Communication Strategies for Conflict Resolution in Clinical Research Teams

I am excited to have the opportunity to present at the upcoming Association of Clinical Research Professionals Global Conference this April in sunny Orlando. I will be presenting on communication strategies for conflict resolution in clinical research teams. (I know, how ironic, presenting on conflict so close to the happiest place on earth).

Conflict, in and of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. Conflict can be an opportunity for growth within research teams, as it may generate new perspectives and new ideas for solving the problems facing the group. The danger in conflict is when it is handled poorly, or just ignored. Improving communication skills better equips individuals within a team to be able to effectively work together when conflicts arise.

If you can't make it to Orlando, I'll be doing a practice run of my presentation at the Southern Wisconsin ACRP chapter meeting on February 26 at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

The Communication Environment

I am planning a new, upcoming webinar on setting a positive tone for team communication by creating a supportive communication environment. A supportive communication environment is one in which all members feel free to raise ideas, believe their ideas and contributions are valued by the rest of the team, and understand that sometimes a team needs to change course in order to achieve their shared goals. On the other hand, a defensive communication environment is one in which members pursue hidden agendas, discount other team members' contributions and are so certain that their way is the right way that they are no longer to objectively assess realities facing the team. Ultimately, supportive communication environments are productive and able to achieve the team's goals, while defensive communication environments are destructive.

What do you want to know about setting a supportive communication environment in your research teams? What do you think I should discuss in this presentation?

Learning to communicate effectively in multidisciplinary teams

Innovative clinical research is dependent on multi-disciplinary teams to envision, design and implement complex research protocols. The varied backgrounds and approaches can also cause culture clashes with a team, when team members from one field have trouble communicating with team members from other fields. Each team member brings not only the knowledge of their field, but also the cultural norms and behaviors socialized into their field. Those culture clashes can cause more than frustrations; they can be a serious detriment to team function. Team communication and collaboration can be particularly difficult when team members seek to protect their own power, control and authority.

On June 8, I will be presenting an ACRP webinar that will examine how specific communication behaviors impact clinical research team function. Effective team communication enhances team functioning and can strengthen team members' attachment and commitment to the team. Therefore, the goal of the presentation is to identify potential barriers to communication and team function and develop strategies for overcoming barriers and maximizing benefits of multi-disciplinary clinical research teams.

Learning to communication in multi-disciplinary teams

I had the privilege to present at the ACRP Global Conference in April. You can now listen to the audio of my presentation about Communication in Multi-Disciplinary Teams here ACRP Presention.mp3

Having a communication plan

Last week my team experienced a bit of a communication meltdown, which is only somewhat ironic considering we are communication researchers. So after some triage and promises to give each other "the benefit of the doubt," my thoughts now turn to how we could have better planned for communication disaster.

Those outside the field of communication sometimes dismiss it because they think that communication just occurs naturally, like breathing. But communication scholars and teachers are fond of saying that communication doesn't just happen. Communication is, among other things, a skill. If it is a skill, it is something that can be refined and improved with practice, and something that can be planned for, should things go wrong. The key is awareness and intentionality. Know how communication can go wrong on your particular team and think about what you will do if it does. Does your team respond better to discussions as a group or individual conversations? Do they respond to writing or face-to-face interactions? Thinking about your team's communication style before blow-ups occur will better equip you to address problems as they come up and even catch little problems before they become big meltdowns.

A message that resonates

I had the opportunity to present a poster and brief presentation on communication in multi-disciplinary research teams both at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals Global Conference in Tampa and at my local Southern Wisconsin ACRP chapter. I am passionate about communication education and count it a privilege to be able to share my knowledge with my clinical research colleagues.

The thing that is most encouraging to me is that this message of improving communication skills within the context of research teams is resonating with research professionals. The research professionals I met understand the importance of communication to effective team functioning. They have learned that communication is a skill that can be improved and it is encouraging that these professionals are seeking to improve their communication skills. I hope to continue to teach and encourage my clinical research colleagues about the importance of effective communication in the team work environment.

Learning to communicate in multi-disciplinary teams

I am privileged to be presenting at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals Global Conference later this week. I will be presenting a poster and a brief presentation about a topic that combines my interest, experience and expertise in the fields of communication research and clinical research: communication in multi-disciplinary research teams.

Multi-disciplinary research teams offer many advantages, the most compelling of which is having a broad range of perspectives to bring new and innovative ideas to the research table. But each of us educated in a specific discipline are taught to approach questions and problems in a certain way. When required to work with people who are educated another way, potential conflicts arise. Understanding the potential pitfalls to working with multi-disciplinary teams is the first step to maximizing the benefits of these teams. Team leaders need to work to create a supportive environment, where all members feel safe to share new and innovative ideas that may be unfamiliar to the rest of the group. Ongoing conversations about roles in the team, as well as making a conscious effort to learn from your teammates, will head off some of the potential misunderstandings.

The benefits of multi-disciplinary teams far outweigh the potential pitfalls, but being prepared for the pitfalls makes success all the more likely.