A change in the outlook for psychology in management – From skill‐building to personal development

Despite extensive research into psychologically‐based issues in the workplace, in practice there remain a confusion and lack of knowledge about psychology and psychological issues in manager/organisation development. This article explores areas in which psychological processes affect the day‐to‐day lives of people in organisations, such as the use of psychological knowledge to understand and deal with people issues in the workplace, manager development as psychological development, creating a psychologically healthy work environment, and finally, exploration of a psychological process that is associated with personal/professional change and development. It is proposed that the psychodynamic process of mirroring as an essential component in children’s personality development remains essential in the maintenance and development of an adult’s identity. While this process occurs naturally, it can be acknowledged and used by organisations in a conscious way to provide developmental experiences and opportunities for their employees.