Impact of a Teamwork and Conflict Management Workshop on Growth Mindset and Team Communication

Abstract

Objective. Teamwork is a necessary pharmacist skill, but early pharmacy and interprofessional education frequently lack direct instruction on conflict management skills within team communication. Mindset may also impact team functioning. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a teamwork workshop on growth mindset and team communication.

Methods. A multi-week workshop was developed for first-year pharmacy students. The workshop included completion of StrengthFinders2.0, a session on identifying individual and team member strengths, a session on situational communication and conflict resolution models, and two pharmacy scenarios requiring conflict resolution. The workshop was delivered to two intervention groups (Fall2019 and Fall2018) and compared to a control group (Fall2017). A pre-post survey measured change in growth mindset and team communication utilizing the validated “Growth Mindset and Team Communication” (GMTC) tool. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and chi-square tests to compare difference and association. Focus groups were conducted in Fall2017 and Fall2018 to assess qualitative student views regarding teamwork.

Results. Comparing pre- and post-survey assessments, the team communication subscale increased significantly for the intervention group compared to the control group which had no significant change. Qualitative results of focus groups reflected overall positive views of team communication and collaboration, which was contextualized by discussions of advantages and challenges during teamwork.

Conclusion. The teamwork workshop affected team communication abilities. An early workshop may provide necessary teamwork skills for team improvement. Future work will focus on longitudinal measurement of self-views to determine the long-term impact of teamwork training interventions.