Apologies for the delay in arrival for this week’s Flatrock Weekly. Also, you’ll note that these “10 things” are not numbered correctly. Substack has been dealing with technical difficulties which includes a slight delay and a few editing issues. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Back in the day, cross continental expeditions were common. Unfortunately, these quests didn’t always end well. Usually failure was due to some unexpected curve ball or unforeseen event that became deadly when presented to the inexperienced or unprepared explorer. Being prepared starts with an accurate understanding of what the upcoming journey requires.
I’m a firm proponent of being prepared and having clear expectations.
Over the past decade or so, I’ve been on an ABA quest. I have worked as a technician, a BCBA taking on caseloads and eventually occupying leadership positions. Now I build against and troubleshoot for various clinical and organizational variables. Reflecting on these experiences, I decided on 10 things I wish I had known, right up front, when I passed my exam…a long time ago.
I could have probably stretched this list into 25 things, maybe even 50.
I’m still learning.
Starting your journey as a BCBA is no different than that of an explorer on a journey. There were quite a few things I was prepared for thanks to quality supervision—which I’ll be eternally grateful for. However, nevertheless, there were things that fell through the cracks, as there always is.
If I could go back and adjust the expectations of the younger me, here’s where I’d start:
Passing the exam is the first level of the video game. Receiving your certification doesn't mean you've mastered all areas of behavior analysis, leadership, or professionalism. It only means that you have completed your master's program and passed the exam…that’s it. Adopting a growth mindset that embraces continuous learning is crucial for success, as it allows you to remain open to new ideas and approaches throughout your career.
Treat your position like a management position. BCBAs are in a leadership role. While the science of ABA and working with children may be your passion, you'll spend significant time managing people and personalities. Being a BCBA requires professionalism in your interactions with coworkers, caregivers, and—well—yourself. As you progress in your career, you will need to develop effective communication and interpersonal skills to address various challenges that arise in the workplace. Pro tip: Start reading books and listening to podcasts that focus on leadership and communication development. You’ll notice an improvement in your approach immediately.
Feedback is a thing you’ll have to give. And if you' don’t set your mind to mastering the art of giving it, you’ll notice that you’ll get a lot of it…from your supervisor.
People will disagree with you. In a professional setting, people will challenge your ideas, especially when they're emotionally invested in their jobs and their children. Pay attention to your response, and don't focus solely on the fact that they're challenging you. Expect the challenge. Change your relationship with confrontation. In fact, understand that some pushback is a feature of a quality relationship with another person. Consider that they might have valuable insights. Be open to healthy discussions, as this can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.
A cool openness to being challenged communicates a security and confidence that others tend to respect and appreciate.
People will disregard you. Sometimes, people may ignore your advice or instructions. Acknowledge this reality, assess why it's happening, and manage your emotions and responses accordingly. Approach these situations with patience and understanding, and try to find common ground to ensure everyone is working together effectively. Ask yourself why this is happening and what—if anything—that you can do to improve it.
Learn to prioritize in every scenario. The 80/20 rule can help you focus on the most important tasks to work smarter, not harder. Prioritize your to-do list and work on the tasks that yield the most significant results. By doing this, you can ensure that you're allocating your time and resources efficiently, leading to better overall outcomes for you, your clients, and your team. Get good at answering questions like the following.
What are the three most important things I need to do today?
What are the three most important conversations I’ll need to have today?
What are the three main things I need to accomplish for this consultation?
What is the most important thing that I need to touch on for this parent training?
The more you practice asking these questions and allowing the answers to shape your day, the better you’ll become at making quick and accurate decisions each day.
Accept that some loose ends will never be tied up. Realize that it's impossible to complete every task on your to-do list each day. I spent a great deal of time fretting and worrying about items on my to-do list not being completed. So much so that I stayed later at work, every night, for months, and…well…you know how this story ends. I spent months of my life trying to make my work days perfect at the cost of incredible burnout. Don’t avoid work, but learn to be okay with getting the right things done versus getting everything done.
Be aware of what controls you emotionally. After a great deal of time in the field, I began to recognize the variables and events in my day that I seemed to cause anxiety. These events often triggered avoidant behavior on my part and resulted in my falling behind in tasks and/or coming across as awkward. These events down into three categories: Tasks, conversations, and people.
I routinely check in with myself on these three areas. What task/conversation/person am I not looking forward to engaging with today/this week? I then take note of the emotions and thoughts that they bring about. I also adopt a general attitude of curiosity about the situation. This task/conversation/person seems to really have an influence on my thoughts and feelings, I wonder why? Am I okay with this task/ conversation/person influencing me emotionally? Developing self-awareness and an attitude of self reflection is half the battle.
Analyze your setting events and make changes accordingly. We’re no different from the learners we work with. Any given morning we can come in with baggage. In retrospect, back in the day, I probably lived a lifestyle that introduced all kinds of fun baggage. To be an effective professional, it’s important maintain a healthy lifestyle. Assess your physical health, personal relationships, and recreational habits, adding nutritious activities and people to the mix while removing toxic ones. A well-balanced personal life will positively impact your performance at work and contribute to a more fulfilling career. That’s right, sometimes its not your performance at work that is impacting your performance at work.
Take responsibility for your relationships in the workplace. In the beginning stages of working as a BCBA, it was easy for me to offload some of my frustrations. When individuals disagreed with me or disregarded my feedback, I took it personally. In some instances it’s easy to blame the other person completely. That was then. Now, I take an inventory regarding my professional relationships. Who haven’t I spoken with lately? Who do I need to check in with? And if there has been a disagreement where hard feelings might have been at play, I actively seek to mend the fence. Sometimes that person might not be willing to do so. That’s okay. It’s my job to take responsibility for my behavior in the relationship and not everyone is willing to play ball. Fostering a sense of personal accountability will enable you to develop stronger connections with your colleagues and improve your clinical experience overall.
Your career will be more rewarding than you could have ever imagined. This seems elementary, especially for those of us who are intrinsically motivated to help others. We’re excited to do so. We’re excited because we’ve found a science that helps us do so. The progress we see is incredibly rewarding. But—after 10 years—there’s another reward waiting for you when you adopt the attitude of growth, of getting better. The reward is the person that has pushed themselves to develop all of those skills that they didn’t have when they started. The reward is you.
A quest is always an education. Both as to the character that which is sought and in self-knowledge.
—Alasdair MacIntyre
Like I said, I could probably had another 50 to this list! What advice would you give yourself as a young clinician? Hit me back!
*Again thanks for your patience/understanding with the technical issues.
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