This note seeks to provide some recommendations for people who want to know a quick image of the specialty.
1. The actions carried out in this field make use, among others, of the classical methods of psychology, such as observation, interview and written questionnaires to collect information.
It is essential that the psychologist or organizational practitioner, before plotting actions, collect information in such a way that their immediate activity aims to cover the real needs of the organization.
Often the objective of this collection of information is the result of a conversation with that representative of the company that has called us.
2. A frequent starting point in practice is to diagnose the organizational, work or interpersonal relations climate in the workplace. For this there are already several instruments. From such measurement and diagnosis, “treatment” and / or improvement actions can be proposed.
3. Generally, the action of the psychologist or organizational practitioner can be divided into two fields:
1) actions that have to do with improving human relationships, eg, training in oral communication or assertiveness so that the work becomes more fluid and effective; o Provide training to managers and supervisors on how to motivate or incentivize personnel beyond the merely economic.
2) Cabinet work, that is, preparing or preparing the essential documentation to carry out various processes in the company, eg, formats for performance evaluation, function manuals, job profiles and others.
This is also where the specialist's “most classic” work with workers is located: psychological evaluations in order to establish staff profiles; psychological counseling and other actions that seek to preserve general mental health in the organization.
4. The psychologist or organizational practitioner must be very aware of the time it will take for each task they commit to doing. Your calculation of deadlines must be realistic and clearly anticipated to your counterpart or superior in the company. This matter is cause for confusion and misunderstanding. Therefore, it must be specified before proposing or starting any activity.
5. Equally defined must be the issue of the provision of resources. In organizational activity it is often required to apply a series of instruments to personnel. Therefore, it must be determined who will pay for the reproduction of said material.
6. The psychological tests used in the organizational field do not necessarily have to be those specially created for the business context.
Although each year we have new properly organizational tests, often to diagnose the personality of a worker we must go to a battery or basic package of tests, eg intelligence, personality and skills. It is essential that the psychologist or organizational practitioner use those tests that are best for them and that are adapted to our reality.
In addition, when applying them individually or in groups, you must follow impeccable ethical behavior. Any error or slip will spread as a hidden or evident rumor among the staff. Finally, the organizational psychologist does not first look for pathologies among the personnel he evaluates.
Rather, you want to highlight the strengths of company members. Naturally, any severe or potentially harmful problem or conflict should be treated with tact and prudence.
7. The most recommended therapies in the organizational area are those of a short format. Given the nature of the companies, where efficiency and / or productivity are essential, long-term therapies would be out of place.
8. For young newcomers to the specialty who want to extract ideas for action in a company, it is essential to study a good human resources manual. It is there where they will discover a series of possibilities of actions and tasks that can be developed.
Most Internet pages on the subject are summaries of what human resources texts say or reiterate what they indicate but without all the theoretical basis found in the books. Other possibilities for action can be extracted from marketing texts, market research, advertising, consumer behavior, quality management, etc.
9. The highest point of organizational practice refers to the explicit or veiled resistance of managers and workers towards the mere presence of the specialist. There are a series of psychological and even economic factors that explain such reluctance.
Therefore, the professional or organizational novice should study as much as possible about how to achieve change in companies, starting with people. There are a number of titles on the subject. Likewise, you should review what was discovered by social psychology regarding persuasion or the art of convincing.
10. Last but not least, there is the issue of results. The psychologist or organizational practitioner should be oriented towards achieving them. But not short-term results and only restricted to their work. In the medium term, it is evident in the general performance of the company how beneficial it was to have a psychologist. To do this, we must ensure that the staff transfers what they learned in the sessions with the organizational specialist to their daily work.
