Page 12 - JSOM Summer 2018

from the
SOMA PRESIDENT

Greetings SOMA members, volun- given empowerment to create
teers, and friends, Steven Viola their own dwellings.” (2) the
SOMA Immediate Past President process of becoming stronger
I hope that this message finds you Command Master Chief (SEAL) (Ret) and more confident, especially
all doing well. Please be on the MA, NRP, ATP, SOCM in controlling one’s life and
lookout for SOMA’s first member- claiming one’s rights (eg, “po-
ship survey. Completing the survey will help your asso- litical steps for the empowerment of women”).
ciation help you. I would hope that as your president I SOMA Immediate Past President
have taken the time to open doors and introduce new Did you catch that? By the “authority” or “power” Command Master Chief (SEAL) (Ret)
ideas and ways to be a part of SOMA and its goals. that is given to someone else. “The process of becoming MA, NRP , ATP , SOCM
Goals, which are understood by all members of the stronger and more confident . . .”
team, and the interdependence of members are based on
the empowerment and coordination of actions to realize I know, brilliant news flash of the obvious. But I can
them. It will be important to get input from all perspec- say from experience that neither of those (authority or
tives so the Board can make the most of SOMA’s time power), in most cases, is given lightly. I have come to re-
and resources moving forward. alize that to empower people, it’s all about relationships
and trust.
Goals are something I have been a part of for more than
30 years. I’ve been in settings where the importance of Humor me with the following example: As medics, we
how to survive while in harm’s way was a matter of life work under the doctor’s lenience or authority that was
and death. I don’t say this as a self-aggrandizement but earned by him or her to be able to be given to those
more from a perspective as an Operator who was also who can be trusted and regarded as knowing the subject
trained as a Corpsman/medic and could speak both lan- of medicine. This is imperative, because the doctor or
guages. I have advanced degrees from the “Ivy League” nurse or physician assistant (PA) cannot be everywhere
to the “bush league” through working in small units at once. We, the medics, corpsman, advanced tactical
and investing hundreds of hours of experience working practitioner, paramedic, and so on, are the “trusted”
with like-minded professionals. I’ve learned a few things agent that works on the behalf of the mission and the
from those experiences. I’ve observed things that work objective under the authority—in this case, being pre-
and things that don’t. One sure thing I know that works pared for medical/trauma situations. We are the eyes,
well is empowering others. ears, and, sometimes, even the brain, for those who have
given us their trust, confidence, and authority to work
The common thread comes down to what works, and, under.
why does it work?
Why Does It Work?
What Works?
There are a few reasons, the first of which is the ability
Fostering relationships that empower those you work to educate and train the medic or PA or nurse and, in
with. Do you want a healthier relationship that empow- some cases, the doctor to the standard of care that is ex-
ers those who work with you? If you’re looking to be pected. Perhaps the second most salient point would be
the best in your field, I’d say, yes! That’s the point of this that you must come from a position of respect and serve
article. Before I tackle that idea, I’d like to define a term one another’s position to garner support for:
so that there is common point of reference, since most
folks’ experiences will vary. So let’s start with defining • cooperative and coordinated interactions, where
the term: members work together and combine their inputs
in a deliberate way;
Empower (noun): (1) authority or power given • structure, where norms and organization are ex-
to someone to do something. “Individuals are plicitly stated but can be dynamically redefined;

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