Learning To See People Differently

Learning to See People Differently

By Susan Lyn Sykes

One of the things I'm learning as I move into this next chapter of my life is that I have to be willing to challenge my own assumptions.

I'm 57. My husband is 61. Through my Medicare training, I've realized that the picture I had in my mind of a "Medicare person" was much older than many of the people I'm actually meeting.

That realization really made me think.

People reaching Medicare age today are active, connected, and engaged. They're on Facebook. They're learning online, keeping up with their families, researching things, traveling, working, volunteering, and finding new ways to stay involved.

So why shouldn't Medicare education meet them there?

I want to offer education in ways that fit people's lives—including through technology and online meetings.

But there's another lesson that has been especially important to me.

There is a difference between making something easier to understand and talking down to someone.

I spent 32 years teaching, including working in special education. I learned that when something is confusing, it doesn't mean the person isn't capable of understanding it.

Sometimes the information simply needs to be explained differently.

That's how I approach Medicare.

Medicare is complicated. It has so many pieces, and everyone's circumstances are different. You can't just put the same pieces together for every person and expect the same result.

I want my meetings to be friendly, clear, and understandable without ever making someone feel less intelligent.

I was reminded in training today of something that matters deeply to me:

If something isn't commissionable but it's the right choice for the person I'm helping, I still want to put that person first.

That's the kind of woman I want to continue becoming:

• Someone who keeps learning.
• Someone who listens.
• Someone who doesn't make assumptions about people based on their age.
• Someone who believes that serving people well is more important than making a sale.

I'm learning that sometimes the first step in educating someone is simply learning to see them for who they really are.