Separately Together: A New Path to Healthy Hospital-physician Relations

Separately Together provides an unconventional perspective on administrator–physician relations. The authors believe that the vital first steps in building collaboration among the conflicting groups are to pull them apart and to strengthen each group separately. Physicians and administrators should not have to sacrifice their distinctiveness to be part of the whole. The key is to develop “us and them” versus “us or them” thinking.

This book describes a unique four-step process for moving from conflict to collaboration:

1. Creating mutual desire and readiness to change

2. Moving from destructive stereotyping to healthy debate

3. Enhancing each group’s security about the unique value they contribute to the overall system

4. Committing to a joint purpose without sacrificing the separate strength and security of each group

After the steps in each phase are explained, the authors discuss how to anticipate resistance to the process and move through roadblocks. Self-assessment tools are included that allow you to evaluate your progress, and recommended exercises help you to engage physicians and administrators in the process.

C. Marlena Fiol, PhD, has over 30 years of experience in strategic management and organizational design. Dr. Fiol is a professor of strategy and health administration at the University of Colorado Denver and a principal with the Implementation Institute, a Denver-based consulting and training firm. Dr. Fiol has been a frequent speaker at international, national, and regional meetings.