Become a Trusted Professional Chapter 18 Bailey & Burch (2010) Stefanie Baldovin Caldwell College ABA 574 Fall 2013

Sources Bailey, J., & Burch, M. (2010). 25 essential skills & strategies for the professional behavior analyst. New York, NY: Routledge. Harvard Business School Press. (2005) Power, influence and persuasion. Boston: Author Autism Speaks website

Overview Achieving Trust Developing Trust Trust –Transparent –Receptive –Use caring –Sincere –Trustworthy

Overview Why is being a Trusted Professional is essential for Behavior Analysts?

As Sharon Reeve says: We are always being judged! How do you treat others? Are you attentive? Aloof?

You Tube Video Jack Welch – former General Electric CEO aka “Neutron Jack” F40I

The optimistic intern! Some Examples of Lack of Trust

Trust “Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen Covey “To earn the trust of others, you need to demonstrate a steady, consistent temperament and be honest and reliable”. - Harvard Business School Press. (2005)

Achieving Trust Difficult to achieve Requires time investment Built slowly, through smaller milestones ; – Solve simple problems –Be on time –Deliver what you promise – over deliver –Be sensitive to others

Developing Trust Our daily interactions provide these opportunities; –Accurately collecting data during sessions –Participate in meetings –Help make a decision about treatment –Meet your team’s expectations

How can Behavior analysts earn trust to offer recommended treatments? Thoughtfully consider the issues Do research Keep confidences Deliver on promises

Transparent Be candid Tell both sides of the story Having a poker face makes people uneasy

Be Responsive The Intern’s supervisor was not responsive – a lost opportunity Mentor with a heart Give timely positive feedback – opportunity to build trust and caring Give timely negative feedback – factual, constructive

Use caring Establish an open environment –Do not interrupt –Make eye contact Present other’s viewpoints first Exercise caution with language and gestures

Be Sincere Todd Risley – in 1968 he showed ways of teaching pre-schoolers to tell the truth by shaping their “Say Do” congruence

Trustworthy Credibility = Trust + Experience Harvard Business School Press, 2005 “A good reputation takes 20 years to build and only five minutes to ruin.” Warren Buffet

What/who could affect trust in our profession? Unethical practitioners Incompetent practitioners Celebrities (Jenny McCarthy) Parents/Caregivers School administrators Pseudoscience /Alternative Treatments

Pseudoscience erodes trust Pseudoscience includes beliefs, theories, or practices that have been or are considered scientific, but have no basis in scientific fact –5-year old Pennsylvania boy who, in 2005, reportedly died following complications from chelation therapy –In 2000 a young girl in Colorado died from suffocation during “rebirthing,”

Pseudo science Red flags Using exaggerated language, especially "miracle" Does not share clinical data supporting its claims Not open to discussion or scrutiny Takes criticism as a personal attack

Pseudo science Testing cannot be repeated or verified Poorly organized concepts Contradictions Lack of progression Relies on testimonies instead of empirical research "Proof" is not published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, but in newsletters, books, advertisements, and websites

26http:// rr8PeTshttp:// rr8PeTs More Pseudoscience

In Closing –As behavior analysts we need to be seen as trusted professionals so that the programs we present are given adequate support to benefit our clients –Go above and beyond what is expected to help others –Build credibility everyday! (Bailey & Burch, 2010)

Questions

Additional Reading

References Bailey, J., & Burch, M. (2010a). 25 essential skills & strategies for the professional behavior analyst. New York, NY: Routledge. Harvard Business School Press. (2005) Power, influence and persuasion. Boston: Author Risley, T.R., & Hart, B. (1968) Developing correspondence between the non-verbal behavior of pre-school children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1 (4), Youtube website