Exploring Conflict Management Styles
In every veterinary practice, conflicts often arise amidst the hustle and bustle of patient care, client interactions, and disagreements between coworkers. Conflict has been shown to be a key stressor for veterinary professionals, and in some cases, may contribute to veterinary burnout.
Conflicts can stem from a variety of reasons, including differences in opinion regarding treatment plans, miscommunications between team members, or clashes over clinic protocols. However, what distinguishes successful veterinary professionals is not the absence of conflicts, but rather their ability to navigate and resolve them effectively.
Understanding one's conflict management style serves as a cornerstone in this, enabling veterinary professionals to fine-tune their approach to each situation, foster collaboration, and maintain a positive work culture.
Conflict ≠ Bad
Conflict is neither inherently positive nor negative; rather, it is a natural byproduct of human interaction. In a veterinary setting, where teamwork and communication are incredibly important, conflicts can either serve as a start for growth and innovation or as a source of drama, tension, and division within the team.
Recognizing the significance of understanding your conflict management style lies in its potential to transform conflicts from obstacles into opportunities for constructive conversation and problem-solving.
Why You Should Know Your Conflict Management Style
When veterinary professionals know their default approaches to conflict management, they gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses in handling challenging situations. This self-awareness forms the foundation for personal growth and development, allowing individuals to use and leverage their strengths while proactively addressing areas for improvement. Also, understanding your conflict management style fosters empathy and respect for diverse perspectives, promoting a culture of open communication and collaboration within the veterinary team.
The Five Conflict Management Styles
1. Competing: This style involves asserting one's own needs and goals at the expense of others, often leading to a win-lose outcome. In veterinary practice, competing may manifest when there is a disagreement over the course of treatment for a patient. Veterinary professionals using this style prioritize achieving their objectives, even if it means ignoring the perspectives of others.
2. Avoiding: Avoiding conflict entails sidestepping challenging issues altogether, either out of fear, discomfort, or disinterest. While avoidance may offer temporary relief from conflict, unresolved issues can escalate over time, leading to resentment and tension within the team. Veterinary professionals must recognize when avoidance is a viable short-term strategy and when it becomes detrimental to the overall well-being of the practice.
3. Accommodating: Accommodating involves prioritizing the needs and interests of others over yourself, often resulting in a win-lose outcome. Veterinary professionals employing this style may agree to the preferences of clients or colleagues to preserve relationships or maintain harmony within the team. However, excessive accommodation without assertiveness can undermine your credibility and lead to burnout or dissatisfaction.
4. Compromising: Compromising involves seeking a middle ground by making concessions to reach a quick resolution. In veterinary settings, compromises may be necessary when time constraints or conflicting priorities prevent the implementation of ideal solutions. Veterinary professionals using this style prioritize maintaining harmony within the team while striving to address the core issues underlying the conflict.
5. Collaborating: Collaborating entails a cooperative approach where everyone works together to find mutually beneficial solutions. Veterinary professionals utilizing this style actively seek input from team members, clients, and management to develop comprehensive and creative solutions to conflicts. Collaboration encourages team-based medical approaches, resulting in outcomes that satisfy the interests of everyone involved.
Conflict Management Styles in Action
Using different conflict management styles in veterinary practice requires flexibility, empathy, and strategic thinking.
The Collaborative Approach
Consider a scenario where a disagreement arises between veterinary technicians and veterinarians regarding the implementation of new protocols for patient care. A collaborative approach would involve holding a team meeting to discuss the reasoning behind the proposed changes, encourage feedback from all team members, and collectively develop a plan that addresses concerns while aligning with the practice's goals and values.
When I was on a training and development team in practice, we often held quarterly meetings with our company’s eight trainers to make sure we were all training in a similar manner, agreeing with each other’s training tactics, and learning from each other on how best to teach different nursing tasks. I always looked forward to these meetings, as they were professional, collaborative, and safe environments to voice your opinions without judgment. They also provided opportunities to debrief.
The Competing Approach
When time is of the essence, such as emergencies or codes, a competing style may be necessary to make swift decisions in the best interest of the patient's life. The lead of the emergency may be very loud and direct in these situations. However, it is essential for the lead to balance assertiveness with empathy and transparency, ensuring that all team members feel heard and valued throughout the decision-making process.
The Compromising Approach
In cases where conflicts arise due to coworker arguments or miscommunication, a compromising approach may be appropriate to reach a mutually acceptable resolution while preserving relationships within the team. By acknowledging the underlying emotions and values of each individual within the conflict, veterinary professionals can navigate sensitive issues with professionalism and empathy, cultivating trust and collaboration among colleagues.
The Accomodating Approach
There are certain cases in which we have to accommodate to the needs of those around us. Consider a situation in which your client is unable to administer oral medications to their cat. While the best medication choice may be an oral mediction for this situation, an accomation approach would adapt to the pet owner’s needs–perhaps administering injectable medications in this situation.
The Avoidance Approach
Moreover, avoiding conflicts altogether is rarely a sustainable solution in veterinary practice, as unresolved issues can decrease team morale and hinder productivity over time. Veterinary professionals must proactively address conflicts as they arise, engaging in open and honest communication to identify root causes and explore potential solutions in a psychologically safe space.
In summary, mastering conflict resolution in veterinary practice requires an approach that encompasses self-awareness, effective communication, and strategic decision-making. By understanding not only your conflict management style but also your team's conflict management styles and applying them judiciously in real-life scenarios, veterinary professionals can foster a culture of collaboration, creative decision-making, and mutual respect within their practice, ultimately increasing the quality of care provided to animal patients and strengthening professional bonds within the veterinary community.