Do Your Part. Master the Elevator Speech

What is I-O Psychology?

By Carrie Anne Zapka, SIOP Blogger

"‘Industrial-organizational psychologist.’ What the heck is that? Whatever it is, its growth rate beats that of every other occupation”

It is wonderful to get this positive press for I-O, but that is the kind of comment I would expect from an aunt, not from ABC (see the 20 fastest growing jobs). They tried to talk about how much the field of I-O totally rocks, but with a quote like that, we hardly sound like an important field, even if we did win #1 this year.

The misinformation and misconceptions are everywhere. While reading the recent SIOP article, No, I-O Psychologists are Not Therapists, though, is when I realized that I am part of the problem. Chances are that many of you are also part of the problem. Since I first discovered and committed to an education in this “unknown” field (the topic my first blog, How I Stumbled Upon I-O from a Totally Different Career), I have struggled to explain what it is, even to my friends and family. 

The purpose of this post is to inspire those of you who have mastered the art of the impossible I-O elevator speech to share your wisdom and for the rest of us to commit to mastering it ourselves.

What are you studying? Industrial-Organizational Psychology. What’s that? It’s about using psychology to help people and the organizations they belong to improve… This is how I might begin the inevitable conversation when someone first learns that I am in school. Within seconds their crinkled nose and squinted eyes display incomprehension. Unfortunately, the look usually doesn’t go away, even when I have the time to yammer on and on about the value of I-O and all of the interesting classes I’ve taken. 

Like the Ground Hog Day movie, I get a little better each time, but I am frustrated that I have to have this reoccurring conversation in the first place. If I answered MBA, there’d be no more questions. Wouldn’t it be nice if a degree in I-O was as recognized by the general public as an MBA is today?

Occasionally, I’m surprised that someone appears to understand my answer. Even then, I am skeptical. Further conversation often reveals a faulty mental model. Sometimes they are stuck in the myth that all psychologists are clinical (like what happened in the recent Washington Post article) or, if I make the mistake of mentioning a relationship with HR, they conjure up images of Scott Adam’s evil Catbert.

I know I am failing to master the art of the “What is I-O Psychology? Elevator speech” because usually the next time the topic of school comes up again, they ask, “So what was it that you are studying again?” As I try to hide a deep breath and my frustration from a lost teachable moment, I usually decide to protect myself from a repeat poor performance and play it safe the second time with, “psychology and business stuff” <deep breath, pause, sigh>.

Of course there are official definitions, such as the one on the SIOP website: “Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is the scientific study of the workplace. Rigor and methods of psychology are applied to issues of critical relevance to business, including talent management, coaching, assessment, selection, training, organizational development, performance, and work-life balance.” That’s fine if you are talking to someone who works in management or psychology, but it is hardly the words I can use in casual conversation with a friend over dinner.

If each one of us doesn’t take responsibility to make sure those around us understand what I-O is and is not, if we don’t all take the time to master the art of the “What is I-O Psychology? Elevator speech”, then how can we expect the general public to “get it”?

Please comment and share your experiences explaining what I-O is to your friends and family. If you are already a master, definitely share your elevator speech with the rest of us!

Comments

[Len]

As a student in a master's program, I'm not sure my post will bare as much relevance as the others, but I found this to be an interesting question.

I abide by the notion that MA/MS are not psychologists, but practitioners. As such, when people ask me what I/O psychology is and why I have an HR internship if I study psychology, I tell them that I am preparing to use the research I'm consuming in grad school and the skills I'm building in HR to develop expertise in strategic organizational improvement.

The the deer in headlights stare.

Then I explain (briefly) what the goals of strategic improvement are, and methods that can be used to identify needs and build solutions for problems.

[Nuts4ideas]

Sy,
Great blog. I just checked it out. So who won the elevator speech contest? You said in your blog that you have practiced the elevator speech and that you teach it to students. However, despite that you even admit that "Even after repeated explanations, I doubt my parents understand what my field of study is."
So, maybe, there is just something about this field that REALLY IS complicated, that makes it tough to communicate, even with the world's most polished elevator speech. Do you agree?
Carrie
P.S. I am now following you on Twitter. If others are interested, Sy is @IOSyIslam.

[Nuts4ideas]

Cristopher,
Interesting idea. I have not tried NOT saying psychology before. I'll have to try that. Maybe something like, "helping organizations figure out how to shape human behavior so there is a win-win between the company and its employees. We help organizations be more successful by helping their employees be more successful". A elevator speech without mention of psychology or HR might be the way to go!
Carrie

[Nuts4ideas]

Ben Elman,
Nice speech! I am not a fan of focusing on fixing problems and tweaking broken systems, so I have to say the last part of your speech was my favorite part. An ounce of prevention... is also true in organizations as it is in our bodies. It's also more cost effective to invest in prevention.
Thanks for contributing to the discussion!
Carrie

[Nuts4ideas]

Hi Gillian,
You described a potential I-O elevator speech well when you said "using information to change behavior and help organizations make better decisions"
Thanks for your comment.
Carrie

[Gillian Kerr]

My work as an IO psychologist over the past 20 years has been in program evaluation, policy analysis, information systems and performance management, using information to change behaviour and help organizations make better decisions. I do very little work in HR but quite a lot in software usability and business process improvement. I'd prefer that IO psychology not be identified solely with HR - it's broader than that - but of course HR can be used as an example of the types of things we can do.

[Benjamin Elman]

Hi Carrie Anne, Here is my elevator pitch:
Just as you might go to your local doctor when you are feeling unwell, business and organizational leaders with human capital pains call on I-O psychologists. We first listen to the organizations’ HR symptoms; then we use tested scientific methods to check the organizations’ pulse; and finally we prescribe a course of treatments from our org-kitbag. In addition, we work closely with organizations that want to avoid getting sick in the first place.

- Ben Elman (Touro College, NYC)

[Cristopher M. Hain Prada]

Carrie Anne,

Almost every time I tried to explain I-O in detail, the most common answer I got is, "Oh! So, like HR?" So, now I try to work backwards. The most successful 'elevator speeches' I have encountered, were due to the omission of the word psychology in its entirety at its introduction. I'd say something along Industrial relations and/or organizational development. This prevents any possible bias that has the propensity to arise upon hearing the word psychologist. At the conclusion, I would then state the actual official name of the field– Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
This technique has worked with my peers and family decently.

- Cristopher Michael

[Sy Islam]

This is a great idea and something I wrote about on my own blog recently http://psychologyofwork.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/contest-your-elevator-pitch/

I'm interested in hearing other people's elevator pitches because of how important it is to effectively communicate what I/O Psychology is.