Posted: Sunday, November 11, 2012 5:00 am
|
Updated: 11:37 pm, Sat Nov 10, 2012.
CapitalGazette.com
Posted on
November 11, 2012
Cheryl was sitting quietly in a group of her peers who were reflecting on the impact of having learned to use positive psychology principles in her work group. Each team member had spoken of how much better the environment had become, noting in particular how the introduction of daily appreciation had helped them achieve much greater satisfaction and success. Their jobs were still stressful, they said, but expressing gratitude had made it possible for them to be able to leave work feeling terrific almost every day.
When it was Cheryl’s turn to speak, tears began to well up in her eyes. She said that she agreed with her coworkers about how much healthier the workplace had become, and then she started to weep.
“It’s much more personal for me because this experience has completely changed my life,” she told her colleagues. “I grew up with unhappy parents and I’ve been unhappy all of my life,” she revealed. “I thought that I had the misfortune to be born into a family who were condemned to being miserable. But I’m a happy person now,” she said as she began to sob. “It’s taken me nearly 60 years, but I’ve finally discovered that a person can learn to be happy.”
Cheryl looked at the positive psychology coaches who’d been working with her team for the past 10 months and told them, “This has meant so much to me and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have shown me that it’s possible to change how I think about things, and that’s totally changed how I feel about my life. Yes, the bad stuff is still there.
But I’ve learned to put my energy into the good parts of my life — and that’s made all the difference.”
Cheryl’s company had invested in improving its performance by helping employees learn to develop a higher level of well-being. Does this make any business sense? Yes — the production of Cheryl’s team improved 20 percent and customer satisfaction increased by more than 50 percent. Sick leave dropped dramatically. Investing in improving employee satisfaction paid off handsomely — both in terms of the staff’s emotional and physical wellness as well as the organization’s bottom line.
What exactly is this “positive” psychology thing? How had it been used to create a significant culture change in less than a year?
Positive psychology is the scientific study of satisfaction and success. In a reversal of the last 50-year research focus on dysfunction in individuals and organizations, positive psychologists examine the happiest and most accomplished people and work places.
After identifying the essential elements that lead to achieving extraordinary outcomes, positive psychologists are able to teach others how to replicate those results.
When people learn to apply the principles of positive psychology, they’re able to see progress early on in the change process. This generates tremendous inner motivation to learn more and apply the principles to new aspects of their life at home and at work.
As others experience the benefits of creating a shared vision of exactly what a mutually satisfactory positive outcome would look like, the passionate energy for working hard to achieve the goal is generated. As people work together collaboratively in pursuit of their desired outcome, they produce many more positive experiences than negative encounters. High-functioning teams have been found to have six to 12 positive interactions for every negative exchange.
But negative experiences occur in every organization, making it crucial for teams to know how to respond effectively to avoid failing. The key component for overcoming obstacles is optimistic thinking. That requires developing the ability to look at solving problems by changing multiple aspects of the situation rather than discussions deteriorating into blaming individuals. Successful problem solving hinges on maintaining the belief that a positive outcome is possible, which requires that every person offer a solution whenever they point out a problem. Otherwise, discussions degrade into shooting down possible solutions, which kills the brainstorming process that spawns innovative ideas.
Once a team arrives at a solution they believe is worth trying, they need to identify who’s best suited to carry out each specific task.
Successful teams know and use one another’s strengths rather than simply relying on position power. They get the right people working on the right job to get the right result.
Finally, they help one another to make steady progress, which generates genuine appreciation for the support they’re receiving along the way.
Dr. Tom Muha is a psychologist practicing in Annapolis. Previous articles can be found at www.achievinghappiness.com. To contact him, call 443-454-7274 or email drtom@achievinghappiness.com.
© 2012 CapitalGazette.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted in
Achieving happiness
on
Sunday, November 11, 2012 5:00 am.
Updated: 11:37 pm.
Open all references in tabs: [1 - 3]