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Background
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Case Discussion
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This case addresses the dilemma of a Chair of the Department of Surgery who is confronted with the reallocation of time of a productive clinical faculty member, who has been awarded a substantial research grant. The case discussion presents the opportunity for you to contribute to a national discussion of negotiation in academics through the survey link at the end of the lesson.
In addition to the basic leadership lesson in this Faculty Vitae, you may benefit from a brief review of negotiation practices:
Dr. Jill Carter loved being chair of surgery at Great Mountain medical school. Her own practice of trauma surgery was challenging to balance between emergency call, inpatient rounds, and supervision of a clinical research lab. But her department vice-chair and the director of the lab were talented managers; her recruitments over the past four years since she arrived had gone well. Her dean was also CEO of the health care system, which made it easier for her to negotiate improvements in clinical research. As one of three chairs who were specifically recruited to enhance research agendas in this rapidly growing academic center, it was important for her to maintain some sort of balance on all fronts—strong residency programs and clerkships, increasing federally funded research, and a well-managed clinical practice for all her faculty.
Dr. Carter always felt that mentoring junior faculty was one of the best aspects of the job of being chair. Today was a day of celebration for one of her protégés, Dr. Jack Eliot. Jack was recruited as a immunologist-researcher and transplant surgeon three years ago. In fact, he was Jill's first recruit. An assertive, energetic young clinical researcher, he had already built a new transplant service and established strong relationships with basic scientists and clinical researchers in several departments. Today, Jack was celebrating notice of funding of his first RO-1 grant. She was delighted.
However, Jill also knew that in a few days, Jack would be in her office to discuss how his responsibilities for teaching and clinical work would change when the grant began to support salary for 40 percent of his time. She hoped this would be the beginning of a series of continuing successes for his career. She also knew he would soon need to decrease his obligations for some of his clinical and teaching responsibilities. Jack was a tough, aggressive negotiator. Jill was competitive enough. "One doesn't get to be chair of surgery without the spirit of winning," she mused. But this opportunity for Jack presented some significant challenges for her and for the other faculty.
Dr. Carter asked her assistant to make an appointment for Jack to meet with her the following week. She then sent an e-mail to her vice chair, Dr. Ed Caldicott, asking him to meet with her to consider the potential positions for negotiating Jack's new responsibilities. Ed knew all the parties well, and would be honest counsel for Jill.
Ed responded promptly, "Congratulations! Good mentoring pays off. Condolences—now you have to support him without compromising the department and your own success. Let's meet for breakfast in my office after rounds on Saturday morning. I'll do a role reversal with you for your discussion with young Dr. Jack Eliot."
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