The First Steps to Achieving Professional Growth

When it comes to growth, there is never a final destination because the goal is to be better than the person you were the day before. Yes, you can always use someone else’s roadmap and current destination as inspiration, but it’s ultimately up to you to create the path. In my previous blog post, I spoke about personal growth, but I’d also like to talk about? professional growth. Below are a few quick tips I have for achieving professional growth:

1. Be a forever learner?
2. Have cultural awareness?
3. Seek out guidance and mentorship
4. Be willing to take constructive criticism?
5. Understand the power of listening in communication

Be a Forever Learner

In ABA, continuing education is a requirement, which is great because it forces professionals to learn more. However, I implore professionals seeking growth opportunities to go the extra miles and learn beyond what is expected in the field. It does not require a lot of money or time to learn something new. All it takes is a few minutes a day. Take a little time each day to listen to a podcast, read a book, and watch a video educating you on something that can elevate your professional experience and perspective.?

Have Cultural Awareness

When developing behavior plans, look at the human behind the behavior plan. There is no such thing as a one size fits all approach to ABA, so we as professionals should stop trying to squeeze our clients into boxes that they do not fit.?

In black and brown communities, there is already limited trust with mental and behavioral health professionals, so it is up to us to show the parents and clients we serve that we care about them and the things that matter to them. To do this, here are a few simple actions:?

• Engage in direct interactions and conversations with the clients (and their parents).
• Remember that behind each treatment plan, there is a human, so treat each client (and their parents) like humans and not case numbers.?
• Be transparent and allow the parents and guardians to have buy-in on their child’s progress and successes.?

Seek Out Guidance and Mentorship

Whether you are a student analyst or someone who has been in the field for 25+ years, it is always important to seek out mentorship. Although, as a seasoned professional, it can seem like you know it all, guidance and mentorship can come from a number of people and places that are both unexpected and expected. For me, my longest standing professional mentor is a former professor I had during my time at East Carolina University, but I also lean on co-workers, employees, and more to continue learning.?

Be Willing to Take Constructive Criticism?

I like to follow my reset, restate, and reboot method to accept constructive criticism.?

STEP ONE: Ask the person providing feedback to restate what they said.?

STEP TWO: Restate what the person said based on your understanding of the feedback.?

STEP THREE: Allow the person to guide you to close the gap between your understanding and their meaning.?

STEP FOUR (If Necessary): Don't feel it is necessary to always agree with constructive criticism. If you feel strongly enough, let that person know calmly. For example, “I understand where you are coming from with ___, however, based on ___ this is why I feel otherwise.” The open and calm dialogue can offer both you and the criticized broadened perspective.????

Understand the Power of Listening in Communication

A common thing throughout all the other advice I have given about professional growth, listening is the common theme.?

• To learn and apply continuing education courses and units, you must listen
• To treat clients and their parents like humans and not case numbers, you must listen
• To be guided by a mentor, you must listen
• To accept and apply constructive criticism, you must listen

Listening is the root of it all. To be an effective professional, to be an effective learner, to be an effective communicator, you must first listen, so take the time to practice listening to hear and understand and not simply to reply.?