Stress and Conflict Management Discussion

Stress and Conflict Management

Conflict may occur in any work environment, whether it is in the clinical setting, another

department, or another organization. It is important to understand how conflict arises and how

conflict is managed through effective communication.

The behavior of a leader has a direct impact on the motivation of his or her team. It is crucial for

a leader to understand how his or her behavior and conflict-handling ability impact the care of

patients.

Here is a scenario of a leader who is willing to handle conflicts in his or her workplace.

You are promoted to a management position in a small organization. There are four full-time

members and three part-time members. You have a department manager currently overseeing the

operations. You are excited to begin with your new assignment and have completed orientation.

You heard some rumblings from the staff development team, "You have your work cut out for

you in this department!" It does not sound promising, yet you are filled with energy, a positive

attitude but a bit concerned as you do not want to appear bossy. You lack a bit of confidence

since they are seasoned team members and you are new to the organization.

Once you begin your first day, you decide to meet with everyone as a group and individually

over the next few days. What you are uncovering is disturbing and you quickly realize that the

team members have lots of conflicts within the department. In a nutshell, this is what you have

discovered:

 The department manager thinks she is in charge since clients, customers, or patients have

specialized needs. She is stern faced and does not seem to smile, yet she does not admit it

is her or her department's fault if there is an error. She seems to enjoy the increasing

conflict among the unit as it takes any "pressure" off her and she can continue to "tell

people what to do."

 Two full-time administrative staff members do not like each other and refuse to work

together. One feels the other cooks "strange food" and cannot understand her when she

speaks, and she is too quiet. The other staff member feels the first one is too outspoken

and not gracious and hurries through her assignments. They share a small office and their

work is critical to the success of the organization as they oversee all billing, accounts

payable and receivable, and schedule the large projects and services to other

organizations. The rest of the staff members avoid going to this office as the tension is

clearly increased in this room.

 The part-time staff feel they are not being offered any extra shifts and sometimes they are

asked not to come to work if the day is slow. They feel they are not valued and are

demotivated by less pay. This is a critical time for them due to the economy crisis. When

they are at work, they often bring their home problems with them and seem stressed when

they have to work with the other team members.