SIOP Members in the News
Clif Boutelle
The news media have found SIOP members to be rich sources of information for their stories about workplace-related topics. And no wonder! SIOP members have a diverse range of expertise as evidenced by the listings in Media Resources on the SIOP Web site (www.siop.org). There are more than 100 different workplace topics with more than 1,500 SIOP members who can serve as resources to the news media.
SIOP members who are willing to talk with reporters about their research interests are encouraged to list themselves in Media Resources. It can easily be done online. It is important, though, that in listing themselves, members include a brief description of their expertise. That is what reporters look at, and a well-worded description can often lead the reporter to call.
It is suggested that listed SIOP members periodically check and update their information, if needed.
Every mention in the media is helpful to our mission to gain greater visibility for the field of I-O psychology.
Following are some press mentions that have occurred in the recent months:
An August 2 USA Today story about friendships at work quoted Ken Siegel of the Impact Group in Los Angeles. The story noted there can be pitfalls with workplace friendships. One thing, he said, working against workplace friendships is money and status. True friendships are a myth, desired but not achievable. When you inject money and power into the equation, it changes things, he said. “People try to create workplace friendships out of their own vulnerability and the more companies talk about friendships at work, the less real it is.”
Dory Hollander of WiseWorkplaces in Arlington, VA contributed to a July 31 Wall Street Journal story about tactful ways to leave a job. Building solid bridges generates more than a rosy reference letter when you resign. It can boost your future job prospects. “If you leave on a high note with connections that are real and true, you create opportunities for yourself down the road.” She offered other tips including making peace with workplace enemies, but give the most attention to close colleagues. “These people are going to be part of your eternal career network. Bid people farewell face-to-face and promise to keep in touch. Send handwritten notes along with a new business card and reconnect regularly over a meal.”
The July/August issue of Monitor on Psychology featured women leaders in psychology that included SIOP members: Sandra Shullman, executive coach with Executive Development Group in Greensboro, NC, and Nancy Tippins, managing partner and senior vice president of Valtera. The issue also carried a story about research conducted by Alice Eagly of Northwestern University dispelling the “glass-ceiling” metaphor that implies women are blocked from top business posts. With 23% of American CEOs now women, Eagly says a more accurate metaphor for the obstacles women encounter is a labyrinth of challenges through which women traverse to become successful leaders.
The July issue of Talent Management magazine featured an article on the use of lifestyle coaching as a strategic management tool by Kenneth Nowack of Envisia Learning in Santa Monica, CA. Although lifestyle behaviors have traditionally been the domain of health professionals, Nowack suggests coaches who help increase effectiveness and performance of clients should consider coaching for lifestyle modifications. Why? Because stress, job–family imbalance, and other health issues are directly related to an employee’s work life. Many successful businesses, Nowack says, understand that investing in their employees’ health and well-being can have tremendous bottom-line results, including increased retention, improved performance, and reduced costs because of health, insurance, accidents and absenteeism.
A June 24 story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about how Atlanta public schools are experimenting with separate classes or schools for boys and girls quoted Alexander Alonso of the American Institutes for Research, who was the lead investigator for a U.S. Department of Education systematic review of single-sex schooling interventions. “There’s some methodologically rigorous research that supports single-sex education for certain areas or certain outcomes, such as testing or achievement,” he said. “But there’s too little research out there to make that definitive.”
Theresa Kline of the University of Calgary and Deirdre Knapp of HumRRO were interviewed for a June 23 column on personality testing that appeared in the Vancouver Sun that was also distributed to Canadian and U.S. media outlets. Kline noted that well-designed tests can measure characteristics such as customer and coworker rapport, motivation to help the organization succeed, and communication skills. She cautioned that test scores “reflect a snapshot of an individual on one dimension” and that organizations should not overrely on test scores for decision making. “These measures help ensure a good person–job fit, which benefits the employer and the job seeker,” added Knapp.
The June issue of Monitor on Psychology included a feature story on how Wendy Becker of the University at Albany uses I-O psychology to help keep order in crime labs. Forensic scientists are, for the most part, overburdened and unsupported says Becker. Fueling that is the rush to embrace new technology in criminal investigations, which often overlooks the people needed to make technology work. Becker and her collaborator, W. Mark Dale, former head of the New York State crime lab and current director of the Northwest Regional Forensics Institute at the University at Albany, implemented organizational expertise to address high turnover, lack of resources and overwork that affect staff performances.
The May 28 issue of Fortune magazine featured a story on the impact Generation Y (30 and under) is having on the workplace. Noting that Gen Yers tend to stretch the transition to adulthood well into their 20s and that one study showed that 73% of the respondents said they see their parents at least once a week and half do so daily, Mitchell Marks, of the consulting firm Joining Forces in San Francisco, said “It’s difficult to start making decisions when you haven’t been making decisions your whole life.” For many, he added, the way they have been raised can be detrimental. “They’ve been made to feel so special and that is totally counter to the whole concept of corporations.”
During l’affaire Wolfowitz, which was prominent in the news last spring, ABC News did a story (May 16) on the consequences that result when a boss has a romantic relationship with a subordinate. Many employers, not just the World Bank, face this sort of workplace nepotism and fraternization on a daily basis and they all have some sort of policy that governs workplace behavior. Adler noted that “virtually every organization’s sexual harassment policy says it is the manager’s responsibility to take action to avoid a relationship with a subordinate. For a CEO, something has to give—either the CEO or the person below has to leave that position.”
Joan Brannick of Brannick HR Connections in Tampa, FL was contacted for her thoughts for a May 15 Wall Street Journal story about the skills freshly graduated students bring to the workplace. Because they do not have relevant on-the-job experience, many new graduates figure they lack the skills required in the corporate world. Not so, says Brannick. “Students don’t think about what skills they developed during their college careers over and above what appears on their transcripts,” she said. “It’s not just about the class work they did.” For example, many students have the ability at 2 a.m. to write a paper while instant messaging friends and watching a Tivoed program. That’s a skill that can come in handy at a company that values employees who can manage tight schedules effectively.
U.S. companies spend millions of dollars each year to record customer calls, and then ignore what they hear, according to a study by Aon and Verint. The results were reported in the May 15 Call Center magazine and by Reuters and other news outlets which quoted Miriam Nelson of Aon. “Even though call monitoring systems are in place at most call centers, companies do not adequately turn those recorded conversations into lessons that make customers happier,” she said. “Fortunately, fairly simple process changes are generally enough to give companies a better return on their investment of time and resources.”
For a May 7 Christian Science Monitor story on the rising number of workplaces that are “age-friendly,” Bill Byham of Development Dimensions International in Bridgeville, PA noted that many companies see the value of older workers and realize that some people “want to do something different with the company and welcome new challenges.”
Nathan Bowling of Wright State University conducted a mega-analysis that found people who are satisfied with their jobs are not necessarily top job performers. The results were reported in several media including the May 13 Dayton Daily News, the Dallas Morning News, and Columbus Dispatch. Although job satisfaction and job performance correlate, one does not cause the other, he noted. Rather what really determines happiness and performance on the job is personality. “Simply put, workplace interventions designed to improve performance by exclusively targeting employee satisfaction are unlikely to be effective,” he said. The best way to employ workers who are both satisfied and perform well can be found in the selection process. “There are ways to select employees who will be successful,” he added.
For several news stories on bad bosses, writers turned to Bob Hogan of Hogan Assessment Systems in Tulsa, OK. For a March 26 Tulsa Oklahoman story, Hogan noted that “there are more bad managers than bad employees.” For a March 18 New York Times story, he offered several reasons for bullying managers’ behavior, including pressure from upper management, insecurity, feelings of inadequacy, and even chronic depression. Also, for an April 26 Wall Street Journal story about micromanaging bosses, Hogan suggests informing the boss in a nonconfrontational way that his/her constantly checking work is intimidating and uncomfortable. “You are basically saying, ‘Tell me what your concerns are and I will make sure those are no longer a concern.’” Also ask the boss which tasks are most important and then assure him or her that you can handle them.
Also quoted in the same story was Kenneth DeMeuse of the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. He noted that when a boss is micromanaging the employee should try to control his or her behavior because the employee has little control over the supervisor. Also, he said, try to understand why the boss may be breathing down the employee’s neck. “Being a manager today is not an easy job. Management is being squeezed and the boss may be caught in that squeeze.”
Managing motivation was the subject of a story in the February issue of Go magazine, and SIOP members Ben Dattner of Dattner Consulting in New York and Lorraine Stomski of Aon Consulting’s San Francisco office were asked to contribute. Dattner noted, “Given how challenging most senior-level jobs are these days, it is easy for senior executives to lose touch with issues like employee motivation and morale.” Which can be a costly mistake. “When a firm has a disengaged workforce, it risks having individuals who fail to perform to their potential, fail to inspire others and end up de-motivating those around them,” added Stomski.
In a December 11 Wall Street Journal story about companies redefining flexible work schedules as a quality-of-life issue for all employees, not just for women, quoted Seymour Adler of Aon Consulting. He said promoting quality-of-life programs for everyone offers several benefits, including reducing resentment from men who feel flex programs are a concession to women. They also address concerns of single people and non-parents who believe those with families have more flexible options.
Please let us know if you, or a SIOP colleague, have contributed to a news story. We would like to include the mention in SIOP Members in the News.
Send copies of the article to SIOP at siop@siop.org or fax to 419-352-2645 or mail to SIOP at PO Box 87, Bowling Green, OH 43402.