Winston Vaughan, MD, founder and director of the California Sinus Centers in the San Francisco Bay area, believes conflict resolution is crucial when dealing with work or personal relationships.
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August 2015“Sometimes, as surgeons, we are trained as ‘cut the tumor out’ kind of people, and sometimes you just have to squeeze the pimple instead—you can’t overreact,” said Dr. Vaughan, who directly supervises 11 employees and oversees eight different locations. “Think about chilling out, negotiating, instead of going into nuclear mode and overreacting. That is the last thing you want to do. You want to reserve that for when there are nuclear weapons involved.”
Navigating and resolving conflicts involves using finesse, being open to others’ perspectives, and wanting to resolve an issue rather than to be right. Knowing how to navigate conflicts effectively can smooth situations among colleagues, peers, patients and their families, and others, and can build or maintain your role as a leader.