Promoting Occupational Therapy and Yourself Through Personal Power

1. Promoting Occupational Therapy and Yourself Through Personal Power Brent Braveman, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Director of Rehabilitation Services MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Texas American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference April 27, 2012

2. AOTA Centennial Vision Statement "We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs."

3. What is Power and why are some people afraid of it?

4. Power and the Centennial Vision Once upon a time at a leadership retreat…….

5. Occupational Therapy’s Relationship with Power • Historically, occupational therapy practitioners have not been comfortable with being powerful • Why the unease? • Opposite of caring • Masculine attribute • Associated with domination F. Clark, 2011

6. Five Traditional Types of Power • Reward-is power that a person has because he or she has control of the resources. The target person complies in order to obtain rewards he or she believes are controlled by the agent. • Coercive-is power is power that a person has because he or she has control of the punishments or demotions. • Legitimate- is power based on the position or title that one person may have. • Expert- is power based on some knowledge that a person may have that others may not. • Referent- is power based solely on attractive characteristics that a person may have.

7. Powerful • Leadership role in healthcare delivery system • Education as basis for power • Active in policy-making • Use of technology to provide services • Influence change to benefit society • Proliferation of private-pay practices F. Clark, 2011

8. Power and Gender • Male stereotype/gender role emphasizes agenticpower or the ability to act and assert power independently of a social or bureaucratic structure • Males taught to assume leadership roles, exert dominance • Female stereotype/gender role emphasizes communal power • Females taught to place needs of others over their own, exert collaboration Ethel Cantu http://blue.utb.edu/ecantu/psyc%204312/notes/notespower.htm

9. The Power of Woman

10. The Power of Woman • There were 11 people - ten men and one woman - hanging onto a rope that came down from a helicopter. • They all decided that one person should get off, because if they didn't, the rope would break and everyone would die. • No one could decide who should go, so finally, the woman gave a really touching speech saying how she would give up her life to save the others, because women were used to giving up things for their husbands and children, giving in to men, and not receiving anything in return.

11. The Power of Woman When she finished speaking, all the men started clapping!

12. Getting Comfortable with the Idea of Being Powerful • Power is neither good nor bad • “How an individual uses or misuses power ultimately colors the perception of power in the view of others” (Ulrich, 1987) F. Clark, 2011

13. Are you a good witch or a bad witch?

14. Building Personal Power • Personal power is based on strength, confidence, and competence that individuals gradually acquire in the course of their development. • Personal power is more an attitude or state of mind than an attempt to maneuver or control others. It is based on competence, vision, positive personal qualities, and service. • When externalized it is likely to be more generous, creative and humane than other forms of power. Robert Firestone, PhD http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-experience/200904/personal-power

15. Building Personal Power • Be thoughtful about developing a presence and identity in the profession and in your organization (manage your image) • Network in a meaningful way • Develop and maintain a professional network • Look for opportunities for adding key contacts • Benefits can go in two directions

16. Building Personal Power • Be a good colleague • Help others to the top (be a connector) • Be a giver of resources (especially unexpected resources) • Identify and try to resolve new and upcoming issues • Show strong commitment • Be active in external efforts like nonprofit boards RosabethKanter, 2011 http://blogs.hbr.org/kanter/2010/10/six-extras-that-build-power-an.html

17. Building Personal Power • Personal power rests on credibility • You must allow yourself to be challenged • Value affiliation versus people affiliation • Commitment to the right thing • Don’t overlook personal appeal

18. Building Personal Power (Tom Peters, 1997) • Search out hidden levers; power often lies in the details. • Accumulate Rolodex power. • Build credibility from the outside in. • Write the agenda (for meetings). • Join Toastmasters • Maintain one good friend who revels in telling you that you're full of hooey.

19. Building Personal Power (Tom Peters, 1997) • Move slightly prematurely and fast. • Don't forget the little people; they can torpedo you. • Remind people (gently) of how much you've done for them. • Hand out recognition. • Don’t forget thank you notes. • Remember that goals are (mostly) stupid. Seize the day.

20. Building Expert Power • Gain expertise • Promote an image of expertise • Maintain credibility • Act confidently and decisively in crisis • Keep informed • Recognize subordinate concerns • Avoid threatening the self-esteem of subordinates

21. Take Home Messages • Personal and expert power are not zero sum games, you do not lose power when others gain it and vice versa • Becoming a powerful profession rests upon the actions of occupational therapists as a group and relies upon the support of membership (e.g. AOTA and AOTPAC) • Creating and leveraging personal and expert power benefits not only the profession but you personally • It is a win, win, win, for the profession, your organization and your career.

22. Q and A