JoyatWork:Whythisissovital

Dr. MohammedUssama AlHomsiDrLakshman SwamyDrJoanneWatson

W.EdwardsDeming,1900-93

ScienceofImprovement

PositivePsychology isthescientificstudyofthestrengthsthatenableindividualsand

communitiestothrive.Thefieldisfoundedonthebeliefthatpeoplewanttoleadmeaningfulandfulfillinglives,tocultivatewhatisbestwithinthemselves,andtoenhancetheir

experiences.

OurObjectivesforthisWorkshop

• Describethescientificunderpinningsoffiveprinciplesofpositivepsychologythatcanbeusedtocreatesustainableculturalchange

• Utilisefivepositivepsychologystrategiesforcoachingemployeestohigherperformance

• Developanactionplanforcreatingsustainableculturalchangeinyourworkplace

W.EdwardsDeming’sObjectiveswereto:

• Tolearn• Tomakeadifference• Tohavefun

Let’sstartwithsomeaction!

1.Abundance• Focusonwhatisworkingwellandhowitcanworkevenbetter

• Peoplearecreativeandenjoyself-determination• Threeimportantquestionstoaskyourselfandhowtoworkwithpeoplearoundyou– “Whatmakessomepeoplesucceed?”– “Whichactivitiesbroadenandbuildpeople’sresources”

– “Howcanwecreateenvironmentswherepeopleperformattheirbest?”

1.Abundance• PositivePsychologyappliesanabundancelenstohelppeople,

organisationsandcommunitiesflourishandexcel—focusonwhatisworkingwellandhowitcanworkevenbetter. Itviewspeopleascreativeandself-determinedwithaccesstoinnerresources,abletoactivelycreatetheoutcomestowhichtheyandothersaspire,ratherthanaspassivevictimsofexternalforces. Thusitseekstoanswerquestionssuchas:“Whatmakessomepeoplesucceed?”“Whichactivitiesbroadenandbuildpeople’sresources”and“Howcanwecreateenvironmentswherepeopleperformattheirbest?”

• Itsharesmuchwiththeabundanceandsolution-focussedfieldofcoachingpsychology,whichhasgrownalongsidepositivepsychologytofacilitatepositiveoutcomesandperformance.

Talkingwiththepersonnexttoyou,discusstheseprinciples:– “Whatmakessomepeoplesucceed?”– “Whichactivitiesbroadenandbuildpeople’sresources?”

– “Howcanwecreateenvironmentswherepeopleperformattheirbest?”

2.StrengthsandVirtues

• Conceptsofstrengthsandvirtueshaveinfusedhumanhistoryacrossmanycultures.

• Focusmovesfromfixingweaknesstoidentifyingandbuildingonwhatpeopledowellandenhancingtheirpotentialtodevelop.

• Everyonehastheirownstrengthsanddeservesrespectforthem.

• Ourweaknessesimprovewhenweworktoourstrengths.

2.StrengthsandVirtues• Conceptsofstrengthsandvirtueshaveinfusedhumanhistory

acrossmanycultures.Theyshapeourcharacter,ouridentityandourcapacitytoflourish.Aristotleextolledustostriveto“liveinaccordancewiththebestthinginus”ifwewanttoattainagoodlife.Inotherwords,toamplifyandrefineourvirtuesandstrengths.

• Thestrengthsapproachattheheartofpositivepsychologyshiftsthefocusfromfixingweaknesstoidentifyingandbuildingonwhatpeopledowellandenhancingtheirpotentialtodevelop.Itassumesstrengthsarepartofhumannature;everyonehasthemanddeservesrespectforthem.Italsosuggestswecanonlyaddressourweaknesseswhenwealsomakethemostofourstrengths.

• Positivepsychologyitselfcanbeseenastakingavirtuousorethicalstancebyadvocatingthatthedesireandcapacitytoimproveislatentwithinpeopleandhumansystemsandshouldbefurtheractivated

• Makeanoteofwhatyouthinkyourstrengthsare

• Howcanthesehelpyouatwork?• Usingthispieceoftheory,howcanyouworkwithanotherpersonbetter?

Ifyou’recuriousaboutyourownstrengths(andweaknesses),youcantakethe

VIASurveyofCharacterStrengthshere,issuedbytheUniversityofPennsylvania.

(Lookunderthe"Questionnaires"pull-downmenu;you'llneedtoregister.)Of24possiblestrengths,thequizwillrankyoursinorder.(Ifyoudon’twanttotakethefulltestof240questions, youcangoheretorankyourself.(Clickonthe"SignatureStrengths

Self-RatingScale"link.)

3.PositiveDeviance

• Sometimespeopleareabletothriveevenagainsttheodds

• Theyfindsolutionswhenothersareonlyseeingproblems

• Thisispositivedeviance- respondingpositivelytodifficultsituations

3.PositiveDeviance• Strivingtobeexceptional,daringtogoagainstthegrain,andlookingfor

solutionsthatmaynotbeaccessiblefromaproblemordeficitfocusareallpartofpositivedeviance—akeyconceptinpositivepsychology.

• Whyispositivedeviancesonecessaryoradvantageous?Ourbrainstendtohaveabiastowardthenegative.Therearemorenegativeemotionsthatpositive;theirintensityisoftenstrongerandwerespondmorepowerfullyandautomaticallytonegativeevents.

• Neuroscientistscallthisthe‘walktowards,runaway’theory.Wewanttoactfirstandfasttominimiseperceivedthreat,yetweapproachsituationsandpeoplethatwillrewardusmoreleisurely.Inmanycasesournegativefocusisanevolutionaryhangoverthatleavesuswithanopportunitycostandkeepsusfromdevotingenergy,timeandeffortthatmaybebetterspentbuildingresourcesandmovingtowardgreaterwellbeingandsuccess.Akeygoalofpositivepsychologyistohelpresetourbiasfromnegativetopositiveandsparkflourishingbyamplifyingtheimpactofpositiveemotions,experiences,influencesandpractices.

• CanyouthinkofexamplesatyourorganisationofPositiveDeviance?

4.Flourishingvs.Languishing• Flourishing—astatecharacterisedbygenerosity,growthandresilience.

• Theoppositeofflourishingisinfact“languishing”—astatewherepositiveemotionsappeartoolowtostimulateflourishing:emotionaldistress,socialimpairmentorlackoffulfilmentarepresent

• Bothneedtobeunderstood&addressedtogether

4.Flourishingvs.Languishing• Positiveandnegativearecommonlyseenaspolaropposites.Yet

thisnotioncancreateanartificialdichotomywhenitcomestounderstandingflourishing—astatecharacterisedbygenerativity,growthandresilience.CoreyKeyes,studyingtherelationshipbetweenmentalhealthandmentalillness,concludedthattheabsenceofmentalillnessdoesnotequatetothepresenceofmentalhealth.Treatingorpreventingmentalillnesswillnotbyitselfresultingreatermentalhealthasthetwoexistondifferentspectrums.

• Theoppositeofflourishingisinfact“languishing”—astatewherepositiveemotionsappeartoolowtostimulateflourishing,andemotionaldistress,socialimpairmentorlackoffulfillment arepresent.Bothneedtobeunderstoodandaddressedholistically.

4.FlourishingandLanguishing

• Discusswiththepersonnexttoyouatimewhenyouwereabletoflourishatwork.Whywasthisabletohappen?

• Howcanyourecreatethesameconditions?

5.HappinessandWell-beingTwoformsofwell-being:• Subjectivewell-being—hedonicexperience,satisfactionwithlife,matchedwithahighlevelofpositiveemotionsandlowlevelofnegativeemotions;

• Psychologicalwell-being— themoreenduringsenseoffulfilmentwegetfrompersonalrelationships,livingameaningfullifeanddevelopingasaperson.

UniversityofPennsylvaniaPositivePsychology

5.HappinessandWell-being

• Howareyoudoingatwork?Whatisyoursenseofwell-beinglike?

• Howcanyoucreateasenseofwell-beingforothersatwork

Haveachatwithyourneighbour.(Connectingisgoodforus!)

5.HappinessandWellbeing• Positivepsychologyhastraditionallyconceivedofhappinessascomprisingtwoformsofwellbeing:

• Subjectivewellbeing(SWB)—hedonicexperience,satisfactionwithlife,matchedwithahighlevelofpositiveemotionsandlowlevelofnegativeemotions;

• Psychologicalwellbeing(PWB)—eudaimonicexperience,themoreenduringsenseoffulfillment wegetfrompersonalrelationships,livingameaningfullifeanddevelopingasaperson.

THANKYOU!IT’SBEENFUN.YOUHAVETHESTARTOFAPLAN.