Behavioral Science: Applications in Leadership & Supervision Conference 2021

The Limits of Staff Management: What Happens When You’re Not There?

Abstract:

This presentation will discuss the issue of reactivity in staff management research. The potential problem is that the effects of staff management interventions are evaluated when a researcher is present to collect data, thus risking reactivity to observation as a potential confounding variable in much of the research. The talk describes the issue of reactivity and the need for better assessment of staff performance that does not pose the risk of reactivity. The presentation discusses research on reactivity in staff management that illustrates the problem, discusses potential solutions to the problem, and calls for more research to address the problem.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe reactivity as it may occur in staff management.
• Describe research that evaluates reactivity in staff management.
• Describe why reactivity is a problem in research and practice.
• Describe possible solutions to the problem of reactivity.

Presenter Bio:

Ray Miltenberger received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Western Michigan University in 1985 after completing a predoctoral internship in developmental disabilities and behavioral pediatrics from the Kennedy Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He was a professor of psychology at North Dakota State University from 1985 to 2006.

He is currently a professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies and the Director of the Applied Behavior Analysis programs at the University of South Florida. Dr. Miltenberger is a former President of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and the Society for Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and has served on the Executive Committee of the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis. He serves or has served on the editorial boards of Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of Behavioral Education, Behavioral Interventions, Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, and Education and Treatment of Children.

Dr. Miltenberger also has been the Literature Review Editor for Education and Treatment of Children, an associate editor for Education and Treatment of Children and Behavior Analysis in Practice, and a guest associate editor for Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. Dr. Miltenberger’s research in applied behavior analysis focuses on teaching safety skills to children and individuals with disabilities, ABA approaches in health, fitness, and sports, analysis and treatment of repetitive behavior disorders, and functional assessment and treatment of problem behaviors. He has published over 250 journal articles and chapters, has co-edited a text on analysis and treatment of tics and repetitive behavior disorders, and has written a popular behavior modification textbook, now in its sixth edition and published in six languages.

Dr. Miltenberger, a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and the American Association for Advancement of Science, has received a number of awards for his teaching, research, and mentoring.

Shaping Vital Behaviors of Leaders to Achieve Organizational Results

Abstract:

The consistent, collective actions of leaders can significantly impact an organization’s results. In a meta-analysis of multiple organizations conducted by Dr. Laura Methot and her colleagues, results showed that behavioral variability in core leadership behaviors accounted for more than half of the variance in employee behaviors. Specifically, when 85% or more of leaders build fluency in performance-focused behaviors, up to a 52% increase in employee behavioral momentum can be realized (a measure of the rate of behavior change over time). The collective momentum of leadership and employee behavior change can generate superior results at the organizational level. Sustaining these results requires consistent performance coaching by leaders and alignment across leaders in the organization. This presentation will share some techniques to shape collective vital behaviors of leaders to create and sustain behavioral momentum and discuss future research opportunities.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify three basic things employees need to align their behaviors to reliably execute business strategy that leaders struggle with.
• Describe at least one technique to measure the quality of leader performance coaching.
• Identify examples of leader vital behaviors.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Lori Diener-Ludwig is known as a world-class expert in behavioral systems design because of her unique ability to help organizations manage complexity and execute their strategy with Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) solutions. She is the Chief Human Performance Engineer and a co-founder of Performance Ally, an organization whose mission is to create happy, high-performing workplaces with their app, Ally Assist, a real-time performance management enterprise solution. Her leadership in developing this app is indicative of her longtime efforts to mainstream the science of OBM in ways that help companies harness the tremendous power of human performance.

Prior to joining Performance Ally, Lori spent 20+ years working across numerous industries such as automotive, human services, medical diagnostics, non-profit, oil and gas, and print in companies of all sizes, from global Fortune 500s, creative start-ups, non-profits to local small businesses. The scope of her projects ranged from designing large scale performance-based learning strategies and programs for global clients to leading non-profit and small-business leaders in the development of strategic plans, impact metrics dashboards, and core strategies. She has transformed dozens of organizations by helping them build their value and grow their revenue, gain new strategic partnerships, develop compelling marketing messaging, increase collaboration, and focus on the execution of strategic plans.

Lori is also the founder of Performance Blueprints, an organization whose mission is to disseminate the science and practice of Behavior Systems Analysis to optimize the impact of organizations. Performance Blueprints nudges the science forward through numerous peer-reviewed publications, edited books, research, conference presentations, book chapters, and professional activities within the University of North Carolina and Western Michigan University systems, the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, Organizational Behavior Management Network, and the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. In 2014, Performance Blueprints was honored to receive the Geary Rummler Award for the Advancement of Performance Improvement from the International Society for Performance Improvement.

Lori earned her B.S. in Psychology and Creative Writing, M.S. in Industrial Organizational Psychology and Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University. She currently serves as a Trustee of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, President for the Organizational Behavior Management Network, and a Board Member of Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture.

Visible Leadership – What Do We Do

Abstract:

Dr. McSween will review studies on safety and leadership and their implications for the practice of leadership.  Several studies show the importance of the front-line supervisors and their relationship with their direct reports.  The context of this relationship is predictive of both employee retention, safety, as well as other performance metrics.  Systems often impose administrative requirements that keep supervisors in their offices and prevent them from spending time in work areas.  Several studies show that effective leaders are the ones that spend the most time with their direct reports.  Bullying, criticizing, and nagging are common practices that damage relationship (often related to the emotional byproducts of negative reinforcement and punishment inherent in these practices).  Positive feedback is often viewed as the solution but can be ineffective in the context of a damaged relationship.  The solution is found in the kind of questions that get asked and the listening that occurs, often prior to discussions of expectations or feedback. These practices are often more effective reinforcement than many of the simple positive feedback models taught by some practitioners.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe at least two common “systemic” barriers to effective leadership.
• Discuss at least three practices that have a chilling effect on collaboration and problem solving.
• Describe two or more practices that contribute to a leader’s effectiveness

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Terry E. McSween is President and CEO of Quality Safety Edge, an organization that helps improve business success and profitability through behavioral safety and safety leadership. Dr. McSween has received numerous awards for his work in safety improvement.  He received the 2009 Life Time Achievement and 2001 Significant Contribution awards from the Organizational Behavior Network. The American Society of Safety Engineers awarded him the Johnson & Higgins Scrivener Award for the outstanding technical article on safety.  His book, The Values-Based Safety Process, second edition, was published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons of New York, NY and remains the best book on implementing behavior based safety in organizations. He also started and maintained the Behavioral Safety Now conference for over 25 years and represents the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies in working to integrate BSN into the Safety In Action conference.

On Being a Banded Mongoose: Elevating Supervisory Practices for the Next Generation of Behavior Analyst

Absstract:

The way in which supervision is delivered and experienced in our profession can influence the quality of services behavior analysts provide, funding, and the impression of our sciences to the general public.  This influence is particularly evident for the supervisory experience that occurs prior to an individual becoming professionally certified, though it is relevant for any supervisory relationship. The supervision experience should be considered one that is far-reaching—above and beyond simply meeting a necessary requirement. Behavior analysts should honor the gravity of the role of a supervisor and take direct responsibility for ensuring supervision is of the highest quality. In the past 7-8 years, we have made great strides in defining and further conceptualizing the role of a supervisor. However, especially when compared to other professions, our literature base on supervision is still quite new and our ideas still evolving.  In this presentation, I will review pertinent literature on behavior analytic supervision and its implications. Then, I will provide recommended supervision practices to help elevate your supervision to the next level.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• List at least 3 recommended supervision practices.
• Describe 1 category of supervision research.
• List at least 2 areas that quality of supervision can impact.

Presenter Bio:

In 2008, Amber Valentino received a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. She completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Marcus Autism Center/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in Atlanta, GA. After completion of her postdoctoral training, she remained at the Marcus Autism Center, serving as program coordinator of a community autism parent training program and as a senior psychologist in a language and learning clinic.

In 2012, she transitioned to Trumpet Behavioral Health where she has held various leadership positions. She currently serves as the Chief Clinical Officer for Trumpet Behavior Health. In this role, she oversees clinical services, all research and training initiatives and builds clinical standards for the organization. Dr. Valentino’s clinical and research interests include the assessment and treatment of verbal behavior, primarily in children with autism. She is also interested in evaluation of programming to address unique adaptive skill deficits, and in developing standards for effective supervision in the field.

Dr. Valentino, BCBA-D, currently serves as an Associate Editor for Behavior Analysis in Practice and previously served as an Associate Editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. She serves as a frequent guest reviewer for several behavior analytic journals.

Dysfunctional Practices that Kill Your Work Culture (and What to do About Them)

Abstract:

Our tendency is to blame workers for errors and label their personal failings as the cause of the error. Labeling does not solve problems that cause error and, frankly, it may all be an illusion of human perception leading us to false conclusions. Our human tendencies result in interactions that hurt the culture among our workers and the effectiveness of the systems we put in place to support them.  These tendencies build dysfunctional management practices that create fear associated with your workplace programs. I want to teach you a better way to analyze the behaviors of your employees to understand why they were put in a position to engage in the behaviors related to errors in the first place. Your system may be perfectly designed to promote risks and create error traps. We will build alternatives to labeling with dispassionate and actionable analyses to help build systems that help workers discriminate the best behaviors for the situation.  By analyzing the context of behavior we can discover ways to change your system to optimize behavior related to employee performance.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe the dysfunctional practices that harm work cultures including labeling, blaming, single data-point management, and instilling fear through negative reinforcement.
• Define behavior in the context of the work environment. We first define behaviors in a way that are as open to unbiased analysis as the elements of physics and chemistry. We define behavior as a dynamic variable, reacting every moment along predictable paths in the context of environmental events.
• Describe sources of Behavioral Variance such as behavioral variants of productive work behavior; those alternative competing behaviors that put your products and services at-risk.
• Discriminate the context when analyzing the causes of behavior.  We analyze the work context behaviors to understand why the worker was put in position to take the risk and/or avoid the desired behavior.
• Determine the system variable that need adapting to change behavior on a permanent basis across all workers.  We determine the management systems that need to be abolished, adapted, or built to change work contexts that encourage risk to ones that influence desirable decisions.

Presenter Bio:

Timothy Ludwig earned his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech under E. Scott Geller continuing his post-doctoral work in industrial engineering studying applications of W. Edwards Deming to quality and safety improvement.  Dr. Ludwig is a past Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management and former president of the Organizational Behavior Management Network.  His popular website Safety-Doc.com is a content-rich resource of safety culture stories, blogs, research, videos, and services.  Dr. Ludwig serves on the Board of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (CCBS) where he leads the Commission on Behavioral Safety that reviews and disseminates best-in-industry safety practices.

Dr. Ludwig is a Distinguished Graduate Professor at Appalachian State University where he teaches in the nationally recognized Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Human Resources Management Masters program. Dr. Ludwig’s teaching has been recognized with the North Carolina University Board of Governors’ Excellence award and has been inducted into the University’s Academy of Outstanding Teachers.

Dr. Ludwig is the author of over 50 scholarly articles in Organizational Behavior Management that empirically document the successes of methods to improve safety and quality in industry through behavior systems design. His books include Intervening to Improve the Safety of Occupational Driving (2001), Behavioral Systems: Understanding Complexity in Organizations (2010), Behavioral Science Approaches to Process Safety: A Response to Industry’s Call (2018), Dysfunctional Practices that Kill your Safety Culture (2018), and The Science and Practice of Behavioral Safety: Reducing Injury on the Front Line (in press).

Dr. Ludwig has over 30 years experience in research and practice in Organizational Behavior Management where he integrates empirical findings into his consulting. Within his consulting practice Dr. Ludwig has helped assess, design, and implement behavioral systems, behavioral safety and quality improvement programs in over 50 companies worldwide.  Dr. Ludwig has delivered over 50 of his popular keynote presentations in 15 countries worldwide.

Dr. Ludwig’s book Dysfunctional Practices is available on Amazon and Audible.

From Campus to Community: Considerations for Effective Supervision and Leadership

Panel Moderator: Thomas Zane, PhD, BCBA-D, Director of Online Behavior Analysis Programs
University of Kansas. Department of Applied Behavioral Science

Claudia L. Dozier, PhD, BCBA-D, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas

Pamela L. Neidert, PhD, BCBA-D, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas

Jomella Watson-Thompson, PhD, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas

ABSTRACT:

The role of supervision in behavior analysis cannot be overestimated. Although the campus-based academic and knowledge preparation is important, the community application of the principles of behavioral science is arguably more crucial. It is through the process of supervision that students, new to behavior analysis, will see the relevance of the academic knowledge to real-life application, and have their clinical skills shaped most effectively. Given that questionable supervisory practices are the number one complaint sent to the ABA ethics hotline, it is imperative for the proper development of the next generation of behavior analysts, and for the continued development of our field, that supervision is done effectively and ethically. The three panelists who will be speaking are all in the position of leading organizations in which supervision is extensively implemented. They will speak about their perspectives and practices regarding supervision of their students and employees in diverse contexts, including community-based programs focusing on health and development, center-based programs for young children with and without disabilities, and research activities.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe some factors that influence effective supervision and leadership that are unique to academic and public contexts.
• Describe at least three commonly-found supervisory problems in the community.
• Describe at least three specific recommendations for effective supervisory and/or leadership competence.

Panel Bios:

Thomas Zane, PhD, BCBA-D

Dr. Thomas Zane is the Director of Online Behavior Analysis programs in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas. Dr. Zane earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in psychology at Western Michigan University and his doctorate in Applied Behavior Analysis at West Virginia University. He has served as a Post-Doctorate Research Associate at the University of Massachusetts, Professor at Mount Holyoke College, and Johns Hopkins University Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Zane serves on the Executive Board of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, the international organization that represents the field of behavior analysis. He is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Organization of Autism Research, a group that raises money to fund innovative research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Zane has been past President of the Ethics Special Interest Group of the International Association for Behavior Analysis. His research interests include teacher training, learning, evidenced-based practice in autism, and the philosophy of science and radical behaviorism.

Claudia L. Dozier, PhD, BCBA-D

Dr. Claudia Dozier is a Professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas. Dr. Dozier received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, master’s degree from University of Nevada, Reno, and her doctoral degree from the University of Florida. Dr. Dozier’s areas of research include assessment, treatment, and prevention of behavior disorders, as well as schedules of reinforcement, and preference for and reinforcer efficacy of stimuli (e.g., social interaction). Dr. Dozier is Co-Director of the Edna A. Hill Child Development Center at the University of Kansas. In addition, she and her graduate students provide consultation services to a large residential program serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities where they also have a clinical research lab. She has served as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and serves on the editorial boards of several other behavioral journals. In 2020, Dr. Dozier received the Steeples Service to Kansans Award for her service to the people of Kansas as a purposeful extension of her teaching and research. Recently, she and her colleagues received a $2.5 million federal grant to provide telehealth services to families with children with autism who engage in disruptive repetitive behavior.

Pamela L. Neidert, PhD, BCBA-D

My experience prior to joining the KU Faculty in 2008 generally has involved assessment and treatment of problem behavior and skill acquisition in children and adults with developmental disabilities.  As a result, I am very interested in early intervention and prevention.  Currently, my research focuses on strategies to facilitate development of critical skills in very young children and evaluate the effects of proactive approaches to prevent the emergence of problem behavior.  Specific areas of interest include facilitative strategies for the development of language, social skills (imitation/attention), and self-help skills (sleeping, toileting, feeding) in both typically developing children and those at risk for, or diagnosed with, disabilities.

Jomella Watson-Thompson, PhD

Dr. Thompson holds a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology and a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Kansas. She applies behavioral science methods and interventions to improve how communities address issues related to community health and development. Her research has focused on neighborhood development, healthy youth development, and prevention, including substance abuse and violence prevention. Dr. Thompson supports community capacity-building efforts to address social determinants of health through community-based participatory research in urban neighborhoods and disparate communities. She has researched the effects of community-based processes and intervention to promote mobilization and change in communities. Dr. Thompson has extensive experience providing training, technical support and evaluation for community-based initiatives. Dr. Thompson has co-authored articles on community capacity-building, youth development, and prevention. She has been a consultant for several community coalitions and community-based initiatives.

Continuing Education opportunities:

BACB® SUPERVISION Learning CEs and Psychology CE Credits (Includes Licensed psychologists, school psychologists, and EdDs/educational psychologists)

This is a hybrid in-person and virtual conference. Recordings will be available for 10 days. (For those seeking Psychology CE Credits, there is an additional testing process to be completed for asynchronous completion.)

BACB® SUPERVISION Learning CEUs (6.0): The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies is an approved Type 2 CE Provider by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) and is authorized to offer 6.0 SUPERVISION CE units for this conference. Continuing Education Provider No.: OP-04-0058

Attendees must complete all six presentations in-person, virtually or through recordings available for 10 days post-conference for asynchronous home-study to earn CEs. (Partial credit will not be issued.) An evaluation and code quiz with a 100% score needs to be completed for issuance of continuing education.

APA Approved Sponsor

Psychology CE Credits (6.0)*:Amego Prepare is a co-sponsor of this conference for Continuing Education Credits for Psychologists. Amego Prepare is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amego Prepare maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Attendees must complete all six presentations in-person, virtually or through home-study* to earn Psychology CE Credits. (Partial credit will not be issued.) An evaluation and code quiz with a 100% score needs to be completed for issuance of continuing education. *If you are completing the conference through recordings for home-study, there is a DIFFERENT process through Amego Prepare for those seeking a certificate for Psychology CE Credits. Contact Michael Weinberg at MWeinberg@amegoinc.org.

It is attendee’s responsibility to check with their State and Professional organization to confirm all CE offerings.

POST-CONFERENCE INSTRUCTIONS: For BOTH In-Person and Virtual attendance, we need to verify your attendance IF you are seeking continuing education.

Each presentation will have three unique codes. You need to capture the codes. At the end of the conference, you will need to complete an electronic evaluation and pass a code submission quiz (Google Form). You need to get all codes correct for all six (6) presentations/panel to earn your Certificate. No partial credit is offered. The link to start the process is below. It will also be announced for in-person attendees and an email will be sent to all conference attendees at 4:30 pm (EST) near the end of the conference with the link and instructions.

The deadline for completing the online evaluation and code quiz is Monday, November 22, 2021 at 12 midnight (Eastern). Recordings will be available for 10 days post-conference. Links to recordings to be emailed Saturday, November 13. (If you are seeking Psychology CE Credits through home-study of recordings, the process is through Amego Prepare. Contact Dr. Weinberg at MWeinberg@amegoinc.org.)

Click on the link below to start the process with your evaluation of our conference. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdG_5oYzZE3ua8cNKXVgPktghjMRcvbyj4REa7JU8At5GI9qw/viewform?usp=sf_link

This is a hybrid event with a smaller in-person gathering or a virtual attendance offering.

IN-PERSON:

NOTE: This is a NEW room location – formerly Woodruff Auditorium – just 50 feet away!

THE JAYHAWK ROOM – LEVEL 5
University of Kansas
KU Memorial Unions (Building) (Map below)
1301 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS 66045

Kansas Union Campus Map and Parking Map

PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK – University of Kansas Event Health & Safety Guidelines Fall 2021

VIRTUAL:

Instructions with Zoom link & password were emailed from behavior.org@gmail.com the evening of Tuesday, November 9. If you did not receive, contact Rebekah Pavlik by end of day Thursday, November 11.

KU Memorial Union Google Map:

The Oread
1200 Oread Ave
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-843-1200

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Lawrence
200 McDonald Drive
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
785-841-7077