Timmons Role Modeling

Timmons feels that “Role modelling good communication provides staff with informal support and leadership. Managers who have good communication skills create good working atmospheres that ultimately improve nurses’ confidence, motivation and morale” (2011, p. 32). Once everyone meets to confront the conflict the nurse manager should start the meeting with a list of ground rules and expectations. Everyone needs to express agreement with the ground rules before starting. Then, the nurse manager should verbalize something positive about the nursing group as a whole; this focuses everyone on a positive attribute they all share in common, which builds interpersonal bonding. The nurse manager needs to reflect positive communication during the meeting

with positive body language. Even when others don’t realize the importance of body language, having the manager role- modeling it makes a positive impact on those present. A communication technique that may be used to prevent others from becoming defensive is the use of “I” statements. “I” statements provide focus on what the speaker believes or thinks. Whereas, the use of other statements can cast focus on thoughts or beliefs the speaker attributes to their coworkers which can cause their coworkers to become more angry and defensive, defeating the purpose of the meeting. The nurse manager needs to direct the conversation towards the goal. The more the conversation is directed towards the group goal, the less opportunity for the conversation to become aimed at individuals.
In the future it may be beneficial for all unit staff to participate in conflict management classes. This would increase their conflict competency, develop open communication skills and enhance their leadership capabilities. Team building exercises would also benefit the workplace, learning congruence and realizing that interdependence increases safety practices, improves patient care and nurse morale. According to the authors of Enhancing Conflict Competency nursing students should become more exposed to conflict management skills built into their curriculum (Waite & McKinney, 2014). “Conflict, a normal part of the professional work, is neither negative nor positive: however, leadership style defines one’s response to conflict” (Waite & McKinney, 2014, p. 123). Their proposal, in favor of more pre-exposure to conflict management, develops leadership skills before they enter the nursing workforce.