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Gobert D.1
1Texas State University, Physical Therapy, San Marcos, Texas, United States
Background: A very common challenge in professional organizations is the need to develop a group of individuals who are prepared to assume organization-specific leadership roles. This had become a long term problem for the Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) which is a state chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, USA. Over the years, it became evident that the same leaders were just being "recycled" into various positions due to a lack of available new leadership talent. There are several business models for leadership development. 1,2 However, clinician leaders have to present a unique combination of compassion and business sense. This is important especially when it comes to running a large organization which has to survive the harsh rigors of the business world and yet remain sensitive to patient care needs. The Tom Waugh Leadership Development Program was developed to foster new emerging clinical professional leaders in the TPTA through mentor-ship at three levels: personal, district and state including chapter governance and legislative process and civic engagement to support physical therapy practice in Texas.
Purpose: We aimed to foster leadership development and integrate succession planning into one program. With this in mind, the goal of our two-phase program is to provide a structured mechanism by which active professional members become more familiar with chapter opportunities and governance so that they might become more engaged with increased leadership participation.
Methods: With the recent loss of a highly respected leader in the Texas Physical Therapy Association, Tom Waugh, PT (1967 2012), we developed a program modeled after his life which included a high impact leadership style and a keen sense for mentoring others. The program includes completion of
Phase I of the program means that a participant has received personalized mentorship to enable increased organization involvement at both the local and state levels. Completion of
Phase II means that a participant has developed and completed a chapter-specific project which yielded leadership skills necessary to become eligible to be pinned as a "Leadership Fellow". The leadership fellow is then recognized as ready to assume any of a number of leadership roles in the TPTA. The mentee typically takes eighteen months to complete both phases.
Results: Over the past three years in operation, the program has been able to produce from 6- 9 new leadership fellows each year who have assumed leadership roles at both chapter and national levels. The TPTA Board of Directors has been able to increase it typical 5% new leader turnover rate to 30%. In 2016, there are now over 50 participants in the program in some capacity as either mentor or phase I or phase II mentee.
Conclusion(s): This program has been able to aid in the development of a new leadership using an intentional mentorship process which fosters new leadership talent to become actively engaged in the Texas Chapter.
Implications: This program models a structured way to encourage and build connections to younger professional leadership talent and ensure the associations stability in the future.
Funding acknowledgements: This program is funded by the Texas Physical Therapy Association, USA.
Topic: Professional issues
Ethics approval: Ethics review was not required for this project.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
