ABP Blog
Newsletter Winter 2010
Posted: 11/03/10You can download the Winter newsletter in word format here
Welcome!
Welcome to the latest edition of the ABP’s quarterly newsletter. Hopefully you have managed to thaw out after all the snow and cold weather, and have recovered from the excitement of the Winter Olympics. Thankfully, Spring is just round the corner with the next edition of the newsletter shortly on its way to you. In the mean time, stay in the warmth, get yourself a hot drink and read this edition which is centred around the theme of social networking in business!
Helen Watts, Editor
Your newsletter
We work hard to give you a fresh, informative newsletter each season, providing a voice to the members. Do you have any comments, gripes or opinions that you’d like to share with other members?
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This edition’s highlights…
- HPC and statutory regulation update
- Social networking- mixing business with pleasure
- Fancy a light read?
Francis Butler CPsychol, FBPS
Francis was devoted to psychology and he spent his working life developing the practical use of the discipline. A founding member of the Association of Business Psychologists, as well as a key figure in developing the BPS Charter, his contribution to psychology was immeasurable. He died on the 7th of November 2009, following a very short illness, aged only 66.
Francis was born in Eltham in 1943, the son of a famous sports journalist, Frank Butler. He read Psychology at Exeter University where he met his future wife, Joan. On graduating in 1965 he worked as a researcher at Birkbeck College with Professor Alec Rodger and Peter Cavanagh, and also represented the college on University Challenge. In 1967 he married Joan and a year later he was appointed assistant lecturer at University College Cork, a post he held for two years.
Upon his return to London he joined the Civil Service where he spent the largest part of his career working for the Department of Employment and latterly the Civil Service Selection Board. His second child was born in 1978, on the same day he delivered his first, but possibly not his best, Open University tutorial. He continued working for the Open University for the rest of his life. In 1983 the family moved to Norbury, where Francis became an active member of the local Catholic parish.
In 1995 he took early retirement from the Department of Employment and, for the only time in his life, signed on for one week, having to hold his tongue when asked by the Job Centre who his previous employer had been.
With his intellect, love of classical music and fine wine it was inevitable that he would end up working for the Metropolitan Police, where he remained for eight years as the Chief Occupational Psychologist. On retirement from the Met in 2003 Francis and Joan expanded their love of travel outside of Europe, visiting places as far away as Chile and New Zealand and, due to a particular love of Africa, travelling to Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and finally to Tanzania, a trip from which he returned just two weeks prior to his death.
Psychology was his career but it was also one of his passions. He became a Fellow of the British Psychological Society for his work on developing their Charter and, at the time of his death was the Chair of the London and Home Counties branch of the BPS and a member of the Representative Council of the BPS.
His commitment to the ABP meant remaining constant through the period of ‘storming’ that the board went through, and taking over the Chair position when no one was prepared to take on that task. Francis proved to be an outstanding Chair of the Association. His wisdom, his liveliness and good humour as well as his energy and enthusiasm will be sorely missed by all those who had contact with him.
His popularity with the ABP membership could not have been more evident than at the last conference, where he was rightly acknowledged for his exceptional contribution. The standing ovation he received celebrating his period of office was testament to the esteem in which he was held. He is survived by his wife Joan, his children Tom and Claire, son-in-law Conor, and his granddaughter Aine.
David Royston-Lee, Fellow ABP board member and friend
SmorgasBOARD
Changes to the Board
- Steve Whiddett (Chairman)
- Mark O’Sullivan (Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee)
- Trisha Cochrane
- Carol Cole (Vice Chair and Chair of Standing Disciplinary Committee)
- Richard Plenty
- Peter Burton
- Stephen Benton (Chair of Membership Committee)
- Deborah Barleggs (conference co-dean)
- Jacquie Brazier (conference co-dean)
- Debbie Hance (Company Secretary and Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee)
- Richard Taylor (ABP Administrator)
We regret to announce that Alan Redman has decided to resign from the Board having been a very active member for several years. The Board wishes to thank Alan for his significant contribution to both the ABP generally and for delivering two successful conferences. We are sure that Alan will continue to be an inspiring presence at the conference and we hope that the Board will benefit from his energy, ideas and pragmatism again in the future.
Aims, values and strategy of the ABP
The Board recently held its annual Strategy Awayday, which will result in a refocusing of our efforts and resources. In order to take advantage of current and future opportunities, we have reassessed our priorities and would like to share our ideas and hopes for the Association with you. The conference provides us with the perfect opportunity to do this and there will be a number of opportunities, over the three days, for you to talk to the Board Members, to find out what we’re doing and to share your views with us. Member engagement, feedback and involvement are critical to us achieving our aims as an organisation and we look forward to finding ways in which everyone can contribute to and benefit from the continued success of the ABP.
In the next editions, as well as keeping you updated with ABP developments, we will be revealing more about your Board members, what they get up to and what makes them tick! Keep reading!
What’s new? ... ABP Conference 10th Anniversary!
ABP Conference
6-8 May 2010
Update!
The conference committee has been very busy and is proud to announce that the speaker programme, with over 28 workshops to choose from and 4 keynote speakers, is full and available on the website.
Click here to see what’s on offer. The full quota of primary sponsors means additional activities, entertainment and take-homes for all delegates.
The ABP conference is run by Business Psychologists for Anyone who works with people in organisations including psychologists, coaches, trainers, HR and L&D professionals, change and management consultants; it is practitioner led and focused. The conference provides delegates with the opportunity to meet a large number of ABP members from across all business sectors, to share stories, listen to real case studies, learn and connect with others, talk business and stimulate discussion about creating possibilities for your clients.
In addition to our excellent keynotes, including the ABP Chairman Steve Whiddett, David Carew and Jo Haigh, the 2010 Conference has four main streams from which you can choose the interactive workshops and sessions which best suit your interests and needs. Topics include the science of influence and persuasion, positive psychology in decision making and the impact of the emerging neurosciences on understanding organisational behaviour. There will be case studies from a wide range of clients, including Shell, Grundfos, Schering-Plough, Barclays Capital and Balfour Beatty.
Stream 1: Psychology in Organisations - Practical psychology making a difference
Stream 2: Conversations for Change - Communicating to deliver performance
Stream 3: New Tools for New Times? - Tips, tricks and techniques
Stream 4: Developing Distinctiveness - Setting yourself apart
The conference is great value for money and has a 6 for the price of 5 delegate offer ongoing. The price includes 2 nights’ accommodation, all meals, champagne reception, Gala dinner, entertainment, conference materials, sessions and free parking on site. Can you really afford not to be there?
Go on, complete your booking form today on the conference page
HPC and Statutory Regulation Update
By Debbie Hance
Thanks to those of you who have been sharing your experiences of statutory regulation and registration with the HPC. Although the dust has settled on this a bit now, there are still interesting stories emerging and further complications to the picture. A key thing to note is the use of titles – the BPS issued a comprehensive summary of how titles should be used in August last year, but it seems that there remains some confusion among us! What we need to be wary of is ‘mixing up’ the titles that are now owned by two different organisations. So, those of us who were attached to our COP status (Chartered Occupational Psychologists) have to kiss goodbye to that and start calling ourselves Chartered Psychologists, Occupational Psychologists or Registered Psychologists, and use the following after our name: C.Psychol, Registered Psychologist (HPC), Occupational Psychologist (and re-print all those business cards??).
Another thing to watch for is the process for registering with the HPC if you have appropriate experience and relevant qualifications, but for whatever reason have not completed the route to Chartership. One member’s experiences suggest that the HPC may not be entirely clear on their requirements in this area yet. At the start of the process, he was told that if he filled in the form, sent a cheque and provided a ‘statement of supervision’ this would be sufficient. The HPC have now sent his application back, saying that what they actually require is a statement from the BPS. So it looks like, unless you are Chartered or have made significant inroads into being recognised by the BPS, HPC registration will be difficult. The member who spoke to us did say that the HPC staff were very helpful and responsive, so if you are considering applying for HPC registration, it is worth calling them and discussing your options, but go armed with plenty of questions about the precise requirements!
Occupational Psychologists unconvinced!
News from the HPC
According to the latest figures, only 77% of eligible occupational psychologists have decided to register with the HPC, compared to 95% of clinical psychologists and 93% of educational psychologists. We expected this though - given the results of the survey (see previous issue) whereby 71% said they would transfer across.
Are you part of ‘the 23%’ who haven’t registered? It would be interesting to have your views as to why you haven’t registered. E-mail your thoughts to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Social networking- mixing business and pleasure?
By Bridget Grenville-Cleave and Dr Jonathan Passmore
There’s a lot of truth in that old saying about the dangers of mixing work with pleasure. Take social networking: hardly a day goes by without Facebook, Twitter or one of the other networking sites hitting the headlines, usually for negative reasons – remember the Swindon doctors and nurses reprimanded for playing ‘the lying down’ game on duty and the sledging Thames Valley policemen? Many business bosses and HR managers must be living in dread of the time their organisation becomes exposed because of some Facebook faux-pas committed by an employee (or one of their relatives)– think Sir John Sawyers, head of MI6 posing in Speedos in the summer of 2009. And then there are the times when emotional outbursts become public - this month 26-year-old Paul Chambers was arrested by anti-terrorism police (and suspended from his job) for sending a Twitter message joking that he was about to blow up Doncaster airport? Let’s face it, feeling stressed at work is very common, and when your peers, boss or customers let you down, it can be tempting to treat your Facebook Wall or Twitter stream as a private diary, and give vent to your darkest innermost thoughts without considering the possibility that they may get into the wrong hands. Take the hapless Lindsay, fired for complaining in very obvious terms about her job and her boss on Facebook. In this case, the news didn’t have very far to travel; Lindsay’s boss also happened to be one of her Facebook friends!
More often the examples we read about in the media are those where information which we consider to be private leaks out and ends up in the public domain. Whilst it’s worth saying that you shouldn’t write anything on Facebook or any other online forum that you wouldn’t be happy about appearing on the front page news, it’s important to consider the role that psychology plays in online communication and relationships, and how it influences our online behaviour, sometimes in unexpected ways. For example, research suggests that the internet not only makes you feel like you’re anonymous (even when it’s clear that you’re not), but also when you think your behaviour and comments can’t be attributed to you, you’re much less inhibited. Disclosure also depends whether or not you can see an image of yourself or the person you’re communicating with online, for instance if a photo on a profile page. Taken together these points help to explain why people tend to give away more personal information online than they would do face-to-face, as well as how easy it is to post things that you might later regret. Incidentally, it also explains why flirting by email frequently leads to something more serious, but that’s another story.
On top of the potential problems associated with personal disclosure there’s the obvious question of whether and how using social networks in the office affects productivity. Again there are numerous reports indicating that Facebooking at work wastes time and delivers little or no benefit to the organisation. In December 2009, a survey of over 400 corporate employees in India suggested that using social networking sites at work cost each member of staff on average between 30 and 60 minutes a day, or close to 12.5% productivity. Based on these types if reports, it’s easy to assume that allowing access to social networking will turn your previously hard-working and highly focussed team into a bunch of workshy malingerers who do nothing but tweet about their infantile antics, post risqué photos and make friends with people they’ve never even met. For these reasons, and because they fear reputational damage, social networking on the job is strictly off-limits for many organisations. Some have an outright ban, or restrict usage to lunchtimes only, whereas others provide specific times to update social network profiles, aka the ‘Facebook Friday’.
But at the risk of mixing our metaphors, if we curtail usage of social networks in the office by focussing solely on the downsides, are we also in danger of throwing the baby out with the bath water? Are there ways we can harness what we know about the psychology behind online communication and behaviour and turn their weaknesses into strengths, for us personally and also for our organisations?
For independent professionals, for instance, there is increasing evidence that social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter can be used very effectively to further ones career. Of course, LinkedIn’s focus is business networking – it relies on members replicating their real-world networks since its value comes from trust – in other words your ability to genuinely recommend the people you’re connected to, and vice versa. We’re only just starting to explore the benefits of using ‘social’ social networking sites for work and business. Facebook works in a different way to LinkedIn, with some users having friends numbering in the hundreds and thousands. Before you snort in derision (‘no-one can really have that many friends!’) just remember Mark Granovetter’s research from the 70’s and 80’s on the strength of weak ties. Granovetter suggested that since our acquaintances (the weak ties) move in slightly different circles to our friends and colleagues (the strong ties), they can provide us with different, and potentially superior forms of support and information. You can see that there are business gains to be made from using the likes of Facebook and Twitter to make a large number of connections with people you barely know. Just because Facebook has been labelled a social network, doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t use it for work-related endeavours.
As occupational, work or business psychologists, you’ve no doubt grappled with the question of how to increase employee engagement and commitment to the organisation, which is always important in times of change, and crucial to business success in times of economic instability. How motivated employees are and how they feel about their organisation affects performance – they want to feel a sense of belonging in their team or department, they want to do a good job as well as feel proud of their achievements and those of their employer . What better way to increase engagement than by harnessing the power of social networks. Recognising this potential, organisations like IBM, world leader in enterprise social software, and BT, have taken a much more enlightened and proactive stance towards using social networking technology (but not necessarily the proprietary software ) in the workplace, by providing the online space for employees to connect with one another, and with the outside world. In 2007 IBM introduced their own social network, known as Beehive - subsequent research on why employees use Beehive indicates three primary motivations:
• Caring (or connecting and sharing on a personal level)
• Climbing (career advancement), and
• Campaigning (finding sponsors in the organisation for your ideas and projects).
BT has also enjoyed great success with its social network, MyPages. As Richard Dennison, former Social Media Manager says, “using technology to break down traditional boundaries encourages a culture that reaches out” – it facilitates communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing. He’s sceptical of the argument that social networking reduces productivity, asserting that you have to trust your employees. After all, Dennison argues, ‘if we can’t trust them then we have to ask why we are employing them’.
Although psychology research can barely keep up with technological developments, we can build on existing findings to improve both personal and business performance. The ABP recently set up its own Facebook and LinkedIn groups, the ideal place to make new connections, share ideas about important business psychology topics, and collaborate on projects. Are you leading the way?
Biographies
Bridget Grenville-Cleave and Dr Jonathan Passmore are co-authors of The Facebook Manager: the Psychology and Practice of Web-based Social Networking (2009) published by Management Books 2000 Ltd.
Bridget Grenville-Cleave (MSc MAPP, MBA, FCCA) is a business consultant, trainer and facilitator with a passion for technology, and personal and organisational change. She is a founder member of the International Positive Psychology Association, and regularly contributes to the online journal Positive Psychology News Daily. In 2008 she co-authored The Happiness Equation: 100 Factors that Can Add to or Substract from your Happiness with Dr Ilona Boniwell, and in 2009 contributed to Resilience - How to Navigate Life’s Curves ( by Senia Maymin and Kathryn Britton).
Jonathan Passmore (PhD, MBA, MSc, FCIPD) is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and Director of Coaching Programmes at the University of East London, UK. Jonathan is the author/editor of 12 books including Excellence in Coaching: The Industry Guide (2006), Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management: Using AI to Facilitate Organisational Development (2007) and Diversity in Coaching: Working with Gender, Culture, Race and Age (2009).
For more information, join the discussion at The F@cebook Manager Page on Facebook.
Book review
By Catherine Steele
The facebook manager; The psychology and practice of web-based social networking
Bridget Grenville-Cleave and Jonathan Passmore
Regardless of your IT skills the explosion in web based social networking cannot have escaped your notice. This book focuses on the three main online social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) and explains how these can be utilised for business purposes. It also touches on the use of blogs and more general networking strategies suggesting ways that these can be used to enhance both your professional reputation and your client base.
If you are a newcomer to online social networking the book begins with a great introduction to how both individuals and organisations can use these sites and how to get started building profiles and adding connections. Already a user of all three sites myself I wasn’t really sure what I would learn but by the time I had finished reading I had a long to do list compiled from the various tops tips and general suggestions that are provided throughout.
As well as a taking a “how to” approach the authors have provided references to psychological research and real case studies in all 6 chapters. These references add depth to the book and provide justification as to why we should be engaging with social networking sites.
Cary Cooper describes the book as “a must buy for the 21st century manager”. If you want to reach out to potential new clients, promote your expertise or engage with other professionals this book will show you how.
Dr. Catherine Steele
Worcester University
January 2010
In the news
By Helen Watts
What’s hot in the world of HR and business?
I’ve trawled through various newspapers and websites in order to bring to you a selection of news stories which I believe will be of interest to you.
Half of HR-professionals in financial sector to expect pay increase in 2010
HR has a rosier view of levels of employee engagement than other managers
Scala’s novel training for staff to understand supply chains impact on performance
Workplace stress taking its toll on employees’ love lives
MPs to quiz Kraft directors on future of Cadbury
Psychometrics
by Helen Watts
What’s hot in the world of psychometrics? Selected articles from Assessment and Development Matters (formerly Selection and Development Review) are listed below.
Implications for diagnostic assessment: A comparison of two measures
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Level A CPD- A Reminder!
This year the Level A qualification is being revised and current Level A holders will need to keep up with CPD in order to maintain their place on the register. TPS Developing Organisations, are providing non-profit Level A refresher training courses for this. Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information regarding the next course!
A…B…P…?
By Helen Watts
Each edition, we want to broaden your essential commercial awareness by introducing you to completely random, yet interesting, fellow ‘A.B.P.’ organisations! This edition, I introduce you to ABPmer - a leading UK marine environmental consultancy creating sustainable solutions for the marine environment. They support projects at all stages in their life cycle starting from field survey and analysis through to data management, interpretation and final reporting.
Geeky Gadgets
By Helen Watts
What’s new in the geeky world? This edition… I’d like you to consider the Pulse Smartpen - a computer within a pen that captures handwriting whilst simultaneously recording audio information and synchronizing it to the writing. Also, the smartpen is a general purpose computer, compatible with a wide range of applications!
Forthcoming events
The Postgraduate Business Psychology Conference 2010
22 March 2010, 9:30 - 17:00
Venue: University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW
Description: “We aim to provide a forum to update postgraduates and practitioners on the latest thinking and practices in Business Psychology.”
Prof. Stephen Benton, Director - Business Psychology Centre
In 1998, the University of Westminster launched Europe’s first postgraduate course in Business Psychology and has consistently sought to promote innovation in teaching and practice. This conference continues this theme, highlighting the essential utility of individuals’ differences and their intrinsic value to organisations. Join us as we learn about current research and organisational case studies, and participate in workshops run by experienced practitioners from the business psychology community.
The day will include:
Keynote - Dr Meredith Belbin
Masterclasses - Professor Angela Clow, Dr Meredith Belbin
Papers, Workshops and Poster Presentations!
And opportunities to make new connections!
This conference follows on the hugely successful first postgraduate business psychology conference in 2008, have a look at the 2008 conference programme and the photo gallery and details of speaker sessions here
Conference Fee
Students: £50
ABPmembers: £60
All others: £120
The fee includes the conference programme, lunch and refreshments throughout the day. Please note that paid up ABP members benefit from a considerable reduction in the attendance fee.
The benefits of being an ABP member!
Are you taking advantage of your ABP membership benefits? …
• Right to refer to oneself as a Member/Principal Member of the Association of Business Psychologists
• Use of the ABP logo on stationery and website
• Access to extensive presentation resources from previous Events and Conferences
• Opportunity to host events that showcase the member’s own services, insights or specialist approaches to business psychology
• Opportunity to attend events free or at a reduced cost, to support you in your CPD
Remember… ALL members benefit from…
• Networking opportunities with other members including the opportunity to meet with and work with members on subcommittees to help develop the profession of business psychology
• Right to form or join existing branches, in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, The Midlands and the North
• Opportunity to form or join Special Interest Groups e.g. Business Leaders group
• Attendance at the acclaimed Members Only Annual Conference
• Advance access to online jobs listings
• Mentoring services for new and junior members
• Continuing Professional Development – access to CPD activities & training courses
• The seasonal e-newsletter, full of interesting and useful features
New services coming soon! ...
• Placement of a personal business link on the links page of the public website
• Access to the Members’ Area of the ABP website and Association information
• Access to the Members’ Area Jobs and Opportunities page
• The right, by Principal Members, to place their expertise information, email and website links on the Find a Psychologist service
• Access to the ABP Message Board
Not yet a member? Join us!
Being a member of the Association of Business Psychologists brings a host of benefits and applying is simple. To join as a full ABP member you should be a person who either manages, is partner in, or employed in, a business providing psychological services to business or the public sector. Alternatively, you maybe employed as a psychologist in a relevant capacity (e.g. in HR) in a business or in the public sector. We also offer affiliate membership. Go to the membership levels page to find out the full requirements. The subscription for all categories of membership is the same - £30 plus VAT. This is great value for money, and low in comparison with other professional membership organisations. To apply to join click here and download the application forms
Facebook!
Why not join our new facebook group, a chance for members to network, socialise, and share any ABP thoughts and comments!