Workplace Conflict Assignment Paper
Workplace Conflict Assignment Paper
Consider some of the AONL competencies that stress leadership, professionalism, and the ability to resolve and manage conflict. How might you approach these situations?
In this Assignment, you reflect on a conflict situation you have experienced in the workplace. Considering what you have focused on in this module, how might you approach this same conflict today?
To prepare:
Review Resources related to conflict, violence, and bullying in the workplace as well as effective communication for resolving conflict.
Consider a situation in your workplace in which you experienced a conflict (e.g., bullying, interpersonal conflict between staff members). Reflect on how the situation was handled at that time.
Considering the IHI (2017) and ANA (2015) resources, as well as the AONL competencies, reflect on how you could have been more effective in resolving this conflict situation or avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings in your case example.
Assignment (3–4 pages)
For your selected workplace conflict, write a reflective conflict analysis memo in which you address the following:
Describe the situation and conflict.
Explain how you handled the conflict at the time. Describe strategies you employed to resolve the conflict.
Reflecting on the final outcome, explain how you would approach the conflict differently to improve your effectiveness at managing the situation.
Referencing the IHI (2017) and ANA (2015) resources, and the AONL competencies, explain how you might implement strategies to encourage a culture of safety and respect to decrease conflict and bullying in the workplace in the future.
Workplace conflict
Conflicts are a common occurrence in the workplace. In fact, they are considered necessary for innovative work environments and must be competently managed and leveraged for improved productivity (Meires, 2018). To be more precise, any productive workplace must have the capacity to embrace conflict since it cannot be escaped. For nurse personnel, the presence of a conflict can be viewed as an opportunity to better understand the workplace, such that the ability to recognise the conflict, understand its nature and bring about a just and swift resolution serve to improve workplace outcomes (Gaberson, Oermann & Shellenbarger, 2015). Besides that, it is important to note that conflicts rarely resolve themselves and are likely to escalate if left unresolved. As such, nurses must properly and proactively address conflicts at the earliest opportunity for the best outcomes in terms of nursing care delivery and interactions with other stakeholders (Sang & Dearholt, 2018). The present essay discusses the modalities of effective conflict resolution strategies based on the retrospective analysis of a workplace conflict situation.
Describing the Situation and Conflict
The conflict occurred when I was first hired into a new facility as a staff nurse. I was very enthusiastic upon being hired and remember sharing with my spouse that this was an opportunity for me to make a difference by acting to provide nursing care. Nevertheless, I was fast disillusioned within days into taking up my position. I quickly noticed that there was a culture of informal and unofficial groupings in the workplace with the personnel belonging to different groups that were akin to sororities and fraternities. I was informed of this workplace culture and advised to pledge to at least one group as this was expected of all newly hired nurses. Joining a group would allow me enjoy protection and preferential treatment in the workplace. I had no negative opinions about these personnel groups, but did not feel it prudent to join a group until I had understood their objectives and principles. As such, I opted to first observe the groups and join one of them at a later date. However, things did not develop as I had expected as I was subjected to bullying because I had not pledged to any group. The bullying involved being given the worst patients, rude behaviour, lack of assistance, verbal embarrassment, and disparaging remarks. Despite having practiced as a registered nurse for two years, the bullying was a trying period in my life. Workplace Conflict Assignment Paper I remember getting home at the end of a long shift, and crying my eyes out to my husband who would comfort me.
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How the Conflict was Handled and Strategies Employed
I was resolved to bear with the bullying since I anticipated it to stop once I had identified and joined an ideal group. Nonetheless, the situation came to a head one night when four of my older nursing colleagues disparaged my within my hearing. I was irritated by this incident and decided to confront them. I pointed out that they had been rude and uncivil, and that I would be reporting the issue to the facility’s management. I reported the issue to my off-tour supervisor and manager who went on to resolve the issue so that I was not bullied again.
Retrospectively looking at the solution, I feel that I had emotionally reacted to the situation and did not apply the right conflict resolution strategies. I let my emotions drive since I threw a fit of rage and regrettably contradicted the workplace culture so that I became the nurse who did not ‘play well with others’. The facility had a culture in which new personnel joined existing groups. Those who did not join the groups were subjected to bullying. By reporting the incident and getting the facility to act, I essentially contradicted the existing workplace culture and alienated my colleagues. Following the event, I become estranged and isolated from my colleagues, since they only involved me in workplace interactions and left me out in other social interactions such as social gatherings after work.
Reflecting on the Final Outcome
The final outcome of the conflict and the strategies applied in resolving it was unfavourable to me. With hindsight, I feel that I could have handled the situation different with a better outcome. Firstly, I should have had a better definition of acceptable behaviour in the facility. The workplace culture allowed for bullying of new personnel, and I should have expected to be bullied as a new hire. Secondly, I should have selected a different location in which to resolve the conflict, and ensured that my colleagues understood that I was uncomfortable with their behaviour. I should not have confronted them in the workplace (Sang & Dearholt, 2018). Thirdly, I should have begun the confrontation with a conflict to reduce the tension rather than criticism that only increased the tension. Fourthly, I should not have jumped into conclusions at the offset. Rather, I should have acquired a sense of history for the bullying culture and the perspectives of the personnel involved. Fifthly, I should have thought opportunistically and not punitively. Although there is some bullying, the groups improve cohesion among the personnel. Sixthly, I should have offered constructive criticism and not intimidated by colleagues through involving upper management (Ray, 2018; Thomspson, 2018). Applying these strategies would have allowed my colleagues to understand my perspective even as I understood their perspective so as to minimise the conflict.
Week 6 Initial Discussion
When discussing emotional intelligence (EI) it should be understood as the act of understanding ones own emotional balance regarding different facets of conflict and thinking before reacting (Meires, 2018). The contribution to ensuring safety in the workplace is important to provide a positive cultural environment for staff and the facility which definitely involves EI. Two leadership styles that have encouraged positive satisfaction and performance are transactional and transformational in which the leader must have understanding of EI and the conflict resolution (Olawoyin, 2018). The conflict described in this discussion are related to the staff nurse new to a facility.
Conflict Identified in the Workplace
The culture at my current facility exudes unprofessional behavior from many of the staff from all areas from housekeepers to physicians. As a staff nurse, when I started in the facility it was perceived as if new comers were pledging for a fraternity or sorority. Bullying the new employees was “the normal”. This was done as a group by giving the new nurses the worst patients, being rude, lack of nurse assistance and verbally embarrassing statements to disparage staff. At the time I had two years as a registered nurse and I literally cried to my spouse when going to work 5 days a week. Until one night about four of them were talking and laughing but in a way to irritate me and without thinking clearly I stood up and shouted “You all are very childish and unprofessional to be old women but if anyone say another word to me that is disrespectful or rude this will be the last time I will be civil with you people”. I called the off-tour supervisor to speak with the staff to attempt to resolve the issue. I preceded to email the manager, chief and off-tour supervisor to make them aware for the second time of the continued issue. I fact finder was completed, I can say the issues stopped.
Conflict Resolution
Even though the conflict was resolved, but because I understand EI the situation could have been resolved earlier. By becoming in touch with my emotions and asking questions about the conflict such as where is the angry coming from or who is it aimed at (Meires, 2018). As Thompson (2018), stated three strategies to minimize conflicts: Do not take it personally, speak up, keep distance from the aggressors. If I had immediately spoke up and separated myself while maintaining my emotions the situation would have ended earlier. But after reporting it to management the employees were mandated to attend a disruptive behavior class. Now currently as the off-tour supervisor I practice transactional and transformational leadership by providing cards randomly to most improved employees and encouraging them to adopt a positive attitude because our facility reflects us all as a whole. I look forward to incorporating EI in my daily tasks at work.
References
Meires, J. (2018). Workplace Incivility – The essentials: Using emotional intelligence to curtail bullying in the workplace. (3), 150. doi:10.7257/1053-816x.2018.38.3.150
Olawoyin, R. (2018, August 1). Emotional intelligence: Assessing its importance in safety leadership. American Society of Safety Engineers. 63(8), 41–47. ISSN 0099-0027
Thompson, R. (2018, March 6). Nurse bullying: How to keep a toxic coworker from ruining your career [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ZWYKayfiTJM
