Healthy Organizations

I knew that this week would be enlightening but also difficult for me at the same time as this is an area in which I struggle and have a known need for improvement : 

Conflict management and dealing with anger. 

My people-pleasing attitude leads me to want to accommodate other people's wishes and often be passive when I am upset about something. I have come a long way in actually voicing my opinion and dealing with conflict and am currently seeking several ways in which I can become a more effective communicator in this instance, particularly due to the importance of these necessary skills as a leader.   

                                Thomas-Kilman Conflict Model

My Results: Accommodating: 'I Lose, You Win'

Accommodating means putting others wants or requests before your own. However, this style of conflict management can be viewed as weak unless the other party realizes what was given up on your end to accommodate their wishes. This is often used when the relationship is of high value but the outcome is of little importance to you  (Thomas & Kilmann, n.d.). Accommodating often means not standing up for your own wants and needs, and becoming more vocal about my needs is my main area of focus at this point in my career. 

How can I work on using this style less??

Learn to Offer alternatives: I always have a strong concern of others feelings but instead of disregarding my feelings and wants all together and just conform, I should learn to offer other potential solutions that could benefit both of us rather than just do whatever the other individual prefers. 

Ensure I state my needs and objectives: Each party should state their side and I need to learn that there might be information gained by the other party from my perspective even if it is not congruent with what the other party is requesting. 

Share information freely: I find myself holding back at times and being more of the 'active listener' rather than the speaker. Now that I have gained experience, I realize that I have a lot of insight that would be useful to those around me and need to utilize this strength more as my confidence increases.

The ultimate goal in conflict management in most instances is COLLABORATION (Compromising). Each sides points of view are heard and a mutual agreement is reached. 

         Anger Profile Survey

3 Types of Anger      Profiles (Ingram & Johnson, 2009)

Leakers: tend to be passive-aggressors. Anger 'leaks' out. Tend to be critical, sarcastic, and 'forgetful' in doing things for people that bother them.

Stuffers: bottle up their anger. Believe anger is bad and the emotion is shameful. 

Spewers: aggressively and forcefully express anger. Anger explodes on those around them. 

Upon completing this assessment, I figured that I would be considered a stuffer as I felt as though I had a tendency to suppress when something bothers me. However, upon examination of myself, I realized that I do tend to hide behind my sarcasm as a defense mechanism and can be critical of others. My Anger Profile Results: Leaker. 

Ways Leakers can Improve Anger Management (Ingram & Johnson, 2009):

-learn to communicate anger

-improve assertiveness of wants and needs

-set clear boundaries and what they will and will not do

- accept the emotion of anger as a normal process

Millenials in the Workplace     

I found the idea of discussing millennials in the workplace fascinating as I am right on the cusp of being considered a millennial as I was born in 1985. I feel fortunate to have grown up with a childhood with minimal technology on a farm in which hard work was built into my every day life as this has shaped who I am today as an adult. Due to my place on this timeline, I am able to understand the needs of the millennial generation as well as the older generation that still misses their paper charting techniques. Simon Sinek defined millennials as  the era of people born after 1984 and they make up the largest portion of the current nursing population (Albert et al., 2022). This population thrives off of making an impact on patients and feeling like they are part of a team (Albert et al., 2022).

        4 principles to help millenials reach this mission (Albert et al., 2022): 

            - proximity: team decision making and presence of patient empathy

            - mutuality: power sharing

            - resilience: allowing millennials the space to support patient resilience

            - kindness: culture of trust

Simon Sinek's interview on Inside Quest with Tom Bilyeu examines millennials in the workplace. The interview brought up several interesting talking points about why this generation of workers potentially has a distinct level of emotional intelligence and work habits. These potential reasons include:

Parenting techniques: This encompasses failed parenting strategies. For example, every child getting a participation medal which ultimately devalues the work of others that earned the medal through hard work. Children are not enforced to have accountability which can lead to a sense of entitlement. Not surprisingly, this then leads to issues when entering the workforce where they are no longer coddled and feel thrust into a sink or swim environment rather than having the necessary tools to be able to manage this. 

Technology: The use of technology (i.e. texting) causes the brain to release dopamine and make someone feel good. This is similar to any addiction such as smoking, drinking, etc. The only difference is there are no age restrictions on the use of technology, so younger children are seeking out this dopamine rush to cause the release of this feel good hormone in their brains.  

Instant Gratification: This cohort is accustomed to getting what they want and having their needs met almost immediately as most wants can be directly accessed at your fingertips. Ultimately, this leads to impatience and laziness. For example: Placing an order off of amazon or Instacart and receiving the same day without  having to leave your couch.

EXCEPTIONS TO THIS CONCEPT: Job satisfaction and strengths of relationships are concepts that require patience and time. This is why these are two categories that this population faces struggles in managing. 

Crucial Conversations

This is a hot topic within my organization. There are multiple classes that are available and I have signed up for the next seminar available through my institution after reading through this chapter. Having these conversations are a primary responsibility of the leadership role and I am gaining a better understanding of the areas in which I need improvement throughout this course.

What is a Crucial Conversation?? One that is between two people in which the stakes are high, opinions differ, and there are strong emotions.

 

It is uncomfortable to have some of these conversations and practicing tactics to use when having them makes it more comfortable when it comes to a real scenario. This is especially important in healthcare as this is a stressful environment and it makes communication more difficult before even starting a conversation (Clark, 2015). 

References: 

Albert, N. M., Pappas, S. H., Porter-O’Grady, & Malloch, K. (2022). Quantum Leadership (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning

Braydan Willrath (2016, December 28). Simon Sinek  - Millennials in the Workplace [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MC2X-LRbkE

Clark, C. M. (2015, November 10). Conversations to promote and inspire a more civil workplace. American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/cne-civility/?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=InfoBytes_Newsletter_122915&utm_medium=email

Ingram, C., & Johnson, B. (2009). Overcoming Emotions that Destroy: Practical help for Those Angry Feelings That Ruin Relationships.

Thomas, K. W., & Kilmann, R.H. (n.d.). Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument.