Learning Team Communication Style Case Study
HCS/350

Learning Team Communication Style Case Study Successful communication skills are essential to achieve a positive work environment. Words should be carefully chosen to communicate a message of trust, respect, and teamwork. Sometimes in the quest to communicate with co-workers, it becomes difficult to use the right words and tone. The words they use and the way in which they are delivered to the delegate make the difference between a successful and a frustrating episode in delegation (Hansten & Jackson, p. 278). In this paper, our team will review three case studies. The case studies show different communication styles. These styles include: aggressive, passive or nonaggressive, and assertive. The team will examine what took place between the delegator and the delegate in each case study, explain the communication style, and discuss the consequences. Case Study One For the first case study, Robin, a psych nurse, is communicating in an aggressive style with the nurse’s aid, Rashad. She is rude and condescending to Rashad’s words. In return, Rashad remains quiet: a passive response. Rashad’s thoughts are passive aggressive and could not be read by others. At first, Rashad was passive by sitting quietly and not speaking, but had thoughts of future passive-aggressive behaviors to retaliate against the nurse. Aggressive and passive-aggressive communication lays the ground work for tension-filled relationships between the health care providers and can lead to poor health outcomes. The poor relationships between the health care providers spill over onto the care of the patients. When Rashad thought about not doing anything, unless he was told to, he realized that this could lead to neglectfulness in ignoring patient care needs. Rashad had thoughts to get back at the psych nurse by not doing tasks he was not told to, but realized that the patient would be the one who would suffer from not having their needs met. Aggressive behavior is an encroachment or attack upon another and is almost always hostile in intent. The communication flows from the aggressive person outward. Little listening takes place while he or she talks at, not with, others. This style, long on criticism and short on praise, successfully suppresses ideas and feedback from others. Such a tension-filled relationship evokes passive-aggressive behavior on the part of others, which perpetuates the cycle of overbearing authoritarianism and indirect aggression (Hansten & Jackson, p. 281). Case Study Two In case study two, Pamela, a school nurse, decided to retest everyone that had hearing and vision tests done by the volunteer, Brigite. She was concerned with the accuracy of the results obtained in comparison to prior tests results. Instead of discussing her concerns with Brigite, Pamela decided to perform all of the testing again and without assistance from Brigite. In this case study, Pamela’s communication style was passive or nonassertive. This style is also called avoidance. Pamela is nonverbal in regards to her feelings, wishes, and concerns with Brigite. Pamela’s passive response may have been related to fear of conflict. According to Hansten and Jackson (2009), “A habitually passive response stems from a number of feelings, including fear, anxiety, timidity, inhibition, hurt, self-denial, helplessness, and physical and emotional stress.” With this communication style, the delegator is unable to verbalize personal feelings and wishes. The delegator ends up performing the duties themselves and remains unable to delegate responsibility to others without trying to avoid conflict. The delegate, in turn, gets more control in the situation and less responsibility for their duties. Ongoing issues with passivity may cause more stress for the delegator, along with feelings of disgust, pity, confusion, and anger in others (Hansten & Jackson, p. 279). Case Study Three In the third case study, we see both aggressive and assertive behaviors. First, Rose the manager, demonstrates an assertive behavior by expressing her confidence and stating just the facts bringing a resolution to the issue. Assertive communicators are confident and positive and lay claim to their own right to speak up for themselves. In the example above, the nurse is direct and expresses what she has observed, thinks, feels, and wants in this situation. The message is congruent with what she feels, so it is emotionally honest. Rose clearly addresses the problem without belittling herself or the other person. Rose knows what she wants and asks for it without apology. Assertive people feel good about themselves at the time they communicate and later. They are not ambushed by feelings of anger, resentment, or guilt. Because this style of communication addresses the problem in the situation, real problems get solved and stay solved (Hansten & Jackson, p. 282). Second, Mabel as the one being asked to perform the task, demonstrates an aggressive behavior by making use of her position and threatening her manager to avoid the project. The desire of the aggressive person often prevails in the conflict situation. The goal is to dominate and hurt the other. The price of winning is the animosity of the recipients. During the verbal storm, the aggressive person speaks as if he or she has no mental filter but says whatever is on his or her mind. This brutal directness fosters fear and resistance, sabotage, and resentment in the listener. Delegating with an aggressive manner of communication often has the same ultimate result as a passive style because real problems don’t get solved, and the delegator is avoided and ends up doing more work him- or herself (Hansten & Jackson, p. 282). In conclusion, we have discussed three styles of communication. The writers have discovered that the most optimal communication style is assertiveness. It is a win-win situation for the delegator and the delegate and the consequences lead to optimal patient care and team comradery. The assertive person gains the trust of others because she or he communicates honestly and has a positive effect in mental health and work life. Some benefits include feelings of self-confidence, improved communication with co-workers, resolution of problems, non-malipulative negotiation for behavior changes, and the ability to act as an advocate for patients (Hansten & Jackson, p. 282).

Reference
Hansten, R. I. & Jackson, M. (2009). Clinical delegation skills: A handbook for Professional practice (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.