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