What is I/O psychology and why should entrepreneurs care?

2020 client planning session.

Look, I know what you’re thinking: “Ok, Deb, so what does this extremely long title (Industrial organizational psychology) mean?” I get it. It looks complex and, trust me, it’s not marketing-friendly! So let me break it down for you!

 Industrial: People at work – also called personnel psychology – think recruitment, selection, training, compensation.

Organizational: How people behave inside organizations – think culture, organizational development, group performance, leadership.

Psychology: The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Ok, so let’s bring it together, I/O psych (the shorter, cuter version of the title) is “the scientific study of the human behavior at organizations and the workplace” (APA, 2021). Professionals in this field, like yours truly, absolutely LOVE looking at why people behave the way they do at work, why they choose to apply for and quit jobs, how leaders emerge, why not all managers are effective, and how to promote a healthy workplace.

I hear you, now you’re like: “ok, Deb, but I am an entrepreneur, why should I care?” I’m glad you asked! Entrepreneur, you are growing your business…your baby. You want BIG things for your business, you’re on this path of ascension and you are not thinking about stopping anytime soon! That means getting more clients to buy from you, more people to help you deliver your service or product to said clients, and better processes to deliver that great service or product, right?

So, the unparalleled growth you see every day in your business probably means you’ve stumbled into a few roadblocks:

• your simple business model no longer serves you,

• managing your human resources is getting trickier,

• processes are becoming sluggish or simply no longer work,

• and most of all, you (CEO) are becoming the bottleneck in your business.

As I/O psychologists, we become allies for entrepreneurs. We bring our toolkit of evidence-based practices, deep questions, and extreme passion for supporting people at work and help you in this journey towards growth.

• We look at why your business model is no longer working - we clarify your strategy for sustainable growth.

• We take a look at your people, the gas that keeps your business moving, to see where they are happy, clear and empowered and where they are disengaged, burnt out, and unmotivated.

• We deep dive into your org. processes and figure out how they can be more agile.

• And finally, we coach you to become the true CEO of your company so you can focus on the big picture, the vision, the strategy (not the daily nitty gritty).

We’re here as allies to support and witness your glorious growth!