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Jan 9, 2025, 12:08

Arif Kamal: Trust is the foundation teams need to work together effectively

Arif Kamal, First-ever Chief Patient Officer for the American Cancer Society, posted on LinkedIn:

“‘Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments’ – Neil Strauss (author of The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book about Relationships)

As others have said and written about, trust is the foundation teams need to work together effectively. And a key component to trust is open, frequent, and constructive communication.

I was recently coaching a colleague and noted that the building resentments she was expressing about another person were rooted in unsaid expectations. She had mentally expected something, had not communicated that to the other person, and then was disappointed when that person wasn’t coming through. And disappointments were building into resentment.

Resentment is a difficult emotion to undue, because it is the end product after many, many disappointments. And when resentment leads to contempt, it may be impossible to undue.

So, state your expectations. Get someone else’s perspective on what success looks like. Explore where you may disagree on the right process or outcome. Be curious as to someone else’s intentions. Will surely make for more productive relationships in 2025.”

Read Further.

Arif Kamal is the first-ever Chief Patient Officer for the American Cancer Society and drives efforts to advance cancer care. With experience at Duke University and the Duke Cancer Institute, he is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Population Health. He is also a Co-Founder of Prepped Health, a Fellow of American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) and an Advisor at Acclivity Health Solutions. Dr. Kamal’s expertise lies in oncology quality assessment, palliative care, and innovative technology solutions for patient engagement.