PEPonline
Professionalization
of
Exercise Physiologyonline
An
international electronic
journal
for exercise physiologists
ISSN
1099-5862
Vol
3 No 12 December 2000
|
What Does it
Take to Lead an Organization?
Tommy Boone, PhD,
MPH, FASEP, EPC
Professor and Chair
Director, Exercise Physiology
Laboratories
College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN
Last week I read
several interesting postings on the cardiac rehabilitation egroup.
I found the following comment interesting.
“ASEP is not a serious contender
because of leadership.” – Jeff Roitman
What appears to be missing in the comment
is the changing nature of leadership. The author has failed to appreciate
that individuals have the right to differing points of view. ASEP
has demonstrated respect for sports medicine professionals in a variety
of ways. Recent attempts by Dr. Robert Robergs to establish a professional
affiliation with ACSM have met with no response from ACSM. Leaders
of ACSM could operate in a far more positive fashion, but they haven't.
Exercise physiologists had to go on the offensive.
When caring professionals plunge into the
heart of an issue, there is no single right formula to follow. Members
of ASEP have the right to create their own solution. Not surprisingly,
they have their own particular take on leadership and professional success.
The purpose of this brief article is to explain what everyone should already
know. It takes guts to make a decision to walk 100% in the opposite
direction, even if you were to believe your colleagues might understand.
ASEP leadership is not perfect, and they may not be much more than average
at what they do. However, what they have done is take great personal
and professional risk to correct mistakes. ASEP exercise physiologists
have stood up for what they think is the right thing to do, and they have
solved a few problems as well.
ASEP members have listened to the issues
and concerns of many college students, exercise physiologists in the healthcare
settings, and those directly responsible for academic programs. The
organization exists for exercise physiologists who are impassionate about
what they do and what they believe in. Members believe they have
the right to exist, and that it is utterly inappropriate and improper to
suggest otherwise. The idea that all exercise physiologists, including
the undergraduate prepared, should be winners, or nobody should be is embraced
by all ASEP members.
If leadership is about vision, and persuading
members to join, ASEP has chosen the right people. Drs. Robergs and
Carter are passionate about building an enduring organization driven by
the ASEP vision. By now, everybody around the world should know what
the members want to accomplish. They want to create an unprecedented
opportunity for all exercise physiologists to be respected and credible
professionals. In just a few short years, they have done just that
with the “Exercise Physiologist Certified” exam. Whether anyone likes
it or not, today there are certified exercise physiologists!
For individuals, however dedicated to their
professional work, to speak negatively about specific leaders of another
professional organization isn't right. Individuals have all the reason
in the world to fight for their own ideas, if they think they are right.
If professionals disagree, they should at least respect the other person's
willingness to change what can be changed. Professionals have a right
to disagree in how they think their work for a higher purpose should be
realized, which reminds me of the statement: "Usually if everybody is going
in one direction it's wrong."
All anyone can do is the best he/she can.
Being ready to change directions if necessary to achieve the ASEP vision
is imperative, as well as being sincere on behalf of all exercise physiologists.
Members of different ASEP committees are talking the talk, literally.
Many readers of PEPonline may not realize the work that is underway, but
their energy, integrity, and caring for exercise physiology are appreciated.
Some are more flexible and adaptable than others, but all are willing to
learn to feel valued and to have a stronger profession.
While leadership is important, I'm reminded
of the statement: "When the best leader's work is done, the people say,
'We did it ourselves.' " ASEP is not about one or two individuals as leaders
of a face-to-face recognition that change is inevitable. Instead,
it is about a team of exercise physiology professionals who have decided
that it is time to control their own destiny.
In our professional life with other people
we are engaged continuously, through words, papers, and actions, in creating
and re-creating the organizational institutions that make life possible.
The process is never neutral but it should be ethical and fair, since organizations
operate by ideas of right and wrong and conceptions of inescapable good.
Hence, if we are to be wise in the development of our profession and the
use of different organizations, we must assess and evaluate what exercise
physiologists want and need, and how (or whether) a particular organization
may help us in achieving it. But most of all we have to allow for
talk and discussion, and we also have to discover and respect the professionals
on both sides of the issue. One obvious place is on the Internet.
There is a qualitative difference between real dialogue and abusive flame.
The idea of an organization for just exercise
physiologists is not new, but most have not wanted to attempt it.
To reopen or to actually do something about the limited jobs in exercise
physiology, we have to bring others into our discussions. In so doing,
even if everyone is able to put aside "what's in it for me," there will
be real and legitimate differences of interpretation and application of
principles. The differences will reach out to every condition and
circumstance of what we do. The aphorism, "As a man thinketh in his
heart so is he," embraces the sum of all his thoughts. It is fair
to say that some exercise physiologists are anxious to improve their circumstances,
but are unwilling to consider options. They consider themselves justified
in keeping in stride with organizations that have strength in number, that
are considered credible, and have legislative power.
The proof of this truth is their unwillingness
to discover the hidden powers and possibilities within an organization
created by exercise physiologists for exercise physiologists. This
being so, exercise physiologists with the heart to change have the right
to link their thoughts with a central purpose in their life. They
also have the right to set out to achieve it. Such is not wrong but
right when the "invisible" exercise physiologists have not lived like the
PhD exercise physiologists. It is for them that ASEP is no longer
a dream but rather a reality. They now can benefit from the dreamers
who just a few years ago dreamed a beautiful vision from which its members
shall become professionals.
Those who condemn the leaders of ASEP as
non-important exercise physiologists are a bit thoughtless. They
either fail to see the trials, failures, and struggles which so many non-PhD
exercise physiologists have voluntarily encountered in order to gain work
or “stay the course” with their traditional thinking. Seeing, hearing,
and speaking with many of these individuals who have faith in the idea
that clinical exercise physiology is exercise physiology has caused many
to believe that the clinical realm of work is too narrow in career opportunities.
Work in cardiac rehabilitation can be very rewarding for the PhD prepared.
It is a different story for the non-PhD professional who receives relatively
little benefit and return for the effort. Part of the problem, from
my perspective, is that certification should first be designed for the
exercise physiologists, not specifically for the person who works in a
hospital setting. Also, just any certification, regardless of its
quality, is not enough if the purpose of the certification fails to hit
the target.
The problem is not the question of the
quality of a particular sports medicine certification or its advocates.
For years, I lectured in many of the exercise technologists and exercise
specialists workshops. I did so without consideration of what it
meant to my exercise physiology students, that is, until a friend pulled
me to the side and asked for a few minutes of my time. His concern
was, "What went wrong?" Why are the exercise physiologists in sports
medicine empathizing with non-exercise science/physiology students?
Frankly, I was confused that this young man could not see the benefits
of the workshop and the efforts of so many hard working professionals.
It took some serious thinking to get past my beliefs of some 20 years.
Yet, the more I realized that his question was a "cry for help" and a better
way to affirm his worth as an exercise physiology student, I realized very
clearly that he had the same right as the physical therapy student or the
nursing student to feel special.
A certification that helps individuals
who are not exercise physiologists access traditionally acknowledged exercise
physiology jobs isn't right. It is a glaring statement that says,
"You don't count in my eyes, you're not important to me, your thoughts
and feelings don't matter." These messages are often expressed implicitly
through the dedication to support the sports medicine certifications, regardless
of what the non-PhD exercise physiologists are concerned about. They
cry out for affirmation, and yet their professors are actually willing
to certify anyone who passes the exam. Fortunately, most members
of ASEP are no longer supporting certifications that do not help exercise
physiology students.
What went wrong bears repeating?
The certification's process and insensitivity toward an audience of undergraduate
exercise science/physiology students have caused them to feel less than
special. It is logical, from their view, that if their goal in life
is to be an exercise physiologist, then the goal is compromised when other
individuals who are certified but are not academically prepared exercise
physiologists apply for the same job. Hence, the objective of the
EPC exam is to bridge the gap and build trust. It demonstrates
an understanding of the issues and concerns of the undergraduate audience
by providing a certification just for exercise physiologists.
The EPC is a positive, shared perspective
that allows both exercise physiology faculty and students to proceed with
the belief that "we understand each other". It is a direct result
of a shared experience that helped me realize my earlier efforts, as a
lecturer in sports medicine workshops, could be viewed as "an ego running
amok." Fortunately, now I'm part of a group that is working to solve
problems rather than merely pointing them out. We don't have to fear
rejection or negative comments. Now that we have the opportunity
to build our own future, students and teachers alike can adopt the ASEP
hope for a better future, do something else, or not do anything.
It is entirely our decision. We do have options. We can act
now and join ASEP, wait and think it over, or stay with whatever organization
that is right at the time. Think about it.
References
1.
Roitman, J. (2000). Response to CEP statements. Cardiac-Rehab egroup. Available
Online. www.
egroups.com/message/cardiac-rehab/552
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©1997-2000 American Society of Exercise Physiologists. All Rights
Reserved.
ASEP
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