Inital Instructions:
Choose ONE of the following:
Question 1: Explain how the complexity of the health workforce may lead to communication failure and conflict. Summarize ways to use quality communication and conflict management skills to successfully motivate subordinates, build interdisciplinary teams, and lead a health organization based on commitment rather than compliance or resistance.
Question 2: Use examples to apply and relate at least two different decision-making models to a leadership situation in a health organization. How are the models different? When should each model be used in health organizations?
I need a 250 word responses to two classmates posts:
1. The healthcare workforce is constantly changing with new laws and policies every year. With that being said, there will sometimes be a mishap in regards to communication and conflicts in the healthcare field. When I think of healthcare, I have to think about the abundance of diversity that is in incorporated. When you have a field of study that is very diverse and ever changing, you will run into communication issues. I may interpret something totally from the next person. Today the healthcare work force has become a very competitive field, and this alone sometimes creates a breakdown in communication resulting in conflicts. Being able to effectively communicate is vital in leadership. Acceptable ways that can be used to ensure quality communication and conflict management are waiting for the right time to address situations or discuss new measures, using active listening, not interrupting your peers, sharing time equally amongst your peers, and also ending with a win-win situation. Accommodating, avoiding, compromising, and collaborating are also ways of resolving conflict issues in an organization.
Accommodating is also known as smoothing situations over without a big ordeal. This allows the opportunity for the issue to be resolved while working on a solution that is not immediate. When employees feel that you are trying to accommodate them, they sometimes will compromise on future issues that may arise. Avoiding an issue can take on two approaches. Avoiding a conflict can give both parties an opportunity to calm down before the situation escalates into an even bigger issue. Beware that sometimes conflicts require immediate attention, and therefore cannot be put off to deal with on a later date or avoided. Not addressing the conflict until a later time allows resentments to build up. Compromising, also known as reconciling is a process in which parties try to seek a mutual agreement to settle a dispute. A common phase “you scratch my back, and I`ll scratch your back”. This is also known to be a temporary method until a more permanent solution comes into play. You would use the method of compromising when you cannot make both parties happy. Collaborating is working with another individual to find a mutually agreeable solution to a problem. An example of collaborating would be a provider working with an insurance company to negotiate contract terms until both counterparts come to agreeable terms of service.
From personal experience, I have found that separating the individuals from the problem and meeting on neutral grounds is another solution for workplace conflict. I would also propose setting clear expectations and recognizing personal differences. You cannot set unrealistic goals and expect quality productivity. I think being fair across the board creates “trust” in the workplace. Reprimanding an employee due to personal issues and providing incentives to employees because of favoritism are causes for workplace conflict. You will encounter opposing views, work ethics, and behavior patterns. Recognizing that differences exist makes it easier to begin having discussions that help resolve workplace conflicts. Workplace conflict stems from poor communication, but there are several other causes as well, including poor management, unfair policies/procedures, and harassment.
2. The healthcare industry is constantly changing with the development of unknown diseases, new technology, and innovative ways to improve everyday life. With continuous disruptions and new policies, communication failure and conflicts can arise. High levels of communication from leadership positions to employees have proven to increase employee satisfaction and decrease medical errors (Buchbinder & Shanks & Kite, pg. 335). With adequate flexibility and adaptability in leadership, there are many ways to improve communication when leading a group of individuals in a healthcare organization.
Healthcare complexity leads to communication errors or increasing conflict for multiple reasons. One challenge in a healthcare organization is the limited staffing needed to rotate through the hospital in 24 hours. For example, with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in nursing staff shortage. This increase is due to the aging population of baby booms retiring, violence in the healthcare setting, and burnout (Nursing Shortage, 2022). With the decrease in staffing and the increase of patients in the hospital setting, communication can lack, leading to medical errors. Another example is the complexity of the organizational culture. Some facilities have significant power differences between employees, leading to a lack of communication (Dingley et al., 2008). This lack of communication is due to the undermining of education, leading to a closed communication style instead of an open one. Lastly, increased conflict and communication can arise due to leadership roles not recognizing the importance of stress, fatigue, flawed decision-making, and distractions (Dingley et al., 2008). It is essential to understand that employee responsibilities continuously increase with fewer resources as a leader. These complexities in the health workforce are many reasons leaders need to adapt to these changes and figure out ways to improve employee satisfaction.
With all these challenges the healthcare industry keeps facing, there are methods to motivate employees, build teams, and lead a satisfying department. Quality communication provides opportunities to discuss any issues or changes in policies along with improving the understanding of the organization’s goals. Some facilities use huddles as a technique to increase quality communication. Huddles are quick meetings that highlight newer policies, changes in workload, and relevant issues that arise during the shift (Dingley et al., 2008). By allotting time for discussion, the goal is to decrease communications errors during shift changes. Utilizing conflict management skills is another way to increase employee satisfaction. Conflict management skills such as collaboration can help with increasing employee morale. Allowing employees to have a voice and give insight into the existing conflict in the workplace can lead to a better team dynamic (Ledlow and Stephens, 2018). Another conflict management skill that can lead to department satisfaction is accommodation. Accommodating conflict management means understanding that specific issues are important to others and realizing when your leadership decision can be inaccurate (Ledlow, 2018). It is crucial to gain trust in the work environment as a leader. When employees trust the decision made by their leaders, they are more willing to adapt to changes in their work responsibilities and situation. In the end, the goal is to manage a positive work facility by utilize conflict management skills and quality communication. By making sure to highlight these key areas in your leadership style, employee satisfaction will increase leading to a productive healthcare department.
Resources:
Buchbinder, S. B., Shanks, N. H., & Kite, B. J. (2021). Introduction to health care management. Jones et Bartlett Learning.
Dingley, C. (n.d.). Improving patient safety through provider communication strategy enhancements. Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches (Vol. 3: Performance and Tools). Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK43663/
Ledlow, G. R., & Stephens, J. H. (2018). Leadership for Health Professionals: Theory, skills, and applications. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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