Morgan Robertson

Principal Leadership and Organizational Development Consultant
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Q: What brought you into your industry?

A: My passion for health and fitness began at a young age. I’ve been involved in sports, both as an athlete and a coach, my whole life. I am a Type 1 Diabetic so my dedication to health and fitness is critical for me in managing the disease. I’ve always envisioned myself either in the sports or healthcare industry, but didn’t know what the path to getting there would look like. After completing my Ph.D., I had the wonderful opportunity of working for SHL as a consultant. The great thing about being a consultant at SHL (outside of all the lovely people you get to work with) is that you get a variety of work and also get to work with companies from all different industries. One of my larger projects during my time with SHL was with a healthcare company and it was through this work that I started to see a possible future of being an internal consultant within a large healthcare system.

Q: Have you pursued any certifications or additional training to enhance your skills as an I/O psychologist?

A: Probably the most unconventional response to this question that SHL will get, but outside of work I chose to pursue coaching CrossFit. I have 3 certifications from CrossFit: CrossFit L1, CrossFit L2, and CrossFit Weightlifting. Coaching CrossFit (a sport that includes high skill movements) requires so many things at once: mental agility, environmental awareness, patience, empathy, attention to detail, charisma, presence, speaking skills, etc. After nearly 3 years of coaching CrossFit, I now feel more confident when I’m asked to speak or present for work. I also feel that coaching CrossFit exercises (pun intended) my ability to flex in the moment and that this agility has carried over to my work life. So, while I didn’t pursue coaching CrossFit with the intent to sharpen my I/O psychology skills, it has and continues to be one of the best investments I’ve made for my professional career.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Industrial and Organizational Psychology?

A: Go for it! I truly believe I/O is a field that can be applied to any industry and there really is no limit to how creative you can be in the application of I/O.