Change is a constant in a large or small business. Someone who struggles to adapt to new technologies or approaches can be problematic. It can polarize people because there is always who prefer not to have change and those people will gravitate together (Jeff Poe).
According to Dan Auerbach people who are inflexible have a high need for order and perfectionism. They often do an excellent job establishing systems and compliance, bringing efficiency to an organization.
There a fine line between rigor and rigidity, however, and rigid thinkers can sap the enthusiasm out of a team by lessening people’s sense of personal power. This can cause staff members to feel less confident in their skills and their job.
This can lead to both parties being unwilling to budge. Therefore, creating a hostile work environment, which can lead to a decrease in patient care.
Is it possible to work around this inflexibility? Yes! It will take some patience and time.
Expect resistance from colleagues; don’t be reactive.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it” (Charles Swindoll).
“Rigidity is defense of a position based on fear,” (Dan Auerbach). That might be anxiety, stress, or lack of confidence in their skill as a nurse.
Auerbach recommends keeping your cool and inviting your colleague to have a conversation to help you understand their position. Do NOT get defensive or accusatory. This is a chance to communicate and get to know them better. Knowing them better will help you work better together, therefore, improving patient care.
Listen to your colleagues.
Once the communication is open, acknowledge their feelings and find out what it is that makes them so resistant to change. Don’t just act like it, but genuinely show that you care. Maybe they don’t know – opening up this communication can help them see what is holding them back. Are they afraid of losing control? Are they afraid of more stress? Are they worried they may make a mistake?
Drip feed the idea of change.
Once you’ve found out how they think, it is now time to introduce your idea in a way that marries with your new understanding of their concerns and answers their fears. (Example - dentals and being scared of aspiration).
Plan the framework for how you will deliver your message.
Go in to the conversation with a plan.
Know the why. Be able to explain to them why this new way will be more beneficial.
If you can find out what is causing them to take such a stubborn stance, you will be better equipped to find holes in the colleague’s argument. This will leave them with no choice but to go along with the new arrangements.
Make it personal when seeking change.
What if the person resistant to change is your boss?
Try to upwardly manage the problem by asking for some of your objectives to be included in the development plan. Explain what you are looking to achieve in the development of your career and ask for their help to grow. According to Auerbach this gives them back a sense of control. Which we all know is what people want.
Pick your battles.
This one applies to all aspects of life. Inflexible people can be insensitive and egotistical. They ay be automatically defensive and maybe even rude. This type of behavior cannot be tolerated within the clinic. This hinders growth within the staff and can affect patient care.
It is important to pick your battles. If it is a life-threatening instance, then absolutely this needs to be addressed. If it is something that is annoying but not a huge deal, it might be wise to just leave it alone.
Whatever you do, don’t take it personally. Psychologically these individuals firmly believe they are “right.”
You may reach a point where resistance will be to difficult to overcome. At this point, unless life-threatening, it is best to let it go. Agree to disagree.
We don’t want to lose sight of our ultimate goal, patient care. We have to be able to work as a team.
In the end, our main goal is patient care. We want to make sure we are able to work together as a team, while still providing the best care possible. Coworkers who resist change can be extremely difficult. Especially on top of all the other stress that we deal with on a daily basis. I say this all the time, but the best way to deal with a concern with someone is to address them directly. You will be met with resistance and defense. However, it is important to get to know the person. Understand why they are being the way they are so we can hopefully fix it and move on. If you are met with someone unwilling to change and this is for something life-threatening then this needs to be brought directly to your management. If they refuse to fix it then I would consider the core values of where you’re working. If patient care isn’t number one then do you really want to work there?
Be patient. Be kind. Be understanding. We all need to work as a team.
Credit:
Information taken from In The Black "Dealing With Inflexible Colleagues." We added our own opinions and thoughts.
Shena Humbert, LVT
Not Another Vet Nurse