A reflective approach to unprofessional behaviour is outlined by P.C. Barnhoorn et al. in an article published in Medical Teacher. It follows the case of Sara using a professionalism framework as part of remediation for poor engagement at work.
We all have come across someone like Sara. They perceive themselves as competent, pick and choose aspects of their role to undertake, generally do not keep in line with the standards expected, ignore feedback and attempts at remediation have little impact.
Barnhoorn suggests one solution be encouraging reflection of behaviour…
- Where am I? Discussing how the environment in which you work influences the behaviour.
- What am I doing? Exploring specific examples of the behaviour in question.
- What can I do? Applying existing knowledge and skills to inform behavioural response.
- What do I believe in? Articulating what motivates learning.
- Who am I? Considering how identity influences responses to situations.
- Why do I do what I do? Clarifying what your role is in relation to others.
How would your Sara respond to this remediation approach?
Pieter C. Barnhoorn, Mirjam Houtlosser, Marleen W. Ottenhoff-de Jonge, Geurt T. J. M. Essers, Mattijs E. Numans & Anneke W. M. Kramer (2018): A practical framework for remediating unprofessional behavior and for developing professionalism competencies and a professional identity, Medical Teacher, DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2018.1464133