Article Reviews and Analysis: Moyer and Baum

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Let's take a closer look at some of the key points.

Moyer (2007) seems both visionary and pragmatic, whereas Baum (2006) seemed to focus more on the plans and what needed to be done. Baum (2006) calls for more scientists and evidence-based practice to support the credibility of the profession to the public and to prove that the resources are used responsibly. Moyer, on the other hand, seems to focus attention more on dynamic leadership, partnership and networking, but also discusses challenges and a specific plan of action to meet the vision.

Being trained by President Baum for a year of transition, Moyer (2007) discusses her eagerness about the future American Occupational Therapy (OT) Association's (AOTA's, 2007) 2017 Centennial Vision and what she plans to contribute to its progress. While acknowledging the danger zones to distract from the OT vision, like Baum (2006), Moyer argues that OT will grow because of its strong impact on the health and wellness of society. These danger zones include tradition, fear, stereotypes, complacency, fatigue, and short-term thinking. She examines each trap in some detail which is helpful to indentify hidden risks that might impede the continued implementation of the OT vision (Moyer, 2007).

Another key point is that leadership and change for future success is imperative and needs to be a priority. For Moyer (2007), however, there is a move away from tradition. She reports that old traditions need to be abandoned for the new to tap the creativity of the profession and the therapist. Interestingly, Baum (2006) had called for more evidence based practice that went beyond the 'art' of practice. For Moyer, there were also different risks to the profession (e.g. tradition, fear, etc.) than those mentioned by Baum, who focused more of changing type of services and diversity. For Moyer, the profession needs to focus on promoting more leaders, not more followers. Leaders of the future need to rise above fear and have the courage to take calculated risks in challenging the old order of how processes are enacted. As opposed to being short sighted, according to Moyer, leaders need to capture important opportunities and be trained to be proficient at taking a broad view, one that draws on a multitude of valuable experiences. Leaders actively mentor students and new practitioners, but it is essential, like Moyer proposed, to consistently train current leaders through team building, ...