Springfield Business Journal_2021-03-01

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 11 MARCH 1-7, 2021 HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY INSIGHT Marlene Chism Promoted leaders need to understand conflict capacity Hundreds of books have been written about succession planning, but there’s one skill set often overlooked when it comes to leadership advancement in health care: Conflict capacity. Conflict capacity is not only about know- ing when you’ve hit your limit mentally and emotionally, but also expanding your toler- ance for discomfort and skillfully navigat- ing the complexities of conflict. In health care, conflict includes dis- putes between physicians, unrest among employees and disagreements between departments of the same organization. Issues can range from sexual harassment and threats of physical violence to disrup- tive behavior and inappropriate joking. Unmanaged, these conflicts can affect pa- tient health, workplace safety and profit- ability. A health care leader who has a low toler- ance for conflict will unintentionally con- tribute to a toxic work environment with many negative outcomes, i.e., absenteeism, turnover and even litigation. Simply put, conflict feels bad, and pro- moting a new leader who has not devel- oped conflict capacity is a recipe for failure. How to identify Three patterns identify leaders who lack conflict capacity: Avoiding, appeasing and aggression. Avoiders say, “We’re all adults,” and “I shouldn’t have to tell them.” Appeasers justi- fy high-conflict behavior because “They are a high performer,” or “They have seniority.” Aggressors retaliate, and say, “I didn’t ask you to work here. Find another job.” A former client who worked as a human resources leader in a large health care or- ganization wrote to me when she realized the detrimental effects of avoiding con- flict. “I’m just about at the end of a yearlong process of managing a disruptive employ- ee. This situation ended up with lawyers involved and should reach a settlement to- day. It’s been a long and painful process, as this employee had been tolerated for 18 years. This employee was occasionally talked to, but since she was considered a ‘high performer,’ she was allowed to car- ry on, hurting patients, families and staff along the way, as well as creating chaos in her wake of disruption. The entire process has taken a toll on me, my team and the employee. I didn’t realize how hard emo- tionally and mentally it would really be.” Three ingredients Conflict capacity is a combination of three elements: Culture, the inner game and the outer game. Think of a Venn diagram with three circles overlapping. Here’s a brief snapshot of each: • Culture. The culture must be a fit for a new leader, whether it’s a chief nursing officer, director, HR executive or tech- nician turned manager. The culture is about how leaders at the top respond to conflict. Do they avoid? If so, don’t expect the newly promoted director to right the ship. They won’t be supported, and as a result, the new leader learns quickly to align with the example in front of them. If managers aren’t making decisions, it could be cultural: They’re following examples at the top or their past decisions have been overridden to keep peace. • Outer game. The outer game is about interpersonal communication skills, in- cluding coaching and conflict resolution. Usually these are formally developed skills, methods and processes that help leaders clarify outcomes and direct ac- tions to a positive end result. • Inner game. The inner game is the tol- erance to withstand the storm. The in- ner game isn’t about fearlessness but the willingness to see conflict as an oppor- tunity to expand and lead change. The inner game is about self-awareness, emo- tional intelligence and courage. What stops many leaders from becoming truly great leaders is the emotional toll that comes with leading in difficult times. With the right skill development, the inner game also improves and expands conflict capacity. Advancing leaders without building conflict capacity leads to organizational problems. Leaders with low conflict capac- ity struggle in their roles no matter how equipped they are academically or techni- cally. The first step in adoption of these prin- ciples is to do an honest assessment of the culture and determine how conflict is viewed and managed. The second step is to provide skills training and coach- ing for leaders and those who want to be- come leaders. The third step is to provide coaching support to help leaders evolve and grow in their inner game. Leaders get results when the culture intersects with the inner game and outer game. Marlene Chism is a consultant, author and LinkedIn global learning platform expert. Her books include “Stop Workplace Drama,” “No- Drama Leadership” and “7 Ways to Stop Drama in Your Healthcare Practice.” She can be reached at marlene@marlenechism.com. Culture in Medicine #CareWell #KeepWell We are open for business with your health & safety as our top priority. www.phoenixhomehc.com (417) 881-7442 •Hospice •Home Health •Private Duty Care •Comprehensive Disease Management •Private Duty Nursing •Personal Care •Department of Mental Health •Consumer Directed Services •In-Home Services •Phoenix Pharmacy WATCH THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE STORIES HOW TO Rusty Worley TRENDING Elizabeth Hurst EXPERIENCE Daniel Ogunyemi STARTUP Michelle Romero LIFE Molly McCleary INSPIRE Jordan McAdoo #BizinMotion