Dealing with Difficult People in Your Medical Practice

A medical practice is a fast-paced, high-stress environment—and sometimes, tempers can flare among employees and providers. Moreover, the patients who come in and out are often feeling poorly and/or dealing with insurance company frustrations. All told: Conflicts can arise, and it often falls to practice managers and administrators to resolve them.

The STOMP Method

As such, practice managers over the years have developed a number of different strategies for addressing workplace conflicts. One of the most popular is what’s known as the STOMP method—or: Stop, Think, review your Options, Make a decision, and Proceed.

This may sound a little grade-schoolish or silly, but here is what makes it an important and potentially quite helpful philosophy: We often let indecision cripple our conflict resolution abilities. Too often, practice managers make a decision but then get caught up in second guessing themselves. STOMP is a good reminder to think about the problem, come up with a solution, and then stick to it.

Knowing When to Respond

Of course, sometimes the best way to respond to a difficult person is not to respond at all—just to let the issue play itself out. Here’s a good way to think about it: Consider the worst-case scenarios of response, and of no response. If you intervene, what’s the worst thing that could happen? And if you just let the issue slide, what’s the worst thing that could happen then?

Often, this can bring the issue into perspective, and help you gauge the necessity of your intervention.

Slow and Steady

Should you decide to engage in a potential argument or conflict, it is always best to remain calm and respectful. Start by addressing the other party slowly, but with confidence. Let them know that you’re entering into the conflict. Then, drop your voice to a lower volume, drawing in the other party’s attention.

Note that in some cases the other person will try to draw you into a trap—into making the argument more heated or more personal than it needs to be. Be wary of excessively emotional language. Also know what your own hot buttons are, and make a special effort not to respond should the other party try pushing them.

Engage!

Above all, remember that the point of conflict resolution is not to win an argument. The point is to reach a solution, and the best way to do that is to facilitate open communication and make every person feel heard. Even as conflict escalates, lower the intensity by asking reflective questions about the needs and feelings of the people involved. Let them tell you what they are upset about, and show that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say.

Try your best to show empathy toward feelings of frustration or anger, but don’t go so far as to assign blame—because that’s not really what conflict resolution is about. Again, the point is to make a plan, based on the communication fostered, and stick with it—hopefully arriving at a solution that everyone can be content with.