Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/519657
J U N E 2 0 1 5 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 3 7 • Conflict resolution. How important is perspective when it comes to conflict? It's one of the keys. In this presentation we'll work with actual cases. Some are challenging, and some are actually humorous, at least when you look back. In all cases, we'll talk about strategies and solutions. When we view conflict in a more analytical light, people are able to come up with creative solutions they didn't realize they had in them. • Tamping temper tantrums. Is there any hope for dealing with the worst of the worst — surgeons who yell, throw things and break instruments? This is the hardest conflict to deal with. Staying calm is critical. When a surgeon acts like a bully, you can send a constructive message by keeping cool, not engaging in squabbles, yet staying firm and not allowing yourself to be pushed around. It helps to remember that anger is the normal human response when people feel as if they're not in control. Your surgeon's outbursts aren't — well, usually aren't — because he or she is a bully. They happen because he or she feels out of con- trol and has lost control of the case. • Another example of an area where surgeons and administrators often don't see eye to eye. Block time is a good example. Clearly, unused block time is wasted time, but surgeons and administrators often have different criteria when it comes to what might be called proper management of block time. We'll look at ways to bridge that gap in understanding so that block time can be managed in a way that ben- efits all. • What about surgeons who can't be bothered to be on time? Naturally, everybody runs behind now and then, but for some it's a way of life. Some flexibility and humor can help everyone be more productive. In this case, working the "carrot" instead of the "stick" can be smart. Simply asking nicely to help out by being punctual, or offering a trivial incentive — something non-controversial, like a bag of candy — can remind the offender how easy it is to stay on schedule. Keeping