Vi är inga robotar : En studie om chefers svåra samtal med medarbetare inom hälso- och sjukvården

Sammanfattning: The following study has aimed to investigate how managers in the healthcare system experience and develop their approach to and handling in difficult conversations with their employees, with a focus on emotional management. The phenomenon is interesting from a societal perspective, as health care today is characterized by a lack of time, stress and a high work pace, which has developed from a changing and flexible labor market. To achieve the purpose of the study, three questions were compiled: what does a difficult conversation mean for managers in healthcare, what can encourage or prevent difficult conversations and how do managers in healthcare experience their development of the ability to handle difficult emotions in conversations with employees today compared to the beginning of their careers. The study had a qualitative approach that was conducted through semi-structured interviews with seven managers in health care in the Stockholm region. The collected material was analyzed through a thematic analysis based on the research questions. The theoretical framework used for the analysis was Wenger's (1998) theory of Communities of Practice. The theory has shown the importance of different Communities of Practice for health care managers’ perspectives on difficult conversations and their learning. Similar to previous research, the results of the study have shown that conversations are perceived as difficult by managers in health care as emotions are a central part to consider. It turned out that the experience of difficult conversations did not change the perception that the conversations were difficult, however, the experience could influence their handling strategies and approach. Furthermore, it emerged that the conversations can be improved through various tools, such as support, documentation and an empathic approach.