Managing Conflict: Bridging the Generational Gap

1. Managing Conflict: Bridging the Generational Gap David A. Novis, MD MGMA Annual Meeting Las Vegas, NV October 2006

2. What I can share with you30 Years Experience with Resolving Conflicts • Business Managing partnerships Boards of Directors • Hospital Administration Medical Director Chief of Pathology • Hospital Medical Executive Committee Trustee

3. Agenda • Generational Profiles: what are they are what do they mean? • Getting in and out of conflict • Weaving in generational considerations • Problems submitted from floor

4. Practice ManagersWhat difficulties in your practice bring you here? • Impasse in resolving conflicts? • Unrelenting trans-generational friction? • Placed in no win situations? • Delegated responsibility w/o authority?

5. Situations Influencing Conflicts and their Resolutions • Generational • Gender • Religious/racial • Upbringing • Education • Experience • Other

6. Generational ProfilingA new phenomena? "The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they alone knew everything and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for girls, they are forward, immodest and unwomanly in speech, behaviour and dress.“ Socrates

7. Generational Profiles

8. Generational Composition of Total Workforce

9. Generational Composition of Physician Workforce

10. Matures/TraditionalistsThe Elders

11. BoomersOutgoing Leaders

12. Generation XersIncoming Leaders

13. Millennials/Generation YSoccer kids

14. How is profiling commonly employed? • Marketing campaigns, corporate strategies • Stereotypical judgments: racial profiling • May promote conflict

15. Generational ProfilingA shortcut to resolving conflict? • Profiles characterize generations--not individuals • Individuals and problems are unique • People may think that the roots of their differences are generational (not unlike sexism and racism)

16. Issues that may appearto be based on generational gaps • Investment portfolios • Call schedules • Work schedules • Income requirements • Retirement buyouts • New member equity • Succession

17. Learning from my mistakes • Succession • Equity • Mission (Quality) • Operations (POC testing)

18. Conflict….How did we get ourselves into this mess? • Fail to anticipate the inevitable • Fail to perceive conflict • Perceive conflict, but ignore it • Try to resolve conflict but fail See Diamond, Jared. Collapse (London: Penguin, 2006).

19. Fail to anticipate a problem before it arrives • New problem--No experience • False assumptions Example: Equity Assumed competence in all areas Assumed entitlement of new associates See Diamond, Jared. Collapse (London: Penguin, 2006).

20. Fail to perceive it when it does arrive • Slow trend—creeping normalcy • Don’t want to perceive it Example: Succession Want to believe associates will grow into the job See Diamond, Jared. Collapse (London: Penguin, 2006).

21. Fail to try and solve it • Denial • Rational (Selfish) behavior Example: Mission (Quality) Fail to embrace common goals Fail to appreciate conflicting goals See Diamond, Jared. Collapse (London: Penguin, 2006).

22. Try to solve it and fail • Values clash, vary or change • Put tactics before strategy Short term vs long term goals Narrows solutions Example: POC Testing Fail to seek compromise solutions Diamond, Jared. Collapse (London: Penguin, 2006). *Tuchman, March of Folly (New York, Random House, 1984)

23. Strategies of Conflict Resolution • Anticipate the inevitable • Harness conflict for growth • Avoidance may not be the best strategy

24. Strategies to Harness ConflictWhat Younger Generations May Not Know • Get the right people on board • Strategy First…. • …Then Tactics Collins, Good to Great (HarperCollins, New York, 2001).

25. Get the right people on board • Consider ALL skill sets • Understand everyone’s personal niche passion expertise skills and limits • Points to areas of need • Hire, Train or outsource

26. Get the right people on board • Creates infrastructure • Develops recognized champions • Determines need for experience vs. fresh ideas

27. What skills do you need?

28. Strategy first… • Strategy:Tactics=Location:Route • Example: Department staff meetings • Tactics first=Reluctant, narrow, short term solutions • Strategy first: lasting, broad long term solutions • Develop a corporate mentality • Opens the door to a family of tactics

29. Strategy first… • Establish a mission • Fixate on outcomes (the vision) • Establish a strategic plan • Develop a corporate mentality • Opens the door to a family of tactics

30. …then tactics • Alignment • Cultivate Trust

31. Alignment: Instill Corporate Culture while maintaining sensitivity to individual needs Understand everyone’s needs determine “walk aways” real vs. articulated needs

32. Cultivate Trust • Require vulnerability • Tolerate mistakes and shortcomings

33. Real vs Articulated IssuesDon’t debate smoke

34. Consider all the possible solutions Not getting slides on time? Need more histotechs or a better work flow? Not getting reports out on time? Need more typists or a better work flow?

35. Summary • Define conflict • Determine needs and walk-aways • Real Issues vs Articulated issues • Place in context of mission, vision and outcome measurements • Consider all possible solutions • Action Plan with outcomes (may need more information)