Effective Communication: The Foundation
of Professionalism
Elizabeth Abbey
Board Certified Exercise Physiologists
Graduate Student
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN 55811
“The most basic of all human needs
is the need to understand and be understood. The best way the best
way to understand people is to listen to them.” -Ralph Nichols
Communication is the key. Any employer
in the process of hiring will tell you that good communication skills are
probably the most sought after qualities in a candidate. Sure, everyone
wants bright employees, but what good is intelligence if it isn’t effectively
expressed in a meaningful way? If we are to gain any respect and
recognition as professionals, we must become better communicators.
The scope of practice for exercise physiology
is incredibly broad and, in many ways, misunderstood. When I decided
to pursue a master’s degree in exercise physiology, every person that I
informed of my plans asked some form of the question, “What exactly is
an exercise physiologist?” At the time, I wasn’t even completely
sure of the answer to that question. I thought that exercise physiologists
only existed as researchers and/or coaches. To me, a degree in exercise
physiology seemed like the science equivalent of a history or philosophy
degree; the only jobs that seem to exist are in academia. After a
week of graduate school, that notion was quickly dispelled. I learned
that exercise physiologists do so much more!
We not only do research and coach athletic
teams, we also work in clinics providing professional judgments and advice
on health and fitness, preventative, rehabilitative, and educational services.
Our specialized knowledge on the physiology of exercise can be applied
to a diverse client base. We help professional athletes maximize
their physiological potentials, and we develop exercise programs for diabetics
as a means of treating their disease.
Upon entering a master’s program in exercise
physiology my goal was and, still is, to pursue a doctorate degree and
eventually teach and coach at the collegiate level. However, as I
said, at that time, I was not aware of the vast opportunities available
to exercise physiologists. I did not realize that exercise physiology
was an emerging profession. I did not see a need to distinguish between
sports science and exercise physiology.
Over the course of my master’s program,
I have come to realize that exercise physiology is in a critical stage
of professional development. Exercise physiologists have the specialized
knowledge to create a niche in exercise prescription and disease prevention.
The statistics on obesity and the rise of type 2 diabetes in America are
staggering. More than ever, we are a country in need of the expertise
that exercise physiologists have to offer.
If we could narrow our focus on one thing
that would solidify our credibility and establish ourselves as a profession,
it would be to properly communicate what we do and who we are to the public.
Communication is at the foundation of our profession. Each of the
fourteen ASEP goals and objectives encourages communication to some extent:
communication with the public and with the
scientific community, and with one another.
For example, consider goal #2 which states that ASEP strives to “promote
and encourage the exchange of ideas and information regarding all phases
of exercise physiology.” And, #8: “To be a dynamic and action-oriented
clearinghouse for questions regarding the exercise physiology profession.”
As well as #9: “To increase visibility and enhance the image of the
exercise physiology profession” [1]. Just looking at these three
points, it is obvious that communication is essential to what we do as
exercise physiologists.
So, what does effective communication look
like? Communication can be simply defined as the “exchange and flow
of information and ideas from one person to another” [2]. For communication
to take place there must be a sender who transmits an idea to a receiver.
Effective communication occurs when the receiver understands exactly the
idea that the sender transmitted. We can ensure that a message has
been properly received by feedback. Communication is a two-way street.
All parties must be involved for complete information exchange to take
place. In many cases, communication gets blocked by physical and
psychological barriers. Culture, noise, stress, personal bias, and
self-absorption are all examples of barriers that inhibit effective communication
[2].
To communicate properly, we must first
eliminate those obstacles that are blocking our message. For example,
professional pride can be a major road-block to effective communication.
We can become so entrenched in our chosen field and expectations for it,
that we ignore the input of others. Passion is a basic ingredient
of leadership. In their book Learning to Lead, Bennis and
Goldsmith explain that, when properly communicated “passion gives hope
and inspiration to others” [3]. Passion can infuse an organization
with energy, but a leader must make sure that it does not cloud his/her
ability to communicate. I have met many individuals who are passionate
about their chosen professions, but are unable to communicate their passions
to others.
Effective communication is almost more
about listening than speaking. A listener must not only attend to
the words of the speaker, but his/her feelings as well [2]. Rarely
do effective listeners make enemies, in fact, quite the contrary is true.
One of the best qualities that we can develop is the ability to listen.
Listening does not equal agreement, but it does acknowledge that the listener
values the thoughts and input of the speaker. Imagine how much more
smoothly organizations would run if everyone took the time to really listen
to one another!
How does all of this apply to exercise
physiologists? Where do we even start? First, we must be able
to openly communicate with one another - exercise physiologist to exercise
physiologist. This step must take place before communication with
other professions and the public. Boone addresses this issue by stating
that “the connection between people or members of an occupation, discipline,
or an emerging profession is not possible without the opportunity to imagine
the possibilities and to speak “openly” about feelings, work, and the perception
of work, and experiences that result from it” [4]. How open are we
with one another? Openness does not mean agreement, but I do believe
that it involves understanding.
Given the number of exercise physiologists
in the world, there are an equal number of beliefs about the direction
that the profession should take. It would be impossible to reconcile
every difference of opinion, but it is not unreasonable to expect a universal
understanding. Exercise physiologists need to listen to each other,
identify common goals, and develop a plan for achieving those goals.
Only after we communicate with one another
can we pursue the next step - communicating with other professions.
I was recently in a multidisciplinary health sciences leadership course
that involved collaboration with physical therapy, occupational therapy,
health information management, and nursing students. Many of these
individuals were unaware of what exercise physiologists do. How can
we expect the public to understand our role if the other health professions
are in the dark? We have allies in these professions if we are willing
to take the time to build some bridges. Working closely with other
professionals is a guaranteed way to properly advertise exercise physiology.
The final step is communicating our profession
to the public. I look forward to the day when I will no longer have
to explain to people what exercise physiologists do. I want our profession
to be universally understood just as physical therapy and nursing are understood
by the public. Until that day, however, I will have a lot of talking
and "listening" to do. The best thing we can do as exercise physiologists
is to educate people about our qualifications and the services that we
provide. The public needs to be aware of what sets us apart from
other health professions.
For example, you go to a physical therapist
after the damage is done. As exercise physiologists, our niche is
in prevention. The public doesn’t know this, though!
When a diabetic wants to lose weight and become more physically active,
he/she doesn’t look up an exercise physiologist in the yellow pages.
He/she goes to a health club and looks to a personal trainer, who has nowhere
near the educational experience of an exercise physiologist. This
needs to change.
So, whose job is it to spread the good
news about exercise physiology? The responsibility lies on all of
us. From the bachelor prepared exercise physiologist to the PhD,
we must all do our part in promoting the profession. College students
specifically are a great place to start; light a fire under them, and their
excitement is contagious. Student involvement should begin with the
founding of student ASEP chapters at all ASEP accredited institutions,
as well as attendance at the National ASEP Conference. By helping
students to identify with and grab hold of the profession from the beginning
of their undergraduate careers, they will begin to make a difference even
before they enter the work force.
The key to this success is ownership and
forward thinking. Over and over again I have heard about the dwindling
job opportunities for exercise physiologists. We can sit around and
talk about the poor state that exercise physiology is in and complain about
the lack of respect that we receive, or we can look ahead and try to change
things. I’m not one to make excuses about how our profession has
failed in the past or has missed opportunities. Thankfully, we live
in the present.
As a graduate student, I know that my experience
and resources are limited. The best way that I know how to support
my profession is by telling people about exercise physiology. This
means communicating with exercise physiologists, my peers in the other
health sciences, and the public. Granted, we have a long way to go
professionally to be as universally accepted as nurses and physical therapists,
but we are moving forward. Accreditation and licensure are steps
in the right direction. Exercise physiology is an emerging profession,
and I’m excited to see how it will grow in the next 10, 30, and 50+ years.
Yes, I am confident that ASEP will continue to grow stronger. The
speed of this growth, however, depends on how well we are able to communicate
with the public, our peers in the other health sciences, and with one another.
References
1. American Society of Exercise
Physiologists (2004). Goals and Objectives. [Online].
http://www.asep.org/goals.htm.
2. Clark, D. (1997). Leadership-
Communication. [Online]. http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcom.html.
3. Bennis, W. and Goldsmith, J.
(2003). Learning to Lead. New York: Basic Books.
4. Boone, T. (2001). Creating
Our Own Future: The Value of Communication. Professionalization
of Exercise Physiology Online. Vol. 4, No. 9. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/Communication.html.
