Straight Talk

Subscribe | Advertise | About Us | Contact Us | Home

June/July 2002

By Shari A. Rone-Adams, MS, PT, GCS, DBA(c)

Organizational behavior often uses the word "culture" to describe the way certain groups of people behave. Culture is what emerges when individuals come together to form a social or professional group based on occupation, work groups, or skills. The culture consists of the observable behaviors that groups of people create through their social interaction.

The variables that define the culture of rehabilitation include standards of practice, ethical norms, legal standards, legislation, innovation and technology, and hierarchical structures. The influence these variables have on the profession is relative to the impact they have within the profession. Some variables have more influence than others, and how much effect any one variable has can change depending on its magnitude and the environment. Over time, these variables are modified in order for a group to preserve its character, maintain its equilibrium, and differentiate itself from other groups. As these variables change, the basic assumption of who we are and what we are qualified to do changes, causing a ripple effect throughout the various components of our professions.

MANAGING TRANSITION

Rehabilitation professionals are caught in a transition between the old bureaucratic culture and the new emerging culture. The old culture consisted of cost-based reimbursement, varied standards of practice with emphasis on process, and a high degree of reliance on trial and error. There was dependence on the organization, success equaled promotion, and entitlement was the word of the day. Today, rehabilitation professionals are practicing in an environment of autonomous practice, where there are more uniform standards of care and an emphasis on evidence-based practice.

Reimbursement is prospective in nature, and outcomes rather than process are used as a benchmark of success. Success is driven by continuous learning, which adds value to a portfolio of skills and roles. As Peggy Simonsen wrote in her book Promoting a Development Culture in Your Organization, "Individuals must grow in ways needed by the organization, even as the organization expands its capacity to create its future. Employees are expected to grow...and are rewarded for success as measured by their contributions."1

Rehabilitation professionals are facing increasing challenges in the changing health care environment. The challenges in today's rapidly changing world include decreasing funds, new and expensive technology, greater job complexity, higher demands from customers, and the necessity to increase efficiency and productivity. Identifying and classifying these culture changes can aid in developing strategies not only to cope with stress but to maximize career success. In order to continue to be successful, rehabilitation professionals must now learn to behave in ways that will satisfy the remaining remnants of the bureaucratic culture and, at the same time, anticipate and meet the emerging expectations of the future. Failure to anticipate the influence of these changes can doom professional alliances and, ultimately, professional success.

JOB AND ROLE INVENTORY

In today's volatile and rapidly changing environment, rehabilitation professionals must regularly evaluate current skills and knowledge and career goals to determine if they are in sync with the current marketplace and with the marketplace of the future. Important questions to ask include:

What are the key dimensions of the job and who are the stakeholders?
How will the environment change over the next few years?
How will change impact the current dimensions of the job and the expectations of the stakeholders?
How will the skills and knowledge needed for the job change based on the changing environment and the changing expectations of the stakeholders?

This kind of self-job analysis is in sharp contrast to the typical job evaluation that is done by most companies and the self-analysis that is typically done by most professionals. In the past, the emphasis of professionals has typically been preparing for the next job or career move rather than the long-range plan several years out. Too often professionals take jobs that fit them today without consideration for the future status of the job or the future demands the job will exact. An accurate sense of what the priorities must be as one looks to the future is a must for survival in today's world.2

MARKETING AND PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

As rehabilitation professionals evaluate the skills and knowledge required for the future, they must also learn how to legitimately market themselves, their ideas, and their accomplishments. Hard work and conscientious effort no longer automatically result in career advancement. Unfortunately, many professionals who have strong performance records never develop and use self-promotion and self-marketing skills that are becoming essential in maximizing career potential. These professionals undermarket themselves and their abilities because of personal modesty and never achieve the success they are capable of. Although self-marketing is not a substitute for solid performance, solid performance without self-marketing is doomed.

As part of a marketing and career self-management program, rehabilitation professionals need to develop a portable skills portfolio. This portfolio must be significantly expanded from what has typically been used in the past. Not only must it show individual job competency but also competency in areas such as information literacy, interpersonal relationships, team leadership, "followership," and the ability to anticipate and proactively react to career/professional changes and adaptations. Just as companies will not hire someone who does not have the particular expertise or skills they require, companies in the future will not hire individuals without a proven record of team skills, expertise in professional interactions, and the ability to grow and adapt within a constantly changing environment. Career success in collaborative cultures depends on having team leadership/followership skills along with a good individual performance record.

TAKING CONTROL

Rehabilitation professionals need to take control of their future. Knowing and understanding the changing culture and developing career survival skills are vital. The following essential survival skills should be considered:

Enhance people skills. No matter how sophisticated the technology of communication becomes, there will always be the need for strong interpersonal relationships within the profession and the organization. Over time, as we develop more telemedicine and alternate distance communication systems, these relationships may need to adapt to the new telecommuting environment.
Discover and adapt to change. No matter what stage of your career you are in, the need to take inventory of today's world is essential. Knowing the current skills, knowledge, and professional interaction abilities needed for today's job and the expertise that will be needed for tomorrow's job is essential to future career planning.
Be flexible. Flexibility in technical and people skills is key. Professionals must have a portfolio of technical skills from which to choose as well as a portfolio of interpersonal and communication skills. This will allow for independent work as well as teamwork, as the job demands require. The ability to move seamlessly between the different roles will be integral to success.
Keep learning. The learning environment is here to stay. It requires a commitment of time and sometimes money. Knowledge is expanding at an incredible rate. Professionals must make a commitment to be part of a learning organization and have a hand in shaping the future of the knowledgeable worker in rehabilitation.
Embrace new technologies. Success in today's market will include technology. The key will be the ability to shift and change as the rules change and to embrace the new rules.
Develop new capacities. It is not just about knowing more, but rather about knowing what will be needed for the future and developing those skills before the future arrives. We must be all-terrain professionals, who can develop, adapt, and change as the circumstances demand.

SECURING THE FUTURE

The rapidly changing face of today's health care economy demands innovative and progressive responses from individuals to effectively compete in the marketplace. The changing rehabilitation culture demands individuals who are resourceful and innovative, and who will embrace change and welcome the challenges it presents. Peggy Simonsen sums it up, "It is essential that individuals (employees) understand the changing (employment) contract, hear a clear message about the requirements for success in the future, know clearly the business needs and the competencies expected for contribution on the present job, and have the resources necessary for development in order to take ownership of their own careers and development."¹ Rehabilitation professionals must take the steps needed to ensure that dialogue is ongoing between the professional and the changing environment whereby the needs of the professional and the profession are clearly communicated, understood, and aligned.

Shari A. Rone-Adams, MS, PT, GCS, DBA(c), is an assistant professor in the physical therapy program at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She can be reached via email at srone@nova.edu.

References

Simonsen P. Promoting a Development Culture in Your Organization. Palo Alto, Calif: Davies-Black Publishing; 1997.
Schein EH. Career Survival. San Diego: Pfeiffer and Co; 1995.

LOOKING FOR EXPERT ADVICE?

Experts here are available to answer all your questions!

Please contact us for more information about this feature, or to become an expert.

MEDIA CENTER

Interactive Media

Resources

	Calendar
	Consumer Resources
	Media Kit
	Advertiser Index EAB Reprints Submit an Article

ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES

Allied Media
24X7mag Clinical Lab Products (CLP) Orthodontic Products The Hearing Review Hearing Review Products Rehab Management		Physical Therapy Products Plastic Surgery Practice Imaging Economics RT Magazine Sleep Review