Meet SIOP Retired Associate Member Stan Silverman
Name
Stan Silverman
Position/Employer
President, Human Resource Decisions, Inc.; Dean and Professor Emeritus, The University of Akron
How long have you been a SIOP member?
50 years
What roles have you had within SIOP?
Chair, SIOP Annual Conference – for the first 3!
Member, Annual Conference Program Review Committee
Chair, Continuing Education and Workshop Committee
Member and Treasurer, Workshop Committee
Interest area(s)
Leadership development/360-degree feedback, performance management systems, and corresponding training programs
What sparked your interest in I-O psychology?
As an undergraduate psychology major at The Ohio State University, I knew I wanted to go to graduate school in psychology but did not know whether I wanted an applied or an academic career. I was lucky enough to choose I-O psychology, which provided a wonderful career that allowed me to have both an academic and a consulting career. I found great satisfaction in collecting data from many organizations that would in turn lead to publication.
What role do you see I-O psychology playing in the future of work?
Being able to manage change effectively is essential. Workplace changes can fall into four broad categories:
1. structural changes (such as reorganization or mergers)
2. operational changes (like remote work and flexible schedules)
3. technological changes (including automation, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence (AI))
4. cultural shifts (factors related to leadership style, corporate culture, and values)
I-O psychology provides the expertise to have a tremendous impact on all four of the above categories.
What work trends are you seeing and hearing about, and how can I-O psychology practitioners, educators, and students impact these trends?
I see trends such as AI, organizational transformation, difficult leadership dynamics, team culture challenges, hybrid work arrangements, restructuring and downsizing, mergers and acquisitions, economic instability, and personal well-being. Our I-O psychology training gives us the tools to help impact each of these trends.
What advice would you give to students or those early in their careers?
Continually look for intentional learning opportunities; recognize that your career progress depends on you taking an active role in your development; seek out and welcome candid feedback to improve your performance, and; continually seek out new knowledge, skills, and experiences.
What is one of your favorite SIOP Annual Conference memories/highlights?
It would have to be the first! Our conference up until then was always part of the very large APA convention where we had very little program time and difficulty connecting with one another. Ben Schneider and Irv Goldstein, the president and president-elect, asked me to help plan and then chair the first three SIOP conferences. It was a very exciting time, and the conferences were a tremendous success. And here we are planning for the 41st in New Orleans!
Please share one non-I-O-related bit of information about yourself.
I always make time to travel with my wife, visit our little grand kids, enjoy live music, and play golf!
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I am currently very excited that our new book will be released on May 11, 2026!
From the publisher: In Working Scared: Blueprints for Employees and Leaders to Succeed During Turbulent Times, authors Stanley B. Silverman, Kenneth N. Wexley, and David H. Wexley deliver a comprehensive roadmap for navigating today’s volatile work environment. Drawing on decades of consulting experience across organizations ranging from small companies to Fortune 500 corporations, combined with extensive research and executive coaching credentials, the authors directly address eight primary sources of job insecurity plaguing the modern workforce. They discuss AI transformation, arrogant leadership, hybrid work challenges, economic turmoil, and more, providing dual-perspective solutions that empower both individual employees seeking career advancement and leaders working to optimize team effectiveness.
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