AOM Pay It Forward (PIF) Challenge


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What is PIF?

How great is the feeling of doing something nice for someone else, performing an “act of kindness?” Whether you hold a door for someone, push the open button to keep an elevator’s doors from closing, buy a coffee for the person behind you in line, or even just smile at a passing stranger, it feels good.

So, what actually is “paying it forward” or PIF? Performing an act of kindness for someone, and asking for nothing in return—except that the recipient do the same for someone else when they are able to do so—is the guiding principle of paying it forward.

The Challenge

During this year’s Annual Meeting, all attendees will have the opportunity to bring the conference theme, “Improving Lives” to life—by making a difference, however small, to the lives of individual Annual Meeting attendees and others—by participating in the AOM PIF Challenge!  We challenge AOM members to perform an act of kindness now, and/or during the Annual Meeting, and share your story on social media using the hashtag #AOM2018PIF. And if you’re a receiver or viewer of a PIF, please share your stories too!

Challenge Goal and Requirements

Our goal is to reach 1,936 acts of kindness by the end of Tuesday, August 14th.

If one person can make a difference by performing an act of kindness, imagine the ripple effect of 1,936 acts of kindness at the Annual Meeting and beyond? 

  1. Either the giver or receiver or viewer of an act of kindness can take part in the challenge
  2. Capture and share your story by posting on Social Media* using the hashtag #AOM2018PIF
  3. After sharing your story, come to the Membership booth or Hospitality Suite during the conference to receive a button stating “I PIFed Today!”
  4. Results will be aggregated and announced at the beginning of each day of the Annual Meeting in the daily email newsletter, as well as on this webpage.
  5. If you have additional questions, please contact the membership team onsite at the Membership kiosk or Hospitality Suite
  6. Have fun, and let’s reach our goal of 1,936 acts of kindness . . . or more! Let's do it!
*If you choose not to participate in social media, share your PIF story by sending an email to: AOM2018PIF@aom.org

Why 1,936 Acts of Kindness?

In 1936, Professors Charles L. Jamison of the University of Michigan and William N. Mitchell of the University of Chicago, sent letters to teachers of management courses inviting them to a meeting at the Quadrangle Club, University of Chicago, to discuss the formation of an organization of educators to advance the philosophy of management. Thus the Academy was formed, along with an annual tradition of exploring the organization's purpose and presenting and discussing scholarly papers.  This year the Academy is returning to its roots in Chicago, Illinois, and to celebrate the 78th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, we’re asking our members to perform 1,936 “acts of kindness.”

Share your #AOM2018PIF

Examples

  • Offering help to an attendee who looks lost
  • Paying a compliment to the leader/s of a session
  • Introducing yourself to someone sitting alone in a session
  • Holding a door open
  • Buying someone a coffee
  • Giving someone a pen or paper to write on
  • Giving someone directions
  • Offering your seat if a session is full
  • Holding an elevator door open
  • Making room for someone in the elevator