In this week's episode, Ben is joined by Dr Sarah Coope, former GP, mediator and CEO of Wild Monday, to explore one of the most challenging aspects of working in general practice - conflict. Sarah shares why conflict is both inevitable and, when handled well, a positive force within teams, particularly in high-pressure environments like general practice and PCNs. The conversation explores why unresolved conflict is so common, how workload and system complexity contribute, and why avoiding difficult conversations can often make things worse. The episode also highlights the emotional toll of conflict, the importance of psychological and emotional safety, and why one-to-one conversations are often more effective than large group discussions. Finally, Sarah discusses the support available for leaders, including coaching, peer networks and structured development programmes.

Introduction (0:07)

Why conflict is common in general practice (1:15)

The impact of pressure, workload and system complexity (2:27)

Avoiding conflict and why it can be harmful (4:02)

The emotional toll of conflict (5:14)

Handling personal conflict and strong emotions (8:50)

Expressing how situations feel (11:00)

One-to-one vs group conversations (12:36)

Structuring the conversation: HiFIVE model (13:50)

Challenging assumptions and narratives (15:05)

The final part.. (20:06)

Summarising the HIGH5 framework (22:43)

Supporting leaders with conflict (23:03)

Visit the Wild Monday website here.

Access the HiFive model here.

The Shapes Academy Toolkit can be found here.

Access the How To Lead Without Rescuing webinar here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.