I recently read some seemingly unrelated articles that all caused me to reflect on institutions’ missions to create happiness on behalf of others. In this article are snapshots of what I read and some subsequent reflections on questions that have no easy answers.
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Leaders and managers often face the task of implementing organizational change, a complex process which is frequently experienced as difficult to get right. What insights can leaders gain from Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry to help them lead successful change? This question is addressed in two chapters in the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work. Here are some of the key points from these chapters.
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What do you think when you hear the term work life balance? What about these alternatives: work life conflict, work life collision, work life integration, work life enrichment, work life boundaries, work life facilitation, work life management? Do we really understand what people mean when they say they need better work life balance? What can the research of Positive Psychology offer to someone who is seeking help with a work life balance problem?
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“Feeling Under-Appreciated In Your Current Role?” That advertisement in 2006 inspired me to write about the importance of appreciation in the workplace. I’ve returned to this topic because of stories from friends and clients over the past few weeks. A common theme is their desire to feel appreciated and valued. Can positive psychology concepts help leaders become more skillful at showing appreciation?
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Making Australia Happy, a three-part series, was screened on Australian television last month. It is creating lots of positive reactions. Eight volunteers. Three experts. Eight weeks. One vision.
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The Good Life According to J. K. Rowling
Two weeks ago a very good friend wrote to me, “This is wonderful – perhaps some grist for your newsletter?” She included a link to J. K. Rowling’s June 2008 Commencement Address. Rowling said she had two key themes: the benefits of failure, and the importance of imagination in finding empathy. But I found much, much more.
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What if strategic planning were invigorating? Or organization-changing? In Australia, we were thrilled that John Loty of the Appreciative Inquiry Network invited Jackie Stavros here to facilitate workshops in July…
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To continue last month’s discussion of forgivness, Part 2 highlights some key points from two recent articles about workplace forgiveness. It then presents some practical tips from people who practice…
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Have you, or has someone you know, been annoyed, hurt, or wronged by another person? Are you still holding onto that hurt? Are you hanging onto baggage, giving power to…
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At some point in all the stories I have heard from people who describe their memorable and positive experiences at work, those in which they had high job satisfaction, I…
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Jenny Fox Eades and I had an interesting discussion about pausing, taking time, and using silence to consider what to say or do next. Jenny is a great supporter of little drops of quiet.
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Last month I attended the 2nd Australian Positive Psychology Conference run by the Australian Positive Psychology Association (APPA) at Melbourne’s Monash University on 12-13 February. It came at the end…
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Are there positive ways to combat employee negativity? Are you interested in improving personal and organizational performance and at the same time personal and organizational well-being? Over the long Christmas…
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Mind and Its Potential conference, held in Sydney on 2-3 December 2009, was an “opportunity to hear the world’s top scientists, psychologists, and philosophers explain how to apply the new…
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Your Holiday Strengths Some people anticipate the holidays with excitement and enthusiasm. Some find it can be a stressful time with obligations to fulfil and busy schedules to juggle. Wherever…
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In the positive psychology world, Dr. John Gottman is well-known for his 5:1 ratio of positive to negative language and how it can predict successful relationships. But actually, much more…
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BOOK REVIEW: The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar (McGraw-Hill, 2009). Acknowledgment: Many thanks to my colleague and friend, Tom Weirich who is also an AHC graduate and a member…
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Meaning and Engagement make Australians Well
Last month, a reader commented on a PPND article “research has shown that pleasure, engagement and meaning contribute equally to life satisfaction for Americans whereas engagement was only important for…
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At last month’s IPPA Congress, I was inspired by Lord Richard Layard’s comment, “The highest thing in life is to uplift the spirit.” Unfortunately, not everyone we work with uplifts our spirits. Harvard Business Review recently featured a short article, “How toxic colleagues corrode performance.” What can be done about toxic colleagues?
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The 4th Annual Australian Happiness & Its Causes conference appealed to people of all backgrounds, and so it attracted over 2,000 participants. Credible, high-profile and respected speakers and forum moderators presented their material in ways that were accessible to all.