Week 2 Discussion 

A. Suppose you have been working in a healthcare position for almost two years. The office recently hired a medical records technician (Kim).  Kim is very opinionated and does not hold back when she has something to say.  But Kim is also bright, energetic, and has a lot of good ideas.  You can see that she has a lot of potential. You can also see that many of the other office employees are uncomfortable around Kim.  You quickly realize that you need to learn more about conflict management and resolution…

Watch this short VIDEO to get tips on managing conflict.

1. Choose one of the tips from the video and describe why it might be useful in resolving the conflict in the Discussion Overview.

2. Describe something positive that could result from addressing the conflict within the office.  Explain your reasoning.

3. It’s almost certain that you will encounter conflict at some point in your professional career.  What do you believe is the most important thing to do when faced with conflict? Explain why.

B. Once you begin your career in the allied healthcare field, you will work as a member of many different teams.  Team dynamics exist in all group settings, no matter how large or small the organization.  The dynamics of the team – how a team works and behaves together – will impact a great many things: the success of the organization; individual performance; the reputation of the organization; and an individual’s feeling of contentment or satisfaction with their job.

Click HERE to see two different teams in action.

1. What are the pros and cons of working in groups and teams? 

2. Why do you think the second team was successful when the first team wasn’t?  Describe some of the factors that affected team dynamics positively or negatively.

3. In your opinion, what is the most important characteristic, trait, or quality that a successful team possesses?  Support your answer with information or observations from this week’s lessons.

Imagine that you have just started a job in a healthcare office. Your new manager (Sharisse) has a detailed orientation plan for your first week.  Your new colleagues are great.  They are helpful and welcoming.  You notice that everywhere you go people ask if you’ve been to lunch with Sharisse yet.  Sharisse hasn’t mentioned lunch at all, so you are curious.  Over and over, people ask about lunch and smile knowingly.  You are intrigued, but you’re starting to wonder if she’s forgotten.  Finally, on Friday morning Sharisse invites you to lunch.  You are excited and nervous at the same time.  You arrive to the restaurant and are seated.  Her first question is:

“So, tell me, what motivates you?”

Really?  That’s what all the excitement was about?

1. Explain why the question of motivation is important for all supervisors and employees to discuss?

2. Based on personal experience and information from this week’s materials, what is the connection between motivation and job satisfaction, or between motivation and performance?

3. Do you believe your motivation and performance in the workplace will be based on internal, external, or individual job satisfaction considerations?  Support your answer with information from this week’s modules and readings.