Jeanette’s negative influence on quarterly meetings’ duration and flow is evident, making other members of the clinical practice committee want to leave their current positions. As the department’s supervisor, I would try to resolve the conflict by organizing a one-on-one conversation with Jeanette to communicate the problem to her and discuss areas for improvement. Without resorting to common unsuccessful strategies, such as commanding, condemning, or comparing, I would mention other members’ adverse reactions to her attempts to gain control (McKibben, 2017). To avoid conflict escalation, I would explain that her contributions to the hospital’s operations are appreciated and then remind her of the procedural aspects of quarterly meetings and mutual respect as the organizational value. In the absence of improvements in her observance of the rules about meetings, I would collaborate with the hospital’s HR manager to discuss possible job restructuring decisions to address the case.
Multiple contributing factors add to the conflict between Jeanne and other clinical practice experts holding positions on the committee, and timely efforts to eliminate them would help to prevent the situation. The phenomenon of informal leadership or the existence of professionals that influence critical processes without holding relevant formal positions of power is the critical factor in the case (Zhang et al., 2020). As an informal leader, Jeanette has authority with her colleagues, and her professional status might prevent others from criticizing the specialist’s overly intensive attempts to change the course of meetings. Other factors may include the lack of disciplinary actions, such as verbal/written warnings or performance improvement plans, to prevent disruptions and deviations from the predetermined schedule.
The unfavorable situation could have been avoided if all committee members had been instructed on the ethical and formal requirements about quarterly meetings and provided with visual reminders displaying meeting agendas. Additionally, the rules of contributing to discussions that would place informal leaders and other specialists in an equal position could have helped. Some examples include any member’s inability to speak twice on the same question or give a speech that exceeds a specific number of minutes.
References
McKibben, L. (2017). Conflict management: Importance and implications. British Journal of Nursing, 26(2), 100-103. doi:10.12968/bjon.2017.26.2.100
Zhang, C., Nahrgang, J. D., Ashford, S. J., & DeRue, D. S. (2020). The risky side of leadership: Conceptualizing risk perceptions in informal leadership and investigating the effects of their over-time changes in teams. Organization Science, 31(5), 1138-1158. doi:10.1287/orsc.2019.1350