Barry Gang, MBA, Dip.C.S., C.Psych. Assoc.
Purging filing cabinets, shredding outdated memos, and trying to put things in order for my successor have propelled me down memory lane. I began a usually interesting, and mostly rewarding career as a mental health professional almost 40 years ago. CBT was gaining in popularity and was being seen by some as a panacea. SSRIs were just receiving government approval. We were also coming to grips with the unintended consequences of deinstitutionalization policies. As an obedient supervisee, I adhered to what my supervisors said were best practices.
In the workplace, I would soon get access to a shared desktop computer with a glowing green screen, and a CPU (central processing unit) as high as my desk with a slot for floppy discs. Mobile phones were available but impractical because they were the size of bricks. I don’t believe social media and cancel culture were even on the radar. Most of us were unaware of any divisive identity politics in the professional world.
What seemed important then was listening carefully with the third ear, making clinical formulations based on sound theoretical foundations, and applying the right techniques within professional relationships that were based on trust and authenticity.
Fast forward, after about 20 years, I took a position at the College, where I am reminded every day that good helpers are still trying to help alleviate suffering but are now doing that in an environment of virtual services, cloud technology, artificial intelligence, and other technical ‘advances’. They must also navigate ever-changing legislation and deal with what seems like an unprecedented lack of public and professional civility.
So, what does competent care mean now and what makes for the kind of practitioner you would consider sending someone you care about to?
The College often uses the language of ‘knowledge, skill and judgment as the ingredients of competence. Intuitively, knowledge and skill are relatively simpler to address and typically reflect what we get from graduate school, high quality supervision and robust continuing professional development. Optimizing professional judgment is not as easy to chart. Not surprisingly, my own strong anecdotal observation at the College is that most of the difficulties registrants encounter are more closely related to judgment, than to knowledge or skill.
The American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary of Psychology (2024) defines judgment as the capacity to recognize relationships, draw conclusions from evidence, and make critical evaluations of events and people.
Some good ideas about enhancing the quality of one’s judgment can be borrowed from the business world. Sir Andrew Likierman, professor of management practice at London Business School (cited in Aon website 2020) defines judgment in simple terms as “the ability to combine personal qualities with “relevant knowledge and experience to form opinions and take decisions.” He provides the following suggestions for enhancing judgment:
- Being aware of our own “information filters,” questioning whether the information fits with our experience, and seeking additional or better sources, where necessary
- Attending to the quality of the information and the value of seeking a diversity of opinions and information, rather than looking for an “echo chamber, all while considering the credibility of information sources.
- Thinking about what went right and wrong with past decisions, particularly those made in stressful times
- Understanding one’s own biases and seeking the input of an objective third party where necessary.
- Not accepting what seems at first to be the obvious option
- Understanding that a decision itself isn’t the final step, but implementation is also critical to finding success.
Likierman cites economist John Maynard Keynes who said ‘When facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir? Likierman says “Sticking to something regardless of the facts is one of the best-known biases giving rise to poor judgment.”
Most registrants can, with relative ease, figure out the path toward enhanced knowledge and skill by thoughtfully accessing educational and other experiential pathways. The good judgment to use that knowledge and skill for the betterment of clients, society and ourselves requires more of an inward journey that is no less important.
References:
Huber, S., (2002). Defining and assessing professional competence. Virtual Mentor American Medical Association Journal of Ethics. Volume 4 (2): 37-39. Accessed on November 27, 2024 from: https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/sites/joedb/files/2022-02/nlit1-0202.pdf
APA Dictionary of Psychology. 2024. Accessed on November 27,2024 from: (https://dictionary.apa.org/judgment ,
Brust-Renck, P., Weldon, R., & Reyna, V. (2021, April 26). Judgment and Decision Making. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology. Retrieved 3 Dec. 2024, from https://oxfordre.com/psychology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/acrefore-9780190236557-e-536.
Aon Website (2020). The 6 Elements of Good Judgment for Better Decisions . Retrieved on November 27, 2024 from: https://www.aon.com/en/insights/articles/the-6-elements-of-good-judgment-for-better-decisions#:~:text=%E2%80%9CGood%20judgment%20combines%20what%20you,of%20crisispreparation%20and%20risk%20management