Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast

Ryan Niemiec is a leading expert in mindfulness based strengths practices. Ryan recently spoke at the Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology and in this conversation, he shares his thoughts and findings on mindfulness. In this interview, you will hear Ryan’s insight into mindfulness. He shares how mindfulness based strength practice can have positive changes in people’s lives. Individuals can use positive psychology to help with problems as much as they do to flourish and mindfulness based strength practice helps manage these problems. Ryan also addresses some of the opposition to mindfulness and the idea that some people are not able to benefit from mindfulness. This interview was produced in partnership with the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and the 3rd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology. Ryan Niemiec’s website: http://www.ryanniemiec.com/ You’ll Learn: ● [2:35] - Self-regulation and curiosity are at the core of mindfulness. ● [4:18] - Ryan shares two ways to integrate self-regulation

Bob Vallerand is a leading scholar in motivational processes and optimal functioning. Bob spoke on his theory on passion at Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology and he shares his insights with us in this conversation. The passions we have as individuals bring satisfaction to our lives. They also help form our identities.  So today, I talk with Bob Vallerand about his research on passion.  In this interview, you will hear that there are two types of passion, obsessive and harmonious.  Bob shares how obsessive passions develop and that these are not necessarily negative or harmful activities, but can be productive passions that begin to control an individual.  Bob also shares how to identify if a passion is harmonious or obsessive. How do organizations help members develop harmonious passions, which benefit the organization and individuals themselves?  Listen to find out! This interview was produced in partnership with the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and the 3rd Canadian Conference on Positiv

Robert Quinn is a world leading expert on positive organizations, and how to introduce and implement positive practices into workplaces. He shares examples of handling situations through conventional strategy and positive practices. While many organizations experience success with introducing and implementing positive practices, this is a transition that can be difficult to accomplish. We have a natural fear and to flourish, we need to overcome the conventional mind map. However, the most effective outcomes are the result of finding a balance of conventional methods and positive practices.  Robert shares the four questions to ask to transform yourself into a positive state and get different results than you have in the past:  What results to I want to create? Am I internally directed? Am I other-focused? Am I externally open? This interview was produced in partnership with the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and the 3rd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology. Robert’s Blog: https://thepositiveo

David Cooperrider is renowned for his research in appreciative inquiry, a strength-based approach to creating change. David shares how appreciative inquiry is being used to build a better world. David explains how organizations can align strengths in ways that make the system’s weaknesses irrelevant. He also shares how individuals and organizations can use this life-centric approach to go through the steps of this positive change model. This interview was produced in partnership with the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and the 3rd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology. Tune in to hear more! Website: www.davidcooperrider.com Twitter: @Dlc6David You’ll Learn: [2:25] - David explains basics of appreciative inquiry [4:52] - What you and your organization can gain from this positive change model [5:27] - People don’t resist change. People love change. [7:05] - Positive re-framing [9:30] - Omni search and bringing in all of the strengths at every level [10:50] - Strengthen the strengths [12:28] - Ima

Caroline Adams Miller is one of the world’s leading positive psychology experts on goal-setting, accomplishment, grit, happiness, and success. It seems everywhere you turn lately somebody is talking about grit. Is it really the key to success? Can you have too much? How do you cultivate it? So today, I turned to Caroline who is one of the world’s leading practitioners in grit to see what all the fuss is about. In this interview you’ll hear why she believes grit has to be authentic and how to avoid the downsides of “stupid grit”, “selfie grit” and “faux grit”. She explains how organizations can build grit through embedding it and why organization leaders must model grit in workplaces. This interview was produced in partnership with the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and the 3rd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology. Tune in to hear more! Website: www.carolinemiller.com Twitter: @CarolineMCoach You’ll Learn [2:43] - Caroline defines “authentic grit” [3:22] - Caroline shares what she considers to

Kim Cameron is one of the top 10 scholars in organizational sciences. Kim recently spoke at the Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology and he talks with us about positive and relational energy. Positive energy and relational energy has a tremendous positive impact on individuals and organizations. So today, I talk with Kim Cameron, a leading scholar on these topics and positive psychology. In this interview, you will hear how the positive impact of positive energy and relational energy are measurable down to the cellular level. Kim also shares that contribution is more powerful than achievement and he provides examples from the University of Michigan. Some employees may perceive positive practices as manipulation and Kim shares why he believes this opposition will not become more common. This interview was produced in partnership with the Canadian Positive Psychology Association and the 3rd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology. Tune in to hear more! Kim Cameron’s Website: http://webuser.bus.umich.e

Thank you for joining me for the very first episode of Making Positive Psychology Work. Every week, I’ll be interviewing the world’s leading researchers and practitioners who applying the evidence-based practices of positive psychology and neuroscience in workplaces to bring out the best in people. You see I believe that by uncovering tested, practical ways to help people move from functioning to flourishing at work, together we’ll be able to better navigate the incredible challenges and opportunities our world faces. Website: www.michellemcquaid.com Twitter: @chellemcquaid When you watch the ongoing economic, environmental, social and political challenges current reverberating around our world, can make it hard to feel hopeful about our future. But when you start diving into the growing body of research on the power of positive psychology and positive organizational scholarship approaches to improve people’s wellbeing, to leverage their strengths, to cultivate compassion, to motivate ourselves by the positiv