There are few things as predictable in life as conflict. But in a health care environment, many people misunderstand both the nature of conflict and how to manage it constructively.
“Human beings have conflict. Conflict is simply a difference of opinion,” says Ted Witherell, a faculty member in the Department of Health Policy and Management, and Program Director for Conflict, Feedback and Negotiation in Health Care. “Negotiation is how we handle that difference of opinion. It’s as clean and simple as that.”
A contributing factor to the complexity of handling conflict in this environment is the common structure of health care organizations. While the dyad leadership model, which pairs a physician leader with an administrative leader, and the triad model, which adds in a nurse, certainly have assets, they can also foster conflict.
“As this dyad structure has emerged, by definition, it creates conflict. You have a physician and an administrator, and in some cases a nurse as well, with their own agendas,” says Witherell, noting that these are generally people who must work together frequently. “So, you’re ready-made to have a conflict that you’re going to be negotiating with all the time.”
Misconceptions About Negotiation in Health Care
By coming to understand that conflict isn’t a “dirty” term, these dyads and triads can function more efficiently. Witherell points out that we tend to have biases about negotiation, giving the concept a “bad rap.” Not only do people tend to view it with negative connotations, but they tend to see it as strictly opposition based.
“People hate it,” Witherell explains. “They either think of it as something like haggling, something sort of feels sort of sleazy. That’s where it tends to go.”
This is particularly the case for health care clinicians, who face constant pressure to avoid creating further conflict. Often, they’re not provided with the necessary tools to resolve these differences, either. This can be particularly harmful in the health care environment, where being able to handle conflict productively is vital.
“If you think about the kinds of conflict that come up in health care, they are closer to life or death,” says Witherell. “It’s more important that we can resolve these conflicts in healthy ways that lead to really beneficial outcomes for both the patient in front of us and all the future patients.”
Seeing Negotiation as Beneficial
By looking beyond the negative connotations of negotiation, students come to understand that it’s a vital component of everyday life. In in the class, the team focuses on interest-based negotiation, a collaborative format that develops resolutions that consider both parties’ best interests.
“If we care about the other person and we care about what their interests and desires are, we can come up with a solution that increases the pie for everybody,” says Witherell. “Not only does this methodology provide more of the original thing each party is looking for, but it’s more likely to improve the relationship.”
Who Needs to Further Their Knowledge?
Because the health care environment is incredibly unique, Conflict, Feedback and Negotiation in Health Care specifically applies to anyone who has a strong background in that environment and experiences the way conflict is handled within it. Designed for physician leaders, the program draws individuals who work in the following roles:
- Assistant VP or VP
- Assistant Medical Director
- Chair or Vice Chair
- Chief Medical Officer or Chief Operating Officer
- Executive Director, Program Director or Division Chief
- Executive Administrator
- Medical Director
- Non-Physician Dyad Partner
- Nurse Manager
- Professor
- Residency Director
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers Conflict, Feedback, and Negotiation in Health Care. This online program empowers participants with management skills and the confidence to tackle challenging situations as leaders.