Introduction
A team can be defined simply as a group of people working towards a common goal. Team building should therefore aim at enabling a group of people to reach their common goal. In any healthcare setting communication is very important in conflict resolution. The paper is therefore going to focus in detail on a theory that is most effective in conflict resolution within a healthcare setting. In a health care setting people are expected to behave professionally. It is therefore important to solve conflicts immediately between members; if disputes are not solved they may result into avoidance, inability to work together sometimes verbal assaults and resentment.(Teambuilding Inc 2007). Successful resolution to a conflict can lead to the very much desired change in a health care setting. Conflict resolution has positive outcomes like personal growth and social transformation. It is worth noting that communication plays a central role in conflict resolution (Terry Gillin 2004)
Body
There are two theories of conflict resolution that are applicable in health care setting. The two theories provide effective skills that can be used in conflict resolution. Solving conflicts using the two theories often leads to; increased understanding, increased group cohesion and improved self-knowledge among members of a group. (Mind Tools Ltd 2008.) The first theory; understanding the theory: Conflict styles. Under this theory there are two personalities Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann who came up with five main styles of dealing with conflict that vary in their scale of cooperativeness and assertiveness. The first style is competitive; under this style leaders in a group operate from a position of power.
They are always firm and they know what they want. This style is more effective in making emergency decisions. Collaborative is the second style; whereby people who use it try to put all the needs of the group members into consideration. They are more aggressive but they acknowledge the importance of other team members hence they are considered to be cooperative. This style is effective when there is need for a variety of viewpoints to reach a solution. Compromising is the third style; under this style team leaders will tend to look for solutions that will satisfy everyone to some extent. To reach a compromise every group member is expected to give up something. This style is most effective when the cost of conflict is higher than the cost of losing ground. Avoiding is the fourth style where people using it will evade or ignore the conflict completely. This style is characterized by assigning contentious and decisions, accepting default decisions. This is the most appropriate style to use when victory is impossible. However this style is considered weak.
Accommodating style is the fifth one and it usually indicates readiness to meet the needs of other people through sacrifice. The team leader is not assertive cooperative. This style is effective when peace is more important than winning. This approach is not the best to use since not every body is expected to be cooperative or return favors.
The second practical theory that is applicable in a health care setting is the “Interest-Based Relational Approach” (IBR). This is best in a health care setting since it is considered to be democratic. Under this style individual differences are respected; hence applicable in a professional setting like that of a healthcare environment. There are several rules that are followed to reach a conflict resolution. The first rule is to make sure that good relationships are always the first priority. A leader should aim at mutual respect. The second rule is to keep people and problems separate. This is more important as it helps maintain a professional relationship among team members in a team setting without necessarily having a confrontation. Another rule is to always pay attention to the interests that are being presented by the other team members. This helps in understanding the positions of the others. The fourth principle is that before defending oneself listen to other people first. The fifth principle is to set out the “Facts”; objective must be set out straight and observable elements that might have impact on the decision must be put into consideration. Finally options must be explored together with other team members. By keeping to these rules contentious issues in healthcare team setting conflicts can always be solved amicably.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the paper’s central focus was the conflict resolution theories that can be practically in a health care setting so as to solve and to avoid conflicts spinning out of control. Health care is a professional setting and therefore the “Interest- Based Relational Approach” is the best style to use in conflict resolution as it is democratic takes opinions of every team player into consideration.
Reference:
Mind Tools Ltd 2008 Conflict Resolution: Resolving Conflict rationally and effectively. Web.
Teambuilding Inc 2007 Motivation/Relationship Problems Team Conflict. Web.
Terry Gillin. Ryerson University. 2004. Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Team Building. Web.