmental treatment? Or how do you justify not using antibiotics for a simple diarrhea case to a client who doesn’t understand the horrors of antibiotic resistance?

There is almost always room for analogy as a tool to boost understanding. It’s a technique I frequently used to great effect as a vet and continue to use in my role as a leader today.

I highly recommend setting up a team exercise where you brainstorm the most common conversations in which clients seem lost and develop a few analogies. Then, rehearse using them so that they flow more naturally in the exam room.

Throw in a diagram or two, and you’re golden.

Conclusion

So there you have it: using analogy to improve awareness and comprehension of the issues you need clients to understand is an amazing tool for bridging knowledge gaps when you need to be understood. It’s like thinking as the editor of JAVMA but speaking like the reader of Hello!

Got it? I thought so. ;-)

I’d love to hear some of your favorite analogies. Would you be kind enough to share them in the comments below?

And if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to train your vets on how to communicate and have the best career as a vet, check out my So You’re A Vet… Now What? course. It offers 12 hours of career-transforming online CE/CPD for just $99.