Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast

Dr. Richard Davidson is the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and the Director of The Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a renowned neuroscientist and one of the world’s leading experts on the impact of contemplative practices, such as meditation on the brain. He is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking work on the study of emotions in the brain. This conversation with Dr. Richard Davidson was recorded live at the 2014 World Congress on Positive Psychology.  This recording has never been played before on our podcast.   In this conversation, you will hear Richard share what neuroscientists are discovering about ways to train our brains to improve wellbeing through small daily practices. Connect with Richard Davidson: Websites: http://richardjdavidson.com http://investigatinghealthyminds.org You’ll Learn: [01:38] -  Richard shares what the latest neuroscience research shows in the area of ways to improve wellbei

Lindsay Oades is the director and an associate professor at The Center for Positive Psychology at The University of Melbourne, where he oversees the masters of applied psychology program.  Lindsey’s study and application of wellbeing ranges from individuals, mental health systems, educational institutions, workplaces and liveable cities. He has published over 100 journal articles and books chapters on these topics.  He is the co-editor of the International Journal of Wellbeing and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at the Institute of Coaching at Harvard University. In this conversation, you will hear Lindsay shares some of the latest findings on how wellbeing practices can improve organizational performance.  He also explains why focusing on improving individual wellbeing alone is not enough, and why we need to also address wellbeing at the team and organizational level and how we can approach this in workplaces.  Connect with Lindsay Oades: LindsayOades.com   Wiley.com   education.unimelb.edu.au/cpp

Emilia Lahti is a researcher and social activist whose life mission is to be a catalyst for human connection, compassion, and nonviolence.  She has given talks at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Tedx, as well as at Singularity University at NASA Ames, where she studied futurism and exponential technology.  Her work has been featured in the New Yorker, Business Insider, and Forbes, among others. In this conversation, Emilia shares her research on sisu,an ancient Finnish construct that describes what enables you to endure the toughest of life’s situations and take extraordinary action against seemingly impossible odds.  Emilia explains how we might be able to cultivate more sisu and why it can help us to exceed our own expectations and discover what we're really capable of. Connect with Emilia Lahti: Website: http://emilialahti.com http://sisunotsilence.com You’ll Learn: [02:01] - Emilia explains that sisu is a latent inner-power and the difference between sisu, resilience and grit. [05:49] - Emilia addresses the q

Mathew White is an award-winning educator who brings a unique combination of a deep academic background in well-being with executive level leadership experience across education, public, and social sectors.  Mathew is the Director of Wellbeing and Positive Education at St. Peter’s College. He is an Associate Professor in the graduate school of education at the University of Melbourne. In this conversation, you will hear Mathew talk about the new book he recently edited, "Future Directions In Wellbeing" and the ground-breaking ways positive psychology can be applied in workplaces and schools.  He also shares some of the gaps he encourages all wellbeing researchers and practitioners to be thinking about.   Connect with Matthew White: Website: http://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/display/person174409#tab-overview Twitter: @Mathew_WhitePhD You’ll Learn: [01:45] -Mathew shares the three big a-ha moments for him as he reviewed the essays on the future on wellbeing for the book. [04:19] - Mathew discusses the idea o

Dr. Ryan Niemiec is a leading figure in the education, research, and practice of character strengths that are found in all human beings. He is Education Director of the VIA Institute on Character, a global, nonprofit organization.  He is an award-winning psychologist and adjunct professor at Xavier University, an annual instructor at The University of Pennsylvania.  He is a frequent speaker and workshop leader on positive psychology topics around the world. His latest book is Character Strengths Interventions: A Field Guide for Practitioners. In this conversation, you will hear Ryan talk about how your character strengths are the fuel that makes our other strengths rise. Ryan talks about ways to identify and develop your strengths at work each day and the behavioral traps that can bring your strengths unstuck. Connect with Ryan: Websites:  http://www.ryanniemiec.com and http://viacharacter.org You’ll Learn: [02:12] - Ryan starts the conversation by explaining what a strength is. [03:36] - Over 5 million peo

Elise Morris is a positive psychology practitioner, and Director of People and Culture at Swisse Wellness, who were recently recognized by the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business as a global example of excellence for their work in whole person wellness.  Elise believes wholeheartedly that other people matter, and when we live and lead from this perspective, we can unlock ours and others ability to thrive and flourish.  .  Would you like to implement a comprehensive wellbeing program to take people from functioning to flourishing in your organization?  Elise explains the programs and initiatives Swisse Wellness are implementing as part of their whole person wellness program. These come under three pillars – movement, nutrition and mindfulness.  Hear about the successes, and her hopes for further integrating the program within the organization. Connect with Elise Morris:  Website - StillNorth.com.au You’ll Learn: [02:08] - Elise shares why Swiss Wellness won an award at the 2017 Positive Business

Amy Blankson is one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between positive psychology and technology. Amy is the only person to be named “a point of light” by two Presidents for creating a movement to activate positive culture change. She has worked with government agencies and large companies to help foster a sense of well-being in the digital era.   In this conversation, you will hear Amy talk about how technology is  positively and negatively impacting our wellbeing at work. Amy explains how our obsession with smart phones is wearing us out, how to be intelligent and deliberate in the way we use devices and the wearable technology that can actually help to improve our wellbeing.    Connect with Amy Blankson:  Website - AmyBlankson.com  Amy Blankson Ted X Talk  You’ll Learn:  [02:01] - Amy explains why she believes that technology is the biggest disruptor of happiness in human history.  [04:13] - Amy shares her thoughts where technology is taking us when considering the way we wo

Jon Berghoff is a co-founder and managing partner of The Flourishing Leadership Institute. He has designed and facilitated whole system change efforts through large group collaborative summits for businesses and institutions of all sizes.  His work on appreciative leadership, emotionally intelligent negotiating, and influence has taken him to Australia, Japan, the UK, and Australia. Jon is the official design and facilitation partner for the 4th Global Forum for Business as an Agent of Well Benefit. In this conversation, you will hear Jon share his knowledge and experience in appreciative inquiry.  He discusses the idea of an appreciative inquiry summit and provides some example of productive summits.  Jon explains how to bring appreciative inquiry into our daily lives and small groups, as well as larger groups and organizations.  Jon shares how micro moments can influence macro movements. Connect with Jon Berghoff: Website - http://lead2flourish.comJon Berghoff Ted Talk You’ll Learn: [01:54] - Jon shares wh

Adam Grant  is a leading expert on how we can find motivation and meaning, and live more generous and creative lives. He has been recognized as one of the world’s 25 most influential management thinkers, is the author of three New York Times best-selling books, and his TED Talks have been viewed more than 8-million times. In this conversation, you will hear Adam explain how our beliefs about our relationships at work shape the success we are able to achieve.  Adam walks us through his research on givers, takers and matchers and what organizations can do to cultivate giving cultures.  He also explains how to deal with takers, the value of disagreeable givers and the small practices you can try to be an effective giver.   Connect with Adam Grant: Website - http://AdamGrant.net You’ll Learn:   [02:02] - Adam shares what advice he gives the organizations on how to lead and manage people better. [03:23] - Adam talks about the importance of organization rewarding the right people through measuring others-focused b

Shane was one of the world's leading researchers on hope and was also a senior scientist and research director at The Clifton Strengths Institute, where he explored the links between hope, strengths development, academic success, and overall well-being. For me, one of the most magical moments of this year’s World Congress on Positive Psychology was the chance to honor, savor, and build upon the research of Dr. Shane Lopez. I first met Shane at a World Congress years ago, and he was generous enough to allow me to interview him on several occasions. To give you a chance to savor Shane’s insight, I thought you might enjoy this interview, which was recorded prior to his death.  Shane explains how using your strengths - those things you are good at and enjoy doing -  can help you be more engaged in what you do each day at work.  And when managers shift their thinking to a more strengths based approach that encourages each person to do what they do best they can make a big difference in engagement, profitability an

Richard Ryan is a professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology in Education at the Australian Catholic University. He is also a research professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester in New York. Rich is a clinical psychologist and co-developer of self-determination theory, one of the leading theories of human motivation. With over 300 papers and books in the areas of human motivation and personality and psychological well-being, he is among the most cited and influential researchers in psychology and social sciences. In this conversation, Rich discusses how we can motivate ourselves and others at work and what we can do practically to cultivate autonomy, competence and relatedness.  He also explains the motivational pull of games and shares how elements within games can be used to improve wellbeing. Connect with Rich Ryan: Rich's Website You’ll Learn: [01:53] - Many organizations still struggle with motivating individuals to do their best work. Rich shares his findings in what actually works.

Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Kristin is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she’s the author of the book, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself and creator of the CD series Self-Compassion Step by Step: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.  In conjunction with her colleague, Dr. Chris Germer, she’s developed an 8-week training program called Mindful Self-Compassion. In this conversation, you will hear Kristin talk about self-compassion. She explains why our fear of failure and anxiety over performance are the two biggest reasons we don’t do as well as we should and shares how the simple practices of self-compassion can help us to feel more confident, motivated and resilient. Connect with Kristin Neff: Website: http://self-compassion.org/ You’ll Learn: [01:58] – Kristin provides some cultural and biological reas

Duncan Young is the head of Workplace Health and Well-being at Lend Lease. Duncan is a passionate advocate for the positive impact of workplaces on our health.   In this conversation, you will hear Duncan talk about the techniques he has helped implement in his organization to help leaders make well-being improvements. Leaders can make these changes based on the information they gather by wearing a heart-rate monitor, keeping the diary, and learning about improving the energy profile.   Connect with Duncan Young: LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/duncan-young-6708389 You’ll Learn: [01:40] - Duncan explains why improving well-being is such an important issue for Lend Lease and why leaders are becoming more aware of this importance. [02:44] - Duncan believes we are becoming aware of the impact lifestyle have. [03:20] - Duncan shares details on the programs he has created at Lend Lease to help leaders understand their well-being has on their performance. [04:28] - Duncan describes the technology they are us

Dr. Alia Crum is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her award-winning research focuses on how changes in our subjective mindsets can alter our objective reality through behavioral, psychological, and physiological mechanisms. She is an organizational training and consultant on mindset change and stress management. A mindset is a lens in which you view the world. The mindsets we choose play a dramatic role in shaping our physiology and behavior.  In this conversation, you will hear Alia discuss some of her fascinating studies and the findings from those studies. She specifically talks about mindset with stress, exercise, and food indulgence. Connect with Alia Crum: Website: http://mbl.stanford.edu You’ll Learn: [01:40] - Alia sets the framework for this conversation by explaining what a mindset is and how they work. [02:31] - Alia lists some of the things that shape our mindset and why they shape the way we feel and act.   [04:15] - Alia talks about some of her research and findings.

Barry Schwartz is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Swarthmore College and a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley. Barry spent 40 years thinking and writing about the interaction between economics and morality. He has written several best-selling books, including The Paradox of Choice and Why We Work. Barry’s Ted Talks have been viewed by more than 14 million people. When it comes to making decisions do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the number of choices you have? It seems that while choice is good for your wellbeing, more choice isn’t necessarily better – there’s a tipping point where too many options can paralyze you and lead to regrets.  Hear how adapting a ‘good enough’ strategy, rather than searching for the ultimate best option, can help you navigate more successfully through your choices and improve your wellbeing and how these practices can be applied in workplaces. Connect with Barry Schwartz: Website – http://www.swarthmore.edu/profile/barry-schwartz Ted Talks – htt

Emily Esfahani Smith is a graduate of Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania, where she now serves as an instructor.  Emily draws on psychology, philosophy, and literature to research and writes about the human experience.  She is the author of the best-selling book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters.   Research shows that people who value happiness in the way our culture encourages us to do are left feeling empty and unhappy. What brings true happiness and satisfaction is meaning.  We all want to know that our lives matter.  In this conversation, you will hear Emily share the four pillars of meaning and the small, practical ways you can find meaning in your work no matter what your job description or your boss says.  Connect with Emily Esfahani Smith: Website – http://emilyesfahanismith.com Twitter – @EmEsfahaniSmith You’ll Learn: [01:44] – Emily explains why meaning matters when looking at wellbeing.   [03:41] – Emily shares what her research shows

Paige Williams is a Positive Change Solutionary who uses the science of wellbeing to create sustainable positive change within individuals and organizations.  She is a lecturer with The Center for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne. In this conversation, you will hear Paige share her research on how an Inside-Out-Outside-In approach to improving wellbeing can help to improve work happiness in organizations.  Paige explains how achieving successful and sustainable change relies on the dynamic interplay been the individual and the system that they are part of and the practical strategies organizations can use to create upward and sustainable spirals of wellbeing. Connect with Paige Williams: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-williams/ You’ll Learn: [01:48] –  Paige published a paper, Inside-Out-Outside-In: A Dual Approach Model To Developing Work Happiness.  She explains this approach to wellbeing in workplaces. [04:52] – Paige explains how workplaces can leverage the factors that

Christine Porath is an associate professor at the School of Business at Georgetown University.  Christine’s research focuses on leadership, organizational culture, the effects of bad behavior in workplaces, and how organizations can create a more positive environment where people can thrive. She recently released a new book, Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace. How often does someone’s rude or insensitive behavior zap your energy and motivation? Unfortunately it seems that incivility is on the rise in our workplaces.  It can undermine your work performance, and your mental and physical wellbeing. Listen to Christine share strategies on buffering the negative effects of incivility and building more civil organizations. Connect with Christine Porath: ChristinePorath.com You’ll Learn: [01:48] – Christine defines “incivility” and says that it has become more prevalent in workplaces.   [04:44] – Christine explains that the number one thing driving incivility is stress and feeling overwhelmed. She

Ellen Langer is a Harvard psychology professor and the director of the Langer Mindfulness Institute.  She has been described as “The Mother of Mindfulness” and has authored 11 books and more than 200 articles. Her work has influenced two decades of research in positive psychology.   In this conversation, you will hear Ellen share why mindfulness doesn’t require you to sit in hours of meditation.  She explains the benefits she has found over 40 years of research for the practice of mindfulness in workplaces and what leaders can do practically to be more mindful and how they can help the people they lead to do the same.  Connect with Ellen Langer: Websites: EllenLanger.com LangerMindfulnessInstitute.com You’ll Learn: [01:30] – Ellen explains why “mindfulness” as the process of noticing new things. [02:15] – Ellen lists some benefits of mindfulness in workplaces. [06:07] – Ellen talks about the practical ways leads can be more mindful.   [08:35] – Ellen provides an example of a mindful company that turned a f

Roy Baumeister is one of the world’s most prolific and influential psychologists. He has published well over 500 scientific articles and more than 30 books. In 2013, he received the highest award given by the Association for Psychological Science, the William James Fellow Award. He is a professor of Psychology at Florida State University.   Wish you had more willpower to stick to your resolutions?  Roy’s early studies found that generally self-control works like a muscle – it gets tired when you exercise it, but if you exercise it a lot, it seems to get stronger. Recently he is finding a link between your willpower and your body’s energy system, so when you are feeling tired, hungry, or run down your levels of self-control may be lower. Hear how self-control can help you manage the challenges of life. Connect with Roy Baumeister: Website: http://www.roybaumeister.com/ You’ll Learn: [01:45] – Roy explains why self-control seems more important and powerful than self-esteem. [04:30] – Roy describes his findings