Lauren Schnell M.Ed., BCBA

Caldwell College

According to a survey conducted by Bailey and Burch (2010) company owners and senior behavior analysts, in charge of training entry level behavior consultants, express the most concern over . .

NEW HIRES UNAWARENESS OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL

SHORTCOMINGS

unorganized

unsure

overwhelmed

Over their heads

Boringunrealistic

unaware

As a result of this unawareness, behavioral consultants would miss the signs that something is going wrong.

Because these consultants were unaware of the problem, they didn’t seek help when necessary.

There are always signs that something isn’t going right but the professional has to pay close attention.

Phone calls or emails are not returned Meetings are cancelled Key people don’t show up to meetings Colleagues are cold, don’t make eye contact There is a shift in the relationship between

colleagues, supervisors Informal communication has stopped Read body language

Runs smoothly from start to finish Initial meeting with client is pleasant Made a good first impression Spend time with the client Complete your analysis Develop a BIP Get consent, Train Staff and VOILA . . .

BEHAVIOR CHANGE

The consultant is uncomfortable as a trainer

Something went wrong when the consequence was applied

You/the teacher/consultant is unsure about BIP and doesn’t ask questions

Body language is poor when presenting results of intervention

Resistance from staff or colleagues during trainings or discussions

The manager or supervisor seems unsure and is constantly asking to see progress

Admitting your uncertainty can be embarrassing

What if you get fired? What will happen to your reputation? What if there isn’t a problem and you

waste everyone’s time and energy?

Most organizations want you to be successful

Supervisors are responsible for providing support, supervision and extra training if it is necessary.

Good people are hard and expensive to find, providing extra training is beneficial to the company as a whole.

As a professional you must sell yourself and your product (behavior analysis)

Establish trust with your client, present your product and focus on:Customer Service: focus on how the client if

responding to the information (are they overwhelmed? Do they understand your terminology?), provide examples

Be Interactive: get your client talking, asking questions, nodding and smiling

Read the Client’s Body Language: how are they sitting? Are they making eye contact and nodding along? Do they look bored, disinterested, unsure?

- Contact your supervisor immediately- Place a phone call, send an email and ASK FOR A

MEETING- Describe the circumstances from beginning to end- Don’t leave out embarrassing details, be objective, don’t

apologize- Make your supervisor aware of your persistence, and

desire to learn- Make your commitment to the company clear

Ask for feedback and additional training!!!

This can be difficult Listen humbly Remember the information you receive

is good for your professional growth

The feedback session may be long Taking notes ensures you don’t miss or

forget any important points Demonstrates your commitment to

learning

Listen to every word, follow the arguments closely

Your body language should demonstrate that you value her feedback

Don’t interrupt. Ever. Pay attention to subtle cues, act friendly

and professional, not defensive. Don’t cry. EVER! Don’t giggle nervously or apologize

profusely.

Don’t argue, take offense or try to justify that you have or haven’t done.

At the end of the meeting, summarize what was discussed.

Shake hands, smile and follow up with an email putting all key points in writing (from your notes).

Create a written document which summarizes the feedback session based upon your notes.

Write in list format, with bullets making it easier to understand.

Email it as an attachment to your supervisor. Indicate time lines for specific actions to be

taken. Make sure to thank your supervisor for her

time.

Organize your next moves Follow the steps necessary to fix the

problem Make a timeline and indicate what

exactly you will do.Phone callsEmailsFax reportsMeetings with colleagues

Correspond with your supervisor often to relay your progress.

Indicate when you have had a meeting, the outcome and next steps of the plan.

Demonstrate that you are taking the process of correction seriously.

Schedule a follow up meeting with your supervisor (approximately 1 month after your initial meeting)

Thank her for her time and describe what you have completed thus far (you should have solved most of the problems by the time you meet)

Should be short and to the point End with a firm handshake, smile and

sincere appreciation of their advice

In Summary . .

Behavioral Consultants are Responsible Behavioral Consultants are Responsible forfor

Delivering the most effective empirically based product to clients

making a great presentation and maintaining a happy relationship with the client for long durations of time

Conducting themselves in a way that clients will respect them and their skill set

Acknowledging that you can’t make everyone happy, learn from every encounter, pay attention, earn other’s respect and try hard

Bailey, J. & Burch, M. (2010). 25 Essential Skills & Strategies for the Professional Behavior Analyst New

York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.