Final Countdown to the Annual Conference

Pictured here is the SIOP 2019 Conference Committee, led by Scott Tonidandel (University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Conference Chair), at the January planning meeting making sure everything is set for a fantastic conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center.

This is my last presidential column, and I want to cover three things. First, I want to share some insight and excitement for the upcoming conference. Second, I highlight the many diverse ways you can get involved in SIOP and why I think it’s important to do so. Finally, third, I want to welcome our incoming president and thank our outgoing trio members.

I am excited about our count down to the 2019 SIOP Annual Conference. It takes many people devoting so much of their time, attention, and expertise to put on such a large, diverse, and engaging event. One of the impactful, and fun, things the SIOP president gets to do is appointing the incoming SIOP Program chair. This person designs the SIOP Thursday Theme Track in their incoming chair role, and then they oversee the entire conference program the following year. I was delighted when Elizabeth McCune (Microsoft) agreed to serve SIOP in this capacity for the 2020 Annual Conference. Her program subcommittee has been hard at work on the 2019 Theme Track which will be a day of programming on science-practice partnerships, collaborations, tools, and translations.

Theme track sessions will be held on Thursday in Potomac D and include:

• Communicating Results in a Complex World 10:30-11:50 am
• Science-Practice Partnerships: Action and Education 12:00-1:20 pm
• Translating Complexity: From Science to Practice 1:30-2:20 pm
• Design Thinking for Improved Research Relevance 3:30-4:50 pm
• Disruptions Big and Small: The Future of Science-Practice in I-O 5:00-5:50 pm I look forward to seeing you there! These sessions are denoted in the program as 

Better Together

I have tried to focus my time as SIOP president on the dual goals of strengthening SIOP from within while aggressively seeking to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones to enhance our impact and progress toward goals. From the SIOP Road Show to creating connections one email, one meeting, and one conversation at a time, this has been how I sought to help bring our strategic plan to life by generating enthusiasm and impact for both SIOP and I-O psychology. My previous TIP columns have addressed, and my SIOP opening plenary talk will address, many examples of this and I am looking forward to celebrating so many SIOP successes in this arena. 

President Elect Eden King (Rice University), Arthur Evans (CEO, APA), Claudene Evans, and myself at the 2018 LEC in Baltimore.

Reflecting on my career, I have been volunteering with SIOP since my first term in my doctoral program when Michael Campion (Purdue University) was Program chair for the Annual SIOP Conference. This was a great way to get to know SIOP right away, and I enjoyed meeting Rick Guzzo (Mercer, Workforce Sciences Institute), Judy Olian (Quinnipiac University), and others on the program committee that year. But, not everyone has such a direct entry point into volunteering at SIOP. Because I feel so strongly that SIOP is better when we are all working together and because I wanted to demystify the process a bit, I felt it was important to focus a majority of my last presidential column on sharing many, wide-ranging ways that you can and should get involved in SIOP.  In addition to the points below, several SIOP volunteers will be available to speak with you at every poster session in the exhibit hall. They will physically be at the last poster spot in each session in front of a poster that includes a lot of the information about volunteering. Please stop by, ask questions, and say hi.  
 

Get Involved!

Help advance Industrial-Organizational Psychology through personal advocacy, volunteerism, and more. Together we make all the difference!

 
Advocate and Promote I-O 

• Influence the US Government: (from http://www.siop.org/Advocacy/)
  SIOP’s government relations and public policy initiatives focus on raising awareness of the importance of industrial and organizational psychology science and research in policy discussions, educating federal and congressional policy makers, and providing SIOP members with a voice in our nation’s capital. 
  SIOP Advocacy Planning Meeting in Washington, DC.
  
  
  
   
• Inform High School and College Students About I-O: (http://my.siop.org/GIT-Blog)
  Would you like to get involved with GIT's efforts to educate more students about I-O psychology?  Consider joining Bridge Builders! Bridge Builders is a subcommittee of the Education and Training committee of SIOP. The purpose of Bridge Builders to educate students at all levels from high school to college to graduate students (not in I-O) about what I-O psychology is. Volunteer by (a) speaking at high schools; (b) identifying dual enrollment programs.
   
• Make a Difference in the World Using I-O (http://my.siop.org/Portals/58/docs/Advocacy/volunteer_options_UN.pdf)
  The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) United Nations team under Julie Olson-Buchanan (CSU Fresno) seeks to bring theory, research, and practice of work psychology to support the achievement of the United Nations mandates. Ways to get involved: (a) Join Global Compact; (b) create an annotated bibliography for one of the Sustainable Development Goals; (c) help the planet and register with SIOP’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Prosocial/Humanitarian I-O Registry at http://my.siop.org/Advocacy/Corporate-Social-Responsibility
   
• Serve Those Who Serve (http://my.siop.org/Advocacy/Prosocial/Veteran)
  
  Veteran employment and underemployment have become major problems for our nation. SIOP members are uniquely qualified to address it and thus have a positive impact on our nation’s development. If interested, please contact Kristin Saboe (Boeing) at Kristin.Saboe@gmail.com 
  
  The SIOP Military Veterans Initiatives Task Force grew from member interests and expertise and we met in Washington, DC to formalize it within the SIOP governance structure.

Connect With Other I-Os
Join a local I-O group to find other people in your area with whom you can share your professional opinions, get career advice, and perhaps even mentor up-and-coming I-O psychologists. If there isn’t a group in your area, start one!

Get involved with one of SIOP’s interest groups such as Committee for Ethnic and Minority Affairs, International Affairs, LBGT Committee, and/or the Women’s Inclusion Network. Information regarding how you can get involved as a member or ally can be found on the SIOP website.

Serve on a SIOP committee

SIOP encourages its members to take an active role in the Society. Although there are many ways to participate in SIOP, serving on a standing committee is one of the best ways to serve the Society and to learn about the issues that confront SIOP as an organization. Committee members are recruited through the SIOP Volunteer Service (SVS). Watch for an email in May inviting you to sign-up for a committee. Recruitment for committees continues through the end of June. For a list of all of SIOP’s formal committees, visit http://www.siop.org/siop_committees.aspx

A special note for students: Most committees can only accept one student member, so sign up early!

SIOP Volunteers tackle specific issues as well as ongoing governance and have fun at the same time. Paul Sackett (University of Minnesota), Nancy Tippins (Tippins Group), and Marianne Ernesto (APA) are a great case in point.


 

Volunteer and Engage With SIOP 

• Participate in the SIOP Media Resources Directory. SIOP regularly receives requests from the media regarding topics that our members research. Sign up for this directory if you are willing to speak with the media by accessing your membership account and clicking the link for “Manage Privacy and Opt in/Out” on the right-hand side of the screen.   
   
• Contribute to SIOP publications: Both TIP and the IOP Journal: Perspectives on Science and Practice encourage submissions addressing issues related to the practice, science, and/or teaching of industrial and organizational psychology.
   
• Help at the Conference: Once a year during the Annual SIOP Conference, we are looking for Student Affiliates to assist at the Registration Desk, in the Exhibit Hall, giving directions, and so forth. Please watch for notices regarding this about 2 months prior to the Conference or check the volunteer box on your Conference registration form.

Volunteers and presenters for I-O at APS, Tara Behrend (George Washington University), Berrin Erdogan (Portland State University, APS I-O program chair in training), myself, and Suzanne Bell (DePaul University) enjoying the view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge at the APS President’s Reception.

• Occasionally SIOP receives a request for a presentation about I-O psychology to college students, or to staff a table at a career fair.  Generally, the Administrative Office will search our Membership Directory for members who live in the vicinity and reach out.  

Donate 

• Your tax-deductible gift to the SIOP Foundation will ensure ongoing funding for research, awards for excellence, and financial support for outstanding doctoral students.  Please give generously to the Foundation to provide support for the advancement of the science and practice of I-O psychology.

Welcome Eden King as Incoming SIOP President
Please help me in welcoming Eden King (Rice University) as she moves from SIOP president-elect to SIOP president. She will take over the reins at the end of the upcoming conference. I am looking forward to her year as president and supporting her in my role as immediate past president. She brings great passion and expertise to the role. She is thoughtful, decisive, supportive, and direct, which are characteristics that have and will continue to serve SIOP well. In addition, she is widely published on the topics of climate initiatives, selection systems, and diversity and inclusion, and her work has consistently been picked up by the popular press and news outlets such as the New York Times, Good Morning America, and the Harvard Business Review. In Eden, we have a fantastic representative for SIOP moving forward. 
 

Welcome Eden!

(Pictured above left to right: SIOP Past Presidents Mort McPhail, Fred Oswald, myself, and Incoming President Eden King.)

Special Thanks to Past Presidents Mort McPhail 
(2016-2017) and Fred Oswald (2017-2018)

As I mentioned in my first TIP column, SIOP is governed by an Executive Board of elected APA representatives, committee portfolio officers, and a financial officer, who are overseen by the SIOP presidential trio (current president-elect, president, and immediate past president). This ensures that decisions are not made in isolation as key decisions such as task force formation are not solely made by one person. It also means that new presidents are onboarded by experienced individuals who have done the job and can offer important context and information as well as counsel and advice. 

I am grateful for the many hours that Mort McPhail invested in helping me onboard into my role as president-elect. Every interaction in person or on the phone left me with even more respect for the depth of his kindness, insights, and wisdom. His humor, humility, and honor are a unique and wonderful combination, and I already miss having fewer excuses to speak with Mort regularly (although he never fails to pick up the call when I do reach out). 

As I noted in last year’s opening and closing plenaries, I could not be more pleased than to have worked so closely with Fred Oswald, who is an amazing individual and amazing champion of both the science and practice of I-O psychology. He is an amazing individual who just rolls up his sleeves and gets things done. Fred is kind, clear, and does not shy away from anything he can do to help SIOP become stronger. Following in his footsteps was a true pleasure and I count myself as fortunate for having had Fred as an integral part of my presidential trio. At the conclusion of my term as SIOP president, I wanted to take a moment to thank Mort and Fred formally for their donation of time and energy to SIOP and for their friendship and partnership. 

Thank you Mort and Fred!