Growing up, you probably remember your mother telling you, “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” But as adults, do we always stick to that mantra? Chances are, you or someone you know has been on the giving or receiving end of a hurtful comment.
With that in mind, the Professionalism Committee has chosen “Respect” as their theme this year. It’s one of the five stated institutional values for UTMB and it’s a subject that Rebecca Saavedra, Ed.D., and Dr. Mark Holden, co-chairs of the Professionalism Committee, have heard a lot about from faculty, staff and students.
“When you look at the comments and emails we receive through the Professionalism website, the underlying theme is someone feels disrespected,” said Holden, who is also vice chairman for undergraduate and continuing education and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. “It could be employee-to-employee or student-to-faculty or vice versa, but I’d say about 90 percent of the concern notes we receive are from people who feel disrespected.”
At large academic health centers like UTMB, the focus is likely on scientific knowledge and clinical skills rather than the basics of professionalism, respect and compassion. However, the Professionalism Committee, made up of individuals from across the mission areas and workforce segments, has been making an effort to become more visible across campus, hosting six forums addressing such issues as how to communicate feedback appropriately and how to respond to criticism.
“Respect is a big issue, not just at UTMB, but in all workplaces,” said Saavedra, vice president for Strategic Management. “We are a diverse organization with different cultures, upbringings and ways of dealing with things. Sometimes people can misinterpret comments or not know how to interact with different personalities. What we are trying to do is create a healthier work environment and culture of respect.”
The first round of open forums in January was titled “Got Respect?” Faculty, staff and students had the opportunity to voice their concerns and offer suggestions for building positive relationships. Based on feedback from the initial participants, the second round of forums focused on how to have constructive conversations and addressed the roles of different disciplines at UTMB in an effort to nurture respect among professions.
“Our goal is to make people aware of others and understand where others are coming from, and then provide some actual beginning skills on how to start a tough conversation,” said Holden. “For me, the challenge is, how do you start out, what’s the first sentence? If you can’t begin the conversation, you can’t have any conversation, so we’re trying to help open up lines of communication.”
So far, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People keep saying they want these skills, whether they are the head of a department or a team member,” said Saavedra. “Since beginning the forums, people have told me, ‘I’m going to be more aware of my personal behavior and actions’ and ‘I will be more aware of starting my conversations with ‘I’ instead of ‘You.’”
Saavedra hopes that the more we talk about professionalism, the more we will all understand it and be equipped with the right skills and tools to communicate effectively with one another. Additional professionalism initiatives are in the works and, with several off-site facilities and CMC units located throughout the state, they are also looking into using videoconferencing to reach more employees.
For more information on the committee, the Professionalism Charter (a living document that defines the elements of professionalism for all UTMB faculty, staff and students) or to report disrespectful behavior, visit the Professionalism website.
Faculty Forum: “Tough talk: Having a constructive conversation”
Noon to 1 p.m., June 9 (lunch provided)
Levin Hall Dining Room (Galveston Campus)
1 hour CNE or CME (professionalism/ethics) credit available
RSVP by June 5 at ext. 71247 or online https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYC6NPW