Human beings are all different. It therefore figures that, when you put people together in a practice, conflict is inevitable. Conflicts can arise between co-workers, managers and subordinates or between employees and external stakeholders, which in primary care generally means patients.

We’ve all experienced situations where you can cut the tension in the air with a knife, which means learning how to manage conflict is a key competency for practice managers – and that means addressing it head on. Do that and you’ll likely end up improving both your management skills and reducing the amount of conflict experienced in your practice.

“In my first couple of years as a practice manager I really used to blame myself when there was in-fighting amongst staff and take it on the chin,” one practice manager told us. “However, it was on a management training course that the message got through to me that conflict can be avoided if I responded in the right way and looked for the positives in it. I learned how to spot the symptoms, identify the causes and find resolutions that have improved the way we work.”

So how can GP practice managers positively manage conflict? Here’s some advice from various HR specialists.

Generate trust – this works both ways; staff need to be confident in your abilities and you need to be confident that others can complete their job to a high standard. So, empower people to do their job well and give them the necessary tools, skills and time.

Respect is earned – always be considerate, honest and value others’ opinions – nothing is more demoralising (which in turn can lead to conflict) for a staff member than feeling like their voice is being ignored.

Be open and sympathetic – you need to be aware of and sensitive to the different backgrounds and perspectives of your colleagues – and what’s going on in their personal lives. This doesn’t mean they should ‘get away’ with doing less work, but by proactively managing the situation, conflict can be avoided.

Communicate effectively – different types of communication work at different times, so learn when to use different methods of communication. Private meetings, group discussions, emails and even letters all have a place and a time.

Develop your own communication skills – we’ve all had managers who we’ve perceived to underperform because they haven’t listened or have had the wrong body language, so work on your personal communication skills. As well as the two mentioned in the previous sentence, think about your eye contact and attentiveness, as well as how assertive or timid you need to be according to the situation.

Information is king – good working relationships can break down and cause conflict if there’s a lack of information flow. This can lead to misperception about what others want or are doing. Ensure relevant information is shared, but don’t end up with information overload. The manager’s job is knowing what to share and when.

Keep it equal – Keep an eye on perceived inequalities in how people are treated. This can lead to jealousy and trigger people to become uncooperative. The same applies to discrimination – make sure you have a clear focus on what’s going on to ensure there’s no discrimination. As hard as it may sound, try to take a step back from everyday tasks so that you have a clear overview of your practice. The business mantra goes that you can benefit more from working ON your business than you can IN it – and it rings true for practices too.

Understand your reaction – the way you react to conflict is important in preventing further problems down the line. What is your body language like? Are you perceived to be fair? Do you need to bring in external mediators?

Manage your response times – key to managing conflict is to nip problems in the bud early. Don’t let problems fester – it’ll only make things worse. At the same time, if you need to let people calm down before discussions begin, then let it happen. Be flexible with your time and response.

Get to the root cause – If you’re going to take positive action following conflict it’s vital you know what the cause/s is/are. You need to gain an unbiased understanding of events – so consider how you meet with and talk to people. The first meeting should probably take place separately, before bringing people back to discuss the causes and find solutions to any issues.

Practice manager specific advice

Conflict management is a hugely important part of a practice manager’s role. Jane Gunn, an employee mediation expert, will be looking at the subject in more detail at Practice Index Talks, a free day of inspiring and motivational talks for GP practice managers taking place on Friday 28th July 2017 at The BMA in London.

Jane will show you how conflict can be the magic, rather than the nightmare ingredient in general practice. You will discover how you can embrace conflict as an opportunity and motivate staff to work together for the good of your surgery.

To find out more and to register for free tickets click here.

What conflict resolution tips can you share? Let us know by commenting below or in the Practice Index forum here.