Become a Trusted Professional

Chapter 18Bailey & Burch (2010)

Stefanie BaldovinCaldwell 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 http://www.autismspeaks.org

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”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hntzp5-

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

• http://www.autismspeaks.org/node/112926

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3UJrr8PeTs

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

ReferencesBailey, 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), 267-281

Youtube websitehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hntzp5-F40I