When a Massachusetts neurosurgeon was found liable for discriminatory comments about teh gender and ethnic origin of a female surgeon, The Massachusetts Medical Law Report interviewed me about Tips for Avoiding Communication Problems.  Although the surgeon’s conduct was clearly offensive, it’s possible that he did not realize just how inappropriate his comments sounded.

As I mentioned in the article, the first step in such a situation is to make the professional aware about how he/she comes across. A person’s communication style is learned over time–and engrained.  A professional may not realize that his/her communication style offends other people.