- CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT HOSPITAL
CONFLICT INEVITABLY occurs in all work settings because people have different needs, preferences, and values. With the rapid changes in health care delivery and market systems, the opportunity for conflict is increasisng day by day.
In the recent there is undesirable trend of people’s intolerance with hospital managements and doctors. Even small time local leaders and municipal councillors throw their weight around exhibiting their political clout and influence.. Smashing hospitals or holding dharnas has become the norm today .Doctors should understand that we are living in troubled times
The need of the hour is the diffusion of tension and hurt feelings.
But somehow, a poor communicative tendency of the medical profession has been its bane. Not only doctors, but all medical and para medical staff down the line have operated on the premise that what they say is to be obeyed and final. They find it unnecessary to offer explanations.
In changing times, this is patently uncorrect, however right they may be.
This problem is so significant that it is reported that hospital administrator has to spend 20 percent of his official time to deal with this.
Types of conflict:
Ø Intra individual
Ø Interpersonal
Ø Inter group
Ø Organizational
Ø Client Hospital
Outcome of Conflict
FUNCTIONAL
v Improves quality of decision
v Stimulates creativity and innovation
DYSFUNCTIONAL
v Increased absenteeism
v Decreased job satisfaction
v Sabotage
v Strike
v Physical aggression
Conflict Stages
It has become common to describe conflicts as passing through a series of phases
LATENT CONFLICT
EMERGENCE
ESCALATION
STALEMATE
DE-ESCALATION
RESOLUTION
PEACEBUILDING AND RECONCILIATION
"LATENT" CONFLICT STAGE. -The potential for conflict exists whenever people have different needs, values, or interests.
EMERGENCE- The conflict may not become apparent until a "triggering event" leads to the of the obvious conflict.
RESOLUTION- Emergence may be followed quickly by or it may be followed by
ESCALATION- Emergence may be followed quickly by which can become very destructive.
Actual conflicts usually do not follow a linear path. Rather, they evolve in fits and starts, alternatively experiencing progress and setbacks toward resolution.. Escalation may resume after temporary stalemate or negotiation. Escalation and de-escalation may alternate. Negotiations may take place in the absence of a stalemate. However, these models are still useful
Delineating different stages is also useful in efforts to resolve conflict. By recognizing the different dynamics occurring at each stage of a conflict, one can appreciate that the strategies and tactics for participants and interveners differ depending on the phase of the conflict.
, because most conflicts pass through similar stages at least once in their history.
Conflict Resolution –It should be resolved as soon as the optimum level is crossed and before the dysfunctional consequences start occurring.
Different approaches-
Thomas`contingency approach-
Avoidance-lose and lose
Competing-win and lose
Collaboration-win and win
Accommodation-Lose and Win
Compromising-
Guidelines for management
Listen, empathize, and avoid communication triangles
Pay attention to how you respond to complaints.
People in conflict tend to complain to a third party, rather than dealing directly with each other.
Resist the pull to participate in conflict-escalating communication triangles.
Stay calm while the complainant expresses his or her concern, and listen actively. Pay no attention to profanity, tone of voice, or insults.
Fighting creates drama, which in this sense is unwelcome in the workplace
Don't fight. While it is important to stand up for yourself, avoid being combative
Reflect what you hear, and show empathy for the speaker
Express regret that this conflict has happened, but don't use inflammatory words, and don't assume a collusive posture.
Use the "firm adult" component of your personality, Speak in a monotone. Quote facts and figures
Confront offenders with data, authority, and compassion
Try to maintain the stance of someone who will facilitate resolution of the conflict, not that of a rescuer or persecutor of any party.
Ask what the person would like you to do to resolve the problem. Stay focused on the specific problem at hand and state your intention to do all that you can to facilitate resolving it. Only commit to doing what is doable.
Steps to Resolution
Disengage
Tense confrontations typically polarize positions and prevent reasoned analysis and discussion. The crucial first step is therefore to disengage management and customers from the immediate conflict. Defusing the emotion tension of a direct confrontation enables all interested parties to regain their intellectual bearings.
Untangle.
Once management and thecustomers have been disengaged, they each must identify and discuss the sources of their dissatisfaction. What previously appeared to be a tangle of intractable grievances will yield, with discussion, a number of discrete, well-defined problems.
Clarify.
After the central problems have been identified, management and the customer must clarify their own goals and establish priorities.
* Providing high-quality health care.
* Maintaining a financially stable institution.
Constrain.
The hopes and expectations of management and customer must be constrained by what is feasible in the real world. The hospital's professional culture and financial circumstances are especially important factors to consider at this stage.. Each must come to understand the various tradeoffs and compromises involved in the choice of one alternative over another.
Engage.
After management and customer have adjusted their expectations to reality, they are ready to engage in discussions covering the full range of issues relating to the crisis
Accommodate.
Any stable agreement will require accommodate each other's needs. Agreement must be reached through a consensus founded on mutual respect, understanding, and recognition of the legitimate values and goals of all interested parties..
Implement.
The process of implementing the agreement between management and the professional staff will vary from one hospital to another. At one extreme, implementation may involve extensive reorganization of services, departments, facilities, and so on. At the other extreme, implementation may require reltaively minor adjustments; periodic checks with management and the professional staff will suffice to determine whether implementation is progressing smoothly and as expected
CONCLUSION
Spending an extra minute explaining facts and employing tact can save the day. And if necessary, a deceitful diplomatic ego pampering to diffuse the situation.
Many potentially hostile situations can be avoided or defused early with copious communication The biggest problem in any large organization is the lack of adequate communication...up, down, and horizontally
