Dear Students,

We made it to Thanksgiving – a four-day weekend! High fives all around.

In my Group Dynamics classes this semester we have talked often about our learning community. The students in the course, as well as my wonderful teaching assistant, Katrina Monton, and I, are continuously working to bring our best selves to the study of group dynamics. Most recently we have discussed how to create conditions for psychological safety, psychological bravery and psychological courage in groups and teams. Achieving this isn’t easy, but I’m encouraged by our conversations.

In class we have talked about the interplay of power and privilege, authority and oppression, social identity and leadership, individual and collective responsibility and accountability, and how all that relates to what happens in our teams at work. Mostly, we try to dig deep into complicated and nuanced dynamics of how we work together in groups (or don’t) and why and how we can do it better. Immediately. Like today.

After a long Zoom call with a consulting client who wearily described how his boss purposefully and aggressively pits team members against one another to incite envy and competition as a means to get them to perform better, I wondered if I should get out of the group dynamics business. Immediately. Like today. (But of course, I won’t.)

I have never been drawn to the type of downbeat and even deadly group stories found in the novel Lord of the Flies and, more recently, the television show Yellowjackets, although I certainly understand how groups can dangerously unravel. I prefer to examine group success stories like those recounted in Deep Down Dark about the 2010 Chilean Mining Disaster or the maritime rescue of 500,000 people from Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. A colleague once said, “A group can create a Holocaust and a group can put a man on the moon.” I would add that it took a group to create a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine.

I am inspired by the ways groups and teams can lift us up and sustain us in times of crisis, upheaval, uncertainty and injustice. I read a note this week from a family friend, Greg Boyle, who founded Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Greg mentioned the Korean concept of Jeong, loosely defined as a deep connection and lasting bond among people that encourages generosity and mutual understanding. He also referenced the South African idea of Ubuntu, meaning humanity toward others. Surely words such as “generosity,” “mutual understanding,” and “humanity toward others” describe our hopes for our S-OP learning community. We are always striving to create an S-OP community where we can contemplate, study, and question the most pressing problems of today’s groups, organizations, and systems while nurturing our connectedness and shared humanity. We often lift each other up and I am very grateful to you for that.

Our newsletter this month includes a lot of content related to diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism (DEIA). DEIA work is core to the S-OP Program and is essential to our community’s ability to thrive. Please read our DEIA MA Program 2020-2021 annual report. Take a minute to complete our pulse check and let us know your thoughts and feelings on the program. Review the various resources listed below, including the list of DEIA-related courses offered at Teachers College, as Spring 2022 registration is around the corner. And, enjoy the recommended readings on psychological bravery, and recent perspectives on using AI to promote diverse hiring and the complexity of Asian American identity.

And, as we take time off this week and are invited to give thanks, please know that my Social-Organizational Psychology staff and faculty colleagues and I are thankful for all of you. Wishing you rest, relaxation, fun times with family and friends and all kinds of delicious dining.

Warmly,

Sarah Brazaitis Signature

Sarah J. Brazaitis, Ph.D.
MA Program Director

 

Current Student Profile

Ana-Maria Alba-Bohorquez
Email LinkedIn
Ana-Maria Alba-Bohorquez is currently a second-year M.A. student in the Social-Organizational Psychology program. After graduating from New York University with a B.S. in Economics and Social Entrepreneurship, Ana-Maria joined a recruitment agency that specialized in STEM. During her time there, Ana-Maria had the opportunity to consult her clients on their talent acquisition strategy and help them attract top talent across the financial and pharmaceutical industries. After stepping into different leadership positions, Ana-Maria was able to tap into her passion for leadership development, coaching and DEIA work. Through several networking conversations, Ana-Maria was introduced to TC’s S-OP master’s program, and she hasn’t looked back since.
 
Ana-Maria is a certified career coach who enjoys her time as a full-time student, making new friends, and learning new theories that she can put into practice. During the summer of 2021, Ana-Maria interned at Regeneron in their Commercial Training & Development team where she supported the implementation of a new training program for their sales organization. Currently, Ana-Maria is a part time consultant at a DEI consulting company called Hyphens & Spaces that was founded by another TC Alum! She’s excited to continue her work in culture change and organizational transformation in service of shaping more inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplaces.
 
You can connect with Ana-Maria on LinkedIn or by email.

Alumni Profile

Phillip Gray
Phillip Gray leverages his keen insight into people to empower individuals, lead teams, consult to organizations, and help others achieve objectives. As a Human Resources professional, he helps to shape organizations to be spaces where people can bring their authentic selves, be productive, and thrive. 
 
Phillip has over 12 years of HR experience across the Technology, Media, Retail/e-commerce, and Government Contracting industries. He currently serves as a People Consultant Manager at Google, where he leads a team that provides HR consultations and support to over 95,000 Googlers across the U.S. Phillip started at Google as a People Consultant and Insights Partner in 2018; in his initial role, he surfaced key insights and provided forward-focused HR interventions for the Google Maps product area. Prior to joining Google, he held HR roles at CNN, NBC Universal, and the Hudson’s Bay Company (the parent company to retailers including Saks).
 
Phillip graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2018 with a Masters of Arts in Social-Organizational Psychology, and he earned a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. Beyond his academic and professional endeavors, Phillip is an aspiring percussionist and finds restoration in nature hikes.
 
You can connect with Phillip on LinkedIn. 

 

Recommended Readings

This article, recommended by S-OP doctoral student, Lan Phan, details about how psychological courage, bravery and safety can help facilitate difficult conversations about social justice.

This article describes how two professors at William & Mary University are using AI to increase diverse hiring practices.

This audio article entitled, Why Identity Politics Isn’t Working for Asian Americans, is a conversation between two Asian American writers about identity, language, representation and power.

Published Wednesday, Nov 24, 2021