Okay, so I’ve been diving into this “Industrial-Organizational Psychology” thing, you know, the “applied approach.” It sounded fancy, but really, it’s about making workplaces better, I guess. So, I wanted to see if I could actually use any of it.
First Steps: Figuring Out What to Even Do
First, I spent some time just reading. Not gonna lie, a lot of it was dense. I went through the textbook, highlighting stuff that seemed important, like “job analysis” and “performance appraisal.” Sounded like corporate buzzwords, but I figured there had to be something useful there.
The Experiment: My Own Little Workspace
I decided to treat my own home office as my “lab.” I’m a freelance writer, so my “job” is pretty flexible. I started by doing a mini “job analysis” on myself. Sounds weird, right? But basically, I just wrote down everything I do in a typical day:
- Checking emails: Way too much time.
- Brainstorming ideas: Sometimes fun, sometimes a drag.
- Writing: The actual work part.
- Editing: Ugh.
- Dealing with clients: Can be great, can be…not so great.
- Getting distracted by the internet: My biggest weakness.
Then I rated each task on how much I liked it, how important it was, and how good I was at it. This was surprisingly helpful. It showed me that I was spending a lot of time on emails (low importance, low enjoyment) and not enough time on brainstorming (high importance, high enjoyment).
Tweaking Things: Small Changes, Big Impact
Based on my little self-analysis, I made some changes. These are based on I-O psychology that related to motivation and work design.
- Time Blocking: I started scheduling specific times for each task. Like, “9-10 AM: Emails ONLY.” It felt a bit rigid at first, but it helped me focus.
- Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of work, 5-minute break. This was a game-changer for dealing with distractions.
- Reward System: I’m not kidding, I gave myself a small treat (like a piece of chocolate) after finishing a particularly annoying task. It’s silly, but it worked!
Did It Actually Work?
Honestly? Yeah, it did. I’m not saying I’m suddenly a productivity guru, but I’m definitely getting more done. I feel less stressed, and I’m actually enjoying my work more. The biggest thing was just being aware of how I was spending my time and what was working (and what wasn’t). My output increased, at least that is my feeling.
I also realized a few things which is that a lot of this “industrial-organizational psychology” stuff is just common sense, dressed up in fancy language. But sometimes, having that fancy language helps you think about things in a new way. And It’s not a magic bullet. You still have to actually do the work. But it can help you do it better, and maybe even enjoy it a little more.
