

Most of the time, it isn’t about you, it’s simply the way Type A people relate to the world, noted Forbes. “The most powerful lever you have to positively influence your management’s behavior is your own strong job performance,” stated the article.Īlso, don’t take your boss’s behavior personally. No manager wants to cause trouble for highly capable employees who are excellent at their jobs. įirst and foremost, make yourself indispensable. However, there are some things you can do to minimize frustration and forge a successful working relationship with a Type A boss, according to Forbes. It can lead to unhappy, disengaged staff, and even to employee turnover.

Working for an intense, demanding boss can be difficult. If it’s your boss: working for a Type A supervisor “That part of us, the one that strives for perfection in every endeavor, is what makes us excellent surgeons, pathologists, family practice doctors, or radiologists,” wrote ophthalmologist Starla Fitch, M.D., on. While burnout risks must be kept in check for your health’s sake, it’s important to realize that there are positive aspects to being a Type A doctor. Making time for social connection, exercise, and listening to music are among the stress relief tips for Type A’s the site suggests. “Those with TABP often alienate others, or spend too much time on work and focus too little on relationships, putting them at risk for social isolation and the increased stress that comes with it,” noted the mental health web site. While older studies linking Type A personalities and heart disease have been found inconclusive, there does seem to be a link between heart disease and hostility. Getting frustrated while waiting in line and interrupting people are examples of this trait.Īnother more harmful sign of TABP is hostility, which can show up as rudeness, aggressiveness, having a quick temper, and even toxic behavior toward other doctors. Key characteristics of the Type A personality-also called Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP)-include a sense of urgency and impatience, according to Psychology Today. Approximately 400 physicians commit suicide each year in the U.S.įor more on this topic, see Bringing Awareness to Doctors’ Mental Health Crisis Doctor burnout is an epidemic in the U.S., manifesting in disproportionately high rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicide, reported the Harvard Health Blog. In the Canadian study mentioned above, doctors who identified with Type A personality traits had statistically higher levels of emotional exhaustion and anxiety than those who did not. Find out what can be done to accentuate the positives and minimize the negatives of any Type A’s in your practice. While there are some positive traits associated with the Type A personality, it is also linked to an increased risk of health problems and burnout -which is at all all-time high among doctors in this country. Furthermore, this finding correlated with feeling it makes one a better physician. In fact, a 2014 study of more than 1,000 Canadian physicians found that 62 percent of respondents identified with the Type A personality.

Interestingly, these are all traits commonly associated with successful doctors. “Type A” became a household term, which most people use to mean competitive, perfectionistic, and highly goal-oriented. (Fun fact: the “A” doesn’t stand for anything.) Rosenman, M.D., came up with the designation to describe some of their most impatient and stressed out patients, according to Psychology Today. Whether it’s you, your boss, or an employee, understand the pros and cons of working with this personality typeĭid you know that a pair of cardiologists coined the term “Type A” personality? Back in the 1950s, physicians Meyer Friedman, M.D., and R.H.
