--Apologies if you receive this more than once--
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that the OB Division is again sponsoring the Professional Development Workshop entitled, "Unconstrained by Fear: Reallocating Our Resources to Enable Meaningful Interfaces at the AOM Conference".
Fear is often experienced when we perceive a threat to our physical and/or psychological well-being. Especially for doctoral students and junior faculty, attending the annual conference amid thousands of scholars, and even sitting among academic heroes and heroines, can trigger a perceived threat to their competence, their capabilities, and their worth. Thus, without even realizing it, many conference participants will at times be either driven by an invisible force to defend, or inhibited by an invisible barrier to protect. Yet when the perceived threat is in fact not a threat at all-our unconscious appraisal mechanisms are not always correct-the fear response can hinder what could otherwise be very beneficial experiences. Updated with some additional research and more interactive exercises, this workshop sets out to help liberate cognitive, emotional, and behavioral resources from habitual fear responses to maximize the Conference experience. It is my hope that this workshop helps attendees experience and develop more meaningful interfaces with colleagues across the Academy by gaining skills of reflection, articulation and expression that they can immediately put into practice at the conference.
Upon asking participants some of their takeaways from last year's PDW, comments included:
"That everyone has similar fears: I was relieved! (And I got a great eye-opener in my big assumptions.)"
"Sharing and talking is a powerful tool. We often share the same hopes and fears."
"Expressing emotions helps diffuse them."
"Getting rid of psychological barriers that hinder me actively participating in the conference."
"...it was freeing, thank you!"
Pre-registration is required for this workshop, and there is a limit to the number of attendees to ensure an atmosphere conducive for doing this work. The registration website is here.
Friday, August 4 2017
1:45 pm - 4:15 pm
Hilton Atlanta Room 215
Facilitator:
Mercedes McBride-Walker
Case Western Reserve University
I encourage you to register at your earliest convenience since participation is limited. I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta in August!
Best regards,
Mercedes
S. Mercedes McBride-Walker
Doctoral Student
Department of Organizational Behavior
Weatherhead School of Management
Case Western Reserve University
Skype: mercedesmw