Conflict Management and

Resolution
Margo Whitehead, PharmD
PGY1 Resident | IUH Ball Memorial Hospital
Content from:
Cahn D, Abigail R. Managing conflict through communication. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education; 2014.
But first, some follow-up
 Communication Lecture Follow Up

Communication Tools: Teachback Method

• Providers • Educational tool
• CUS
• SBAR
• Check-back
• Patients
• Motivational interviewing
Conflict Management and
Resolution
Margo Whitehead, PharmD
PGY1 Resident | IUH Ball Memorial Hospital
Content from:
Cahn D, Abigail R. Managing conflict through communication. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education; 2014.
 Lecture Objectives

Discuss the nature of and connection between communication, conflict, and teams

Review factors that contribute to team conflicts

Describe conflict communication management models and strategies

Apply conflict communication management models and strategies

 Do you feel you have
behaved differently than
usual when you were in a
conflict situation?
Reflect…
What behaviors do you
observe in yourself and
others when conflict is
present?
 Team Conflicts – Contributing Factors 1,2

Structural or Organizational Team Factors

• Policies/Procedures • Differences in Goals
• Staffing (or lack of) • Inevitable in an interdisciplinary
healthcare team
• Differences in People/Personality
• Experiences are unique
• Outside Pressure
• Work/life conflicts
 A Process View of Conflict 3,4

Prelude to • Prelude to Conflict

Conflict • Prior experience
• Triggering Event
• Causes realization of conflict
Resolution Triggering • Initiation of Conflict
Phase Event • One or more people initiate through verbal
and/or nonverbal communication
• Differentiation Phase
• Working out the conflict
• Resolution Phase
Differentiation Initiation of • Outcome of the conflict
Phase Conflict • Becomes part of the prelude to next conflict
Conflict Communication
Management

Strategies for Conflict Management

 S-TLC Model 5

Stop Think Listen Communicate

• Take a time out • About the conflict • Listen to others • I-statements

• Impact of group’s • Action • May need recording • Eases defensiveness
circumstances • Do nothing method for later • Assertive, yet
• Be creative and • Changing other review respectful
thoughtful person, situation, or • Active/Engaged • Caucus to create
self • Show consensus
• Deliberation, think • Confirm
out loud
• Experts
• Decision making
• Focus on goals
 Six Steps of Effective Confrontation 6

Preparation • Identify your problems, needs, and issues

Arrange • A time and place for meeting

Interpersonal Confrontation • Talk with others about your problems

Consider • Other’s point of view: listen, empathize, and respond with understanding

Resolve • Problems with a mutually satisfying agreement

Follow Up • On the solution by setting a time limit for re-evaluation

 Advice From an Expert – Tetra Management’s
David Denny
• Assume positive intent
• Show sources of information
• Helps provide perspective
• Raise issue with the person involved, not bystanders
• Emotional maturity
• You don’t have to like the person, but you do have to respect them
• Do you want to “win” or do you want to fix the problem?
 A Process View of Conflict: An Example
Your project teammates are very organized and
detail oriented. You’re the opposite, focusing on
big picture ideas. Teammates suggest you plan
group tasks and deadlines. You sent out the overall
Greg apologizes. He says he didn’t intend to plan,
be but you got really busy and forgot to send
mean or patronizing. He appreciates that youemail reminders about the first task deadline. Greg, one of your teammates, sends out the
took on the role that you did and that everyone email reminders and then texts you with a
should share in sending reminders to keep the sarcastic message about “dropping the ball”
team on track. You say that you appreciate the with a gif of a little girl dropping a football
apology, but everyone should respect that over and over while older kids laugh.
everyone is very busy, and that teamwork takes
everyone watching out for and helping each
other. He agrees, and it hasn’t come up again.
Greg says it was only a joke, then admits that
your teammates agreed to give you detail-
oriented tasks because they thought you could The next day in class, you see Greg and tell him
use the practice. He says you do a great job that the text and gif upset you because it implied
setting overall tasks and deadlines. You tell that your work doesn’t meet team standards.
him that you don’t like feeling like your team is
trying to teach you a lesson behind your back.
Let’s Practice!
A Process View of Conflict Example7
“The Office” Example: A Process View of
Conflict
Prelude to
Conflict

Resolution Triggering
Phase Event

Differentiation Initiation of
Phase Conflict
 Group Activity Instructions
• Groups 1-3: Exercise 1 • Answer the following questions
• Groups 4-6: Exercise 2 with your group:
1. What factors may be contributing to
• Groups 7-9: Exercise 3 this conflict?
• Groups 10-12: Exercise 4 2. How can you play a role in its
resolution?
• Groups 13-15: Exercise 5
 Application Exercise 1
You’re working in the inpatient pharmacy in a hospital. On this particular day, 2
of the technicians called in sick and the phone has been ringing non-stop. You
answer a phone call from a nurse who asks where a dose of an antibiotic is for
one of her patients. “I don’t understand why it takes pharmacy so long to send
things to us, you guys can see when they’re due,” she says in an annoyed tone.
 Application Exercise 2
You’re on day 4 of one of your APPE rotations. During rounds, you and your
preceptor are positioned so that you can’t see each other while the team is
discussing patients since there weren’t enough computers available at the
nurses’ station that morning. After rounds are over, your preceptor pulls you
aside and says, “I don’t feel like I should have to say this at this point, but you
need to be paying attention during rounds.” This shocks you, because you were
closely following along the entire time.
 Application Exercise 3
You’re assigned to work on a group project for class. Your group has decided to
collaborate over a Google Doc and divide up the work by assigning each
person a section to complete. You complete your section, but right before your
next group meeting, you notice that someone has gone in and rewritten
everything that you’ve already done.
 Application Exercise 4
While working in a retail pharmacy, a patient approaches and throws his inhaler
on the counter. “I paid $15 for this last month, so tell me why it was $80 this
month!” he shouts. You notice that this patient has Medicare Part D, and from
what you can tell, he’s in the coverage gap (also known as the “donut hole”).
 Application Exercise 5
A patient and his wife join you during a diabetes follow-up appointment on
your ambulatory care rotation. Since this particular patient normally comes to
the clinic by himself, you ask him questions about his medications, diet, and
exercise. However, each time you ask a question, his wife interrupts and
answers for him.
Debrief
 Conclusions

Conflict is inevitable, but Learn process of conflict Use communication, strengths, and
manageable and contributing factors strategies to manage team conflicts
Questions?
 Resident
Evaluation Survey
 References
1. p. 267-275
2. p. 275-285
3. p. 12
4. p. 11-17
5. p. 79-82
6. p. 84-88
7. Greg Daniels. The Office. Panorama City, California: NBC; 2005.
Conflict Management and
Resolution
Margo Whitehead, PharmD
PGY1 Resident | IUH Ball Memorial Hospital
Content from:
Cahn D, Abigail R. Managing conflict through communication. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education; 2014.