Speak up! Seek opportunities to promote company - and yourself
Build credibility, network with peers
As an occupational health professional, you have expertise that no other profession has. Why not use that to your advantage? You can promote your company-and yourself- by speaking at conferences and sharing successes with wellness programs.
"This is an excellent opportunity to make the company look good. Every attempt should be made to make sure this happens," says Kay N. Campbell, EdD, RN-C, COHN-S, FAAOHN, president of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses in Pensacola, FL.
In addition, "it's a great experience builder and enhances credibility in the profession," says Scott Gaddis, global safety capability leader for Kimberly-Clark Professional in Roswell, GA.
There are many topics that occupational health experts can speak about in a way that no one else can, says Campbell. These include pandemics, with an emphasis on health and business continuity; health and wellness; change management and sustainability for reduced health care costs; and clinical, emotional health, and travel health programs.
As for a "hot topic" to present as a guest speaker, Campbell says a surefire hit is to tell others about any successful program with metrics. "Usually all groups want to understand the business case for the program, what the initiative was, and how success is being measured," she says.
"When a professional is invited to speak publicly, this should reflect well on a company that employs the individual," says Eileen Lukes, PhD, RN, COHN-S, CCM, FAAOHN, an occupational health manager at The Boeing Company in Mesa, AZ. "Certainly, getting public recognition for a job well done is beneficial to one's career. In technical arenas such as occupational health, audiences are more inclined to seek information from experts who actually work in the field or do research, rather than professional speakers."
Occupational health experts have a working knowledge of regulatory requirements that affect companies, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and requirements from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "In addition, occupational health professionals are able to influence company policy as it affects health and productivity," says Lukes. "For instance, trends in injuries may provide sufficient justification to hire additional workers, instead of demanding overtime work that results in musculoskeletal disorders."
According to Lukes, "anytime a company can see financial benefits from improvements in health and productivity, it is appropriate to consider publicizing the success." For instance, one company realized an annual savings of $1.6 million by modifying the process of paying long-term disability. "As a publicly-held company, they wanted shareholders to know that they were doing everything they could to save money," says Lukes.
When choosing a topic to present on, Lukes says to first determine what metrics are valuable. "Anything that can be translated to money can get someone's attention," she says. "What is the baseline, and what were the results after the program or intervention or change?"
Do external networking
Sharing your expertise, says Campbell, is "a good way to network with others, do more effective planning for future programs, and get good company recognition. I am not sure that it can prevent job loss, but with new contacts that are made, it may be easier to secure a new job."
Gaddis says that he has taken on new roles and responsibilities by speaking at conferences and academic events and accompanying field representatives to speak to customers about the importance of safety.
"I was a safety manager in manufacturing, but when the opportunity arose, I stepped out of a comfortable assignment to take my expertise in the area of safety and health to our customers, " says Gaddis. Two of his lectures included ergonomics in the industrial workplace at the National Safety Congress and bloodborne pathogens in the workplace at the Kentucky Safety Network's annual conference.
Gaddis notes that "in occupational health, most planning and networking is done internally." In contrast, Gaddis shares his company's safety strategy, track record, and execution plans with others. "At first, we really didn't know if people would want the information, and if they did, would they experience the same kind of safety experience we've had? We discovered early on that there is a high degree of interest," says Gaddis. "People want the information. If it's something that fits with their strategy, they use it."
Gaddis says that his biggest reward is "sharing experiences in a way that moves people to consider a different way of driving success in their work. It's a fantastic feeling to get an e-mail or phone call from someone who applied, and had success with, information I've shared."
SOURCES
For more information on marketing yourself as an occupational health expert, contact:
Kay N. Campbell, EdD, RN-C, COHN-S, FAAOHN, Global Health and Productivity, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC. Phone: (919) 483-2185. Fax: (919) 483-8535. E-mail: [email protected].
Scott Gaddis, Global Safety Capability Leader, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, GA. E-mail: [email protected].
Eileen Lukes, PhD, RN, COHN-S, CCM, FAAOHN, The Boeing Company, Mesa, AZ. E-mail: [email protected].
Susan A. Randolph, MSN, RN, COHN-S, FAAOHN, Clinical Assistant Professor, Occupational Health Nursing Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Phone: (919) 966-0979. Fax: (919) 966-8999. E-mail: [email protected].
As an occupational health professional, you have expertise that no other profession has. Why not use that to your advantage? You can promote your company-and yourself- by speaking at conferences and sharing successes with wellness programs.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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