Conflict, Feedback, and Negotiation in Health Care

Certificate of Specialization:Executive Leadership in Health Care
  • Online
  • February 1820, 2025
  • $2,600

The content is excellent and there are frequent breakout sessions to practice the new frameworks and tools. I left feeling much more confident and competent in these skills. I know there will be many chances to continue practicing these approaches to disruptive behavior, negotiation, and decision-making structure outside the course.
  • —Karina Stone

Online Program Overview

The stakes are high in health care. The ability to negotiate and manage conflict is crucial to guiding your organization. As the health care landscape continues to change, the need for effective leadership and communication skills for managerial stakeholders continues to be pivotal.

This online program is designed to build on your leadership and management skills. This course will empower you with cutting-edge skills and confidence to tackle the challenging situations you face as a leader. These techniques can be used by any stakeholders; be you a physician leader, practicing physician, residency director, or nurse manager.

Harvard faculty will enhance your ability to face the most complex situations and conversations with greater confidence. Instructors use a combination of learning approaches such as teaching mini case studies, interactive classroom discussions, and helping you apply newly learned skills to real work situations. 

By the end of the program, you will have built the confidence and developed the skills necessary to be more effective at managing conflict, having difficult conversations, and negotiating with others. 

In this online program, you will increase your confidence in the critical management areas of:

  • Navigating conflict 
  • Providing feedback 
  • Skillfully approaching negotiations 

Take the Next Step in Your Career Evolution with the
Executive Leadership in Health Care Certificate of Specialization 

Conflict, Feedback, and Negotiation in Health Care is one of the nine programs eligible for the Executive Leadership in Health Care Certificate of Specialization, which is specially designed for those who desire to learn how to excel at managing and leading groups in a health care setting. The Certificate consists of three* programs—offered both online and on-site in Boston, MA—designed and taught by Harvard Faculty and prominent health care leaders to prepare you for the future of an ever-changing health care industry.

For more information, visit our Executive Leadership in Health Care Certificate of Specialization page.

*Program for Chairs of Clinical Services and Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Health Centers each count as two programs towards the certificate.

A Strong Foundation in Negotiation and Conflict Management 

Leaders spend considerable time managing interpersonal conflict. The substantive issues being negotiated in health care often require a difficult decision between two equally good or bad alternatives – with the care of a patient in the mix. The need to effectively and quickly negotiate through informal, unarticulated channels makes strong relationships critical. 

One way to effectively manage conflict and ultimately build strong relationships as a leader is through frame-based feedback, which is founded on the concept that people’s actions are driven by their “frames,” or their point of view regarding the situation at hand. Without discussing a feedback receiver’s frames, changes to his or her learning and behavior is unlikely. 

Learning Objectives

Within a learning environment that will facilitate career growth, this program will develop your expertise in the following critical areas:

Conflict Management:

  • Develop strategies for overcoming the barriers and challenges to conflict management
  • Apply the skills of using frame-based feedback to conflict management and relationship building
  • Identify the key components of organizational accountability for supporting a culture of trust and psychological safety

Negotiation:

  • Explore the dynamics of influence in the context of health care leadership
  • Develop strategies for overcoming the most difficult challenges of negotiation
  • Apply the skill of interest-based negotiations to real situations
  • Develop effective methods for driving decisions

Credits and Logistics

Continuing Education Credit

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health designates this live activity for a maximum of 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found on the American Medical Association (AMA) website.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will grant 1.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this program, equivalent to 12 contact hours of education. Participants can apply these contact hours toward other professional education accrediting organizations.

All credits subject to final agenda.

All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation upon completion of the program.

 

Faculty

Current faculty, subject to change.

Theodore J. Witherell, MA

Program Director

February 1820, 2025
Primary Faculty
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Jo Shapiro, MD, FACS

Faculty

February 1820, 2025
Senior Educator, Center for Medical Simulation
Department of Anesthesia, Pain and Critical Care
Massachusetts General Hopsital

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
Harvard Medical School

Agenda

February 18 – 20, 2025

All Times are Eastern Time (ET).

Monday, February 17, 2025
4:00–5:00 pm Program Introduction
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
8:00–9:00 am Psychological Safety: Why it’s important and how to overcome barriers to supporting this culture
9:00–9:10 am Break
9:10–10:10 am Psychological Safety: Why it’s important and how to overcome barriers to supporting this culture
10:10–10:20 am Break
10:20–11:20 am Skills for Conflict Management: Using frame-based feedback
11:20–11:30 am Break
11:30 am–12:30 pm Skills for Conflict Management: Using frame-based feedback
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
8:00–9:00 am Building an Organizational Program to Support a Culture of Trust
9:00–9:10 am Break
9:10–10:10 am Building an Organizational Program to Support a Culture of Trust
10:10–10:20 am Break
10:20–11:20 am The Challenges of Influence in Healthcare
11:20–11:30 am Break
11:30 am–12:30 pm The Challenges of Influence in Healthcare
Thursday, February 20, 2025
8:00–9:00 am Negotiating for Outcomes Without Damaging Relationships
9:00–9:10 am Break
9:10–10:10 am Negotiating for Outcomes Without Damaging Relationships
10:10–10:20 am Break
10:20–11:20 am Negotiating to a Decision
11:20–11:30 am Break
11:30 am–12:30 pm Negotiating to a Decision
12:30–12:45 pm Program Conclusion

This agenda is subject to change.

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Who Should Apply

This program is specifically designed for physician leaders. Clinicians with the following titles are strongly encouraged to apply:

  • Assistant VP
  • Assistant Medical Director
  • Chair
  • Chief Medical Officer
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Director
  • Division Chief
  • Executive Director
  • Executive Administrator
  • Medical Director
  • Non-Physician Dyad Partner
  • Nurse Manager
  • Program Director
  • Professor
  • Residency Director
  • Service Line Leader
  • VP
  • Vice Chair

Individuals interested in this program may also benefit from our online program Health Care Financial Management for Physician Leaders.