Case Study One Pat and Chris are medical billing specialists who have been in the same department for 2 years. They are both well qualified and do a good job. They have always been competitive, each believing that they are the biggest contributors to team success. There is also an ongoing problem between them based on political views.
During a team meeting 2 weeks ago, they had an argument after the state's new gun control law was mentioned. Pat leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and loudly stated, "The government should keep its hands off my rights," and, "Anyone who thinks that gun control is a good idea is ignorant." Chris immediately leaned forward, pointing his finger at Pat and sternly told him that he did not know what he was talking about: guns cause hundreds of unnecessary injuries and deaths every year because the public has access to them. Their manager calmed things down and finished the meeting, but now Pat and Chris are avoiding each other whenever possible and not sharing important work-related information with each other. When the two are forced to interact, they find ways to subtly make verbal attacks at one another. The tension between them has spread, the entire team feels stressed because of the situation, and production has slowed.