Fishbowl Effect

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Scenarios!

You receive a call from a resident that has left for the weekend and forgot to leave adequate food for their fish Elmo. They ask you if you can go in their room and drop the "extended food" tablet in the tank. You contact your Hall Director and get permission to use the master key to enter the room. Another resident on the floor knows that the resident is away for the weekend and sees you enter the room...

You are listening to a resident tell you a joke in the hallway. The resident is so excited about the joke that you end up smiling just at how excited the resident is (who is laughing while trying to tell the joke). Two residents walk into the hallway just as the resident delivers the punch line (very loudly). The punch line includes several derogatory terms . The two residents look at you (still smiling) and then quickly walk into their rooms...

You're out at Bed Bath and Beyond when you find the most AMAZING smelling Yankee candle EVER! It smells so amazing, and its on sale for a quarter, that you MUST buy it.....so you do. On your way back into the building three of your residents see you walking in carrying the candle in a see through plastic bag...

You can be an individual while being in a big ocean full of fish!

Life in a Fishbowl

The Fishbowl Effect & Role Modeling

Perception Scenarios

What is the Fishbowl Concept?

The Bowl

• Any place or situation open to observation by others.

• Any place or condition where you have no privacy.

• Everyone is different, therefore what they see will be different.
• Everyone will grasp a different view depending on where they are in life & past life experiences.
• Everyone is on their own schedule.

Assuming ?!?

• This concept requires you to constantly be aware of your actions. One of your most important responsibilities is to lead by example!

Everyone will not understand what your intentions are, so be wise of your decisions.

Remember: You can work very hard to build a good reputation & one wrong move can tear it down.

Ask for help from your teammates!

Everything is perception!

• It is through your responsible behavior that you will exert unspoken influence over your residents so that they may act in a similar manner.

Always ask yourself...

What are your actions as the RA?

What are the resident’s perceptions?

What might their perception imply about my character?

How can I avoid this situation?

Role modeling is important and it is also difficult.

However, the RA position requires that you lead the residents by example - including perception!

Who's Watching??

Where do I get my ethics from?

Do you have any examples of behavior that

might be misinterpreted by residents?

• Is it legal?
• Is it balanced?
• How will it make me feel about myself?

EVERYONE... literally!

If you are not happy with the answers to these questions,

then you’re probably not making a good ethical decision for yourself.

What about when

no one's looking?

With Each Scenario Ask Yourself These Questions:

• What are your actions as the RA?
• What are the residents' perceptions?
• What might their perception imply about you and your character?
• How could this situation be avoided?

Your role as an RA has officially won you a new way to live your life - in a fishbowl - where you are in the spotlight almost all the time.

Many people, including:

- Residents

- Faculty & Staff

- Safety Personnel

- Facilities Maintenance

- People you have never even met...

Will suddenly know who YOU are!

There will be times when you are on your own and think that no one is going to know what decisions you make.

How you handle these decisions when no one is looking reflects your personal values.

Making ethical decisions is not necessarily for show, they should be made because you want to make them.

Listen to your conscience and you’ll have a guide to help you make the right decisions when faced with tough dilemmas.

Being an RA is much like being a local celebrity! People know who you ARE. People know things ABOUT you. People WATCH you. But do they really KNOW you?

Being True to Yourself!

Balancing WHO you are with the expectations of the RA position

Communicate

How do you know this?

Avoid Compromising

Avoid putting yourself in compromising situations.

Think through these situations ahead of time to

be able to take proactive steps to achieve this.

Is it TRUE?

Explain to your friends the boundaries of the RA position.

Be upfront & honest about who you are

and what you are about.

It's all about perception, isn't it?

Who's watching?