Talk about starting out on the back-foot! For so many case managers and their claimants, the initial conversation can be filled with prejudice and trepidation:

• The claimant is apprehensive - they’ve heard that the case manager is all about denying their claim, they’ve had time off work and they need the income to pay the bills, meet their commitments and maybe even prove to their mates that they are genuinely injured.  
• The case manager comes with the pressures of having to get their contacts made within a compliance timeframe, an employer who may think the claimant is faking it, and a group of claimants throughout the day who have been giving them a hard time.

Everything is set-up perfectly for a great outcome! Is this example extreme, or just another day at the office? What do the beliefs and attitudes that come into the conversation mean for the outcome?
 

Do you as a case manager have the skills and environment that you need to succeed, and enjoy your job?

Think of a time when you and another person were completely in sync. Whatever you come up with will be a reflection of the same basic element: Rapport. It is the ultimate tool for producing results with other people because they feel understood.

We are always communicating and interacting. Rapport is simply doing both in the most effective way possible. It has long been taught as a key sales and marketing strategy –and it is key to building influence and connection with a claimant.

How does a case manager create rapport when that initial conversation has been set up in such an adverse way? I think you’ll agree that communicating with someone who is resistant and blocking the message is very challenging. The benefit of building rapport is the creation of a level of trust and responsiveness. It assists in breaking down those barriers right up front. What a change.
 

Rapport Building Techniques

The key is to create and discover things in common through the use of language, tone of voice and physiology. The case manager must firstly have an awareness of their own language, tone and physiology.

1. Smile sincerely, be polite and be positive: This immediately says, hello, I am not threatening. Prepare positive statements that you can use in the event that there is negativity encountered.  
2. Respect time: On each call, find out any time constraints up-front. It is better to have a complete conversation later than an incomplete conversation immediately.  
3. Mirror posture and breathing patterns: Even over the phone it is possible to pick up posture (standing up straight, slouching, sitting down). Face to face and this becomes even more powerful.   
4. Voice and tone: Consider the impact of your voice in how you communicate. Does the tone of your voice sound engaged and receptive, or are you conveying frustration or impatience? Try to recognise the how the employee is communicating: Does their voice sound strained, anxious or fatigued? We convey a lot of valuable information with the tone of our voice.  
5. Ongoing calibration: Be present to your claimant by continually calibrating the experience. People can tell if you are distracted and you lose rapport. Here you also consider the level of energy, speed of speech, movement and attitude to operate in that specific moment.

Many case managers instinctively use these techniques of rapport now. Can you imagine the benefits in terms of both outcomes and morale were all case managers to learn these techniques?

There are even more advanced rapport building strategies that include matching and mirroring language and thinking styles that can also be adopted. No wonder the master sales executive is so effective!

Excellent communicators know that flexibility is the key to establishing rapport. If you fail to get your message across, it's tempting to assume that it is their fault and they won’t listen to reason. That guarantees you'll never get through. The meaning of the communication is the response it gets.

The key thing to remember is that rapport is not about giving up identity. It is simply creates a commonality that allows you to work more effectively together to bring shared benefits. Rapport brings benefits whether you are on the phone to a claimant, a treating health professional or just at the local supermarket wanting assistance. It is a great life skill as well as a great leadership skill.

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This is the second in a series of articles on the art of influence in the return to work process

Carolyn Mounce has over 20 years' experience in workers compensation – both within the regulator and agent environment.   She is now the Founder and Director of Success in Life Performance Consulting and Coaching, who works with individuals and organisations developing their ability to influence through leadership, service and strategic thinking approaches.