If you think about business as a living organism, you start to really understand how each one is different—behaving differently, responding differently, and comprised of many different parts. Because businesses, like people, are not all the same, business leaders must be open to creative solutions for the problems their organization may encounter.
This is a major component of the Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and a key factor that drew alumnus Justin Lopez, M.A., into the program while working in The Chicago School’s admissions department.
“By viewing the business as a living organism that we have to tend to and take care of, we realize that we need to ascertain feedback as to what methods and methodologies are going to be implemented for improvement and how effective those are,” Lopez says. “I got my degree and knew I wanted to test out some of these things we were learning in the admissions field. I knew that if we’re teaching it, we should definitely be able to utilize it ourselves.”
The Chicago School’s model seeks to prepare students and alumni to live out their mission and values, and Lopez has done just that in his position as the assistant director of admissions.
The constant emphasis on recruitment is a common issue in the department—it’s sometimes a challenge to shift the focus and strategy to include retention and development for students and employees.
Admissions counselors are tasked with being able to speak about a variety of programs. With The Chicago School offering more than 30 academic degrees, Lopez is interested in the ways counselors can enhance their knowledge about these programs and provide greater insight to students.
“For example, in The Chicago School’s I/O Psychology program, it’s not always a direct career path because there are so many applications. The onus is on us to provide students with a broad picture of both programmatic learning and longer-term impact,” Lopez says. “The majority of counselors will utilize me as a second voice because, as a graduate working in the field, I can speak to what the components of the program are and, more importantly, to what contribution you can make with the degree. I wish someone would have done that for me.”
Teaching all admissions counselors to speak with this authority on every program is a big ask, but it’s something that would greatly enhance all aspects of the student experience. Lopez uses information from strength assessments and anonymous surveys to find ways to meet such goals
“Through anonymous surveys, we find out how employees are truly feeling about the company and their position. My experience in I/O psychology has taught me to analyze this data and find creative solutions to real-world issues, like employee development and retention,” Lopez says.
Lopez recently found a solution to employees feeling siloed in their roles and departments by using interdepartmental connection and communication. He found that hosting events outside of the office, makes employees more likely to relax and socialize, which breeds a wealth of positive results in the office the next day.
Many organizational human resources issues—like most relationship problems—can be addressed with communication and understanding. Lopez believes that getting feedback, encouraging strengths, and seeing a future are key ways to address common employee retention and development issues.
“If managers are in step with their subordinates, they begin to understand how they’re feeling challenged and maybe move projects to get them onto things where they’ve shown a lot of success already,” Lopez says. “Coming from a strengths-based approach allows employees to feel more comfortable in their place within the team and their opportunity for growth. If I don’t have a sense of where I can go within this career, do you think I’m going to be sticking around for two years to see if something magically happens? Probably not.”
Lopez’s knack for creativity and strategy is exactly why he found his niche in I/O psychology—and this sense of creativity doesn’t just apply to his professional life. When he’s not analyzing and implementing strategies to improve the student experience at The Chicago School, Lopez freestyles raps and has recently taken up painting. His most recent project was a surprising and creative response to the birth of his niece.
“I wanted to paint something to express my excitement and joy with her birth, but I didn’t know exactly what that would be. When I was more than halfway finished, I saw it: a pig flying over a rainbow. And isn’t that a perfect representation of what the miracle of life really is—bright and as unlikely as pigs flying?”
Learn more about our Industrial and Organizational Psychology programs
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