Introduction
Benefits
Programs
Positive Psychology
If you only focus on improving your weaknesses then the best you will end up with is a strong weakness. The most satisfying and productive results come from maximising your strengths.
In the past psychology focused on what was wrong with human beings. Psychology was mainly remedial in its approach.
A key change happened in 1998 when Martin Seligman was elected to president of the American Psychological Association. His central theme as president was the idea that psychologists should also focus on positive functioning people. Positive Psychology now studies what is right with people, it investigates how people achieve a happy life, a good life and a meaningful life. Positive psychology is about building human strengths, happiness, optimal functioning and human excellence.
There has been a significant increase in the standard of living during the past fifty years but no real increase in human happiness or satisfaction. Research by the Gallup shows the majority of people are not happy and fully productive at work. Their studies across organisations in Australia show 20% of the workforce are actively disengaged with their work and spreading discontent. 62% are disengaged to the degree they are in a "comfort zone" of going through the motions and doing the minimum. This leaves only 18% of the workforce fully engaged and productive. The overall picture is people are spending more time at work, are less engaged, less productive, and are enjoying work less.
Positive psychology is not mere positive thinking, it insists on sound theory and rigorous scientific research before moving to application and practice. Positive psychology has the tools to build more positive emotions, positive individuals and more positive organisations.
Benefits
Positive psychology builds on the strengths of the workforce. It helps good people in good organisations become great people in great organisations.
Developing Positive Psychology in the workplace:
- Develops more productive leadership styles
- Empowers people to go beyond what they have achieved before
- Builds a positive attitude in the business culture
- Engages the workforce which results in increased productivity and employee retention
- Enables people to flourish at work
- Leverages the talent within an organisation
- Reduces negative emotions and pessimistic moods
- Enhances trust and loyalty across the organisation
- Enables people to use more of their signature strengths in their job role
- Improves staff health and well being
- Increases optimism, resilience and happiness
- Generates high quality relationships
- Improves people's ability to adapt to change
- Generates constructive collaboration within the organisation
- Helps develop greater flexibility in the workforce
- Reduces conflict in the workplace
- Generates a sustained competitive advantage
- Increases customer engagement and satisfaction
- Enhances customer retention
- Increases the profit generated per employee
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