Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast

Today we're talking to Nick Brown, who after more than 30 years of working in IT and management in various countries, completed his masters in applied positive psychology at the University of East London, and is currently working on a PhD in health psychology in the Netherlands and is a part-time personal coach. In this episode, we explore why popular evidence-based findings including the Happiness Pie equation and the Positivity Ratio are being disproven and how we can improve our ability to understand what wellbeing research findings are really telling us. measurement.  Connect with Nick Brown:  Website:  Nick's Google Scholar profile You’ll Learn: [02:08] - Nick explains why the often cited Happiness Pie equation may be flawed when it comes to helping people to improve their wellbeing. [03:27] - Nick shares his recommendations on what we need to more confidently understand and share a formula for happiness. [05:10] - Having helped to disprove the positivity ratio, Nick shares his thoughts on how cultivati

Pat Wadors is the Chief Talent Officer and Chief Human Resource Officer for ServiceNow. Prior to joining ServiceNow, Pat was Senior Vice President, Global Talent organization at LinkedIn, where her focus was on recruiting and developing top talent, driving organizational transformation, supporting a highly engaged workforce, and growing LinkedIn's global footprint. In this episode, we discuss how to build inclusive and diverse workplaces where people feel like they belong so you can create psychological safety, develop people's strengths, and support growth mindsets.  Connect with Pat Wardors:  Website:  https://www.servicenow.com/ You’ll Learn: [02:08] - Pat offers some tips for how we can teach people the skills to help them more confidently feel like they can be authentic, vulnerable and curious at work. [03:27] - Pat explains how sharing gratitude stories can help people improve their relationships with each other at work. [05:10] - Pat shares how she’s been exploring what it looks like to be a great pla

Alison Earl is the author of Tripowerment: The Why, the Will and the Way of Breakthrough Change. She works with people and companies around the globe to empower self-directed change as a  guest lecturer in Behavioral Economics at the Harvard School of Public Health and the leader of an academic and commercial think tank dedicated to solving the most complex problems in behavior change. In this episode, we explore why feeling stressed at work isn't always bad for our wellbeing or out performance. Alison explains how our beliefs about stress impact us neurologically and shape the way we think, feel, and act. She also shares the simple steps we can take for ourselves, our teams, and our workplaces to harness more of the positive effects of stress.  Connect with Alison Earl: Website: https://alisonearl.com/ You’ll Learn: [03:51] - Alison explains what the latest research is discovering about the impact stress can have on our wellbeing and performance at work. [07:35] - Alison outlines some of the different stres

Dr. Dan Diamond is passionate about equipping leaders to make a difference, especially when resources are scarce or times are tough. For example, Dan was the director of the medical triage unit at the New Orleans Convention Center following Hurricane Katrina, he led one of the first medical teams into Haiti following their devastating earthquake and he was deployed to the Philippines following Typhoon Yolanda. Dan has packaged all of this experience into his book Beyond Resilience, Trench-Tested Tools to Thrive When Times Are Tough and its ideas have been featured on CNN and many other media outlets around the world. In this episode, we explore how it's possible to adapt and thrive, even under extreme circumstances at work and in life as Dan explains how tow simple questions can move us towards a thriver mindset that renews us, or a victim, bystander or controller mindset that drains us. Connect with Dan Diamond: Website: dandiamondmd.com You’ll Learn: [02:20] - Dan explains how power and purpose shape a thr

Dr. Heidi Wayment is a professor of social psychology at Northern Arizona University, whose research interests include psychological processes related to self-identity, self-evaluation, health behavior, and coping with stressful life events. Heidi is the co-author of Transcending Self-interest: Psychological Explorations of the Quiet Ego and has published nearly a dozen papers related to her research on this topic. In 2018, her work was recognized by a University as the most significant research in scholarly work. In this episode, we explore how our egos shape our relationships, performance, and wellbeing at work. Heidi shares the simple steps we can take to quieten a noisy ego when needed, and how to avoid overplaying our quiet egos at work.  Connect with Heidi Wayment: Website: Heidi Wayment - Northern Arizona University You’ll Learn: [02:20] - Heidi explains the quiet ego and how it can impact our performance and wellbeing at work. [04:23] - Heidi outlines the four characteristics of a quiet ego and how t

Today’s Guest: Peggy Kern is a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education in the Center for Positive Psychology. Originally trained in Social-Personality and Development Psychology, Peggy's research examines the question of who flourishes in life physically, mentally and socially, and she's one of the world's leading researchers on the subject of measuring wellbeing, particularly using the PERMA pillars. In this episode, we explore some side-effects of wellbeing measures in workplaces, and how to avoid them.  Connect with Peggy Kern: Website: http://peggykern.org You’ll Learn: [02:43] - Peggy explains the surprising findings of a new survey on wellbeing across Australian workplaces, and what this might mean for other workplaces. [08:24] - Peggy explores how our current approaches to measuring wellbeing may have unintentionally created more stigma for people who are struggling. [10:58] - Peggy shares her concerns for how wellbeing is being taught in schools and what this cou

Today we’re talking to Zach Mercurio, whose research, teaching and consulting on how purpose and meaningfulness can help individuals and organizations unleash human potential to produce tangible results, has been applied to transform Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, schools, and universities around the world. Zach is the best selling author of “The Invisible Leader: Transform Your Life, Work, and Organization with the Power of Authentic Purpose,” In this episode, we explore why what’s possible when purpose becomes the boss of our choices in workplaces and the practical steps you, your team and your organization can take to genuinely put meaning and purpose at the heart of what you do each day. Connect with Zach: Website:  https://www.zachmercurio.com/ You’ll Learn: [01:51] - Zach explains why purpose has become a priority in workplaces over the last few years. [03:48] - Zach studies are finding a focus on purpose impacts the bottom-line in workplaces. [06:05] - Zach explains why-washing has become a pro

Today we’re talking to Tamra Chandler who is the founder and CEO of PeopleFirm, one of Forbes Magazine’s 2018 America’s Best Management Consulting firms. A nationally recognized thought leader, author, and speaker, Tamra has spent most of her thirty-year career developing new and effective ways for people and their organizations to perform at their peak. In 2016, she wrote the acclaimed book, “How Performance Management is Killing Performance and What to Do About It.” In this episode, we explore how existing performance management practices are often not only ineffective but detrimental in workplaces and why leaders hang on to them.  Tamra helps us to explore the alternatives and how focusing on strengths, building our growth mindiset feedback muscles and improving psychological safety with coaching focused development conversations can help people thrive in their roles. Connect with Tamra: Website:  http://www.peoplefirm.com/ You’ll Learn: [02:23] - Tamra explains why she's found that performance management

  Today we’re talking to Fred Luthans, who is a distinguished professor of management emirates at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and whose research is focused on what he founded and has turned to positive organizational behavior and psychological capital. A former president of the Academy of Management, Fred has received many awards, edited three top journals, authored several well-known books, and over 250 academic articles and chapters, and lectured in most countries around the world. In this episode, we explore how Fred led the creation of the concept of Psychological Capital, the impact of building the psychological resources of hope, optimism, resilience and efficacy, and how this can be achieved in workplaces. Connect with Fred: Website:  https://business.unl.edu/people/fluthans [free_product_purchase id="34052"] You’ll Learn: [03:14] - Fred explains what psychological capital is and how the concept emerged for improving resilience in workplaces. [08:38] - Fred shares what researchers around the

  Today we’re talking to Peter Bregman who, for the last 30 years, has helped CEO’s and senior leaders to develop their leadership skills, build aligned collaborative teams, and overcome obstacles to drive results for their organizations. The host of the acclaimed Bregman Leadership podcast, Peter’s a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review and an award-winning, best selling author. His most recent book is Leading with Emotional Courage, How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability and Inspire Action on Your Most Important Work. In this episode, we discuss how to build people’s emotional courage so they can better navigate all of their emotions at work, willingly hold kind and hard conversations, and create more of the outcomes they want. Connect with Peter: Website:  http://bregmanpartners.com/ You’ll Learn: [02:06] - Peter explains why leaders need to understand that emotions are the fuel that energizes our focus at work. [06:22] - Peter explores if hard conversations can also be kind c

  Today we’re talking to Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business whose research explores social cognition, and how people think about other people, to understand why smart people so routinely misunderstand each other. His research has appeared in more than two dozen empirical journals, has been featured by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal among many other media outlets and he’s the author of Mindwise, How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel and Want. In this episode, we discuss how your brain’s ability to understand what others think, believe, feel and want helps you to connect with others.  Nick also explains how this often goes wrong at work due to over-confidence that results in interpersonal misunderstandings and what you can do to improve your ability to mind read when it comes to your relationships. Connect with Nick: Website:  http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/nicholas.epley/   You’ll Learn: [01:57] - Nick explains

Today we’re talking to Robyn Stratton-Berkessel, who’s an adjunct professor in the School of Management at Champlain College, where she teaches online in the positive organizational development MBA programme. She’s the author of Appreciative Inquiry for Collaborative Solutions, hosts the popular Positivity Strategist Podcast, and is an advisor on various appreciative inquiry initiatives, for organizations all over the world. In this episode, we explore how positivity is improved in workplaces when people are given a voice using participative approaches like Appreciative Inquiry and how leaders can learn to feel confident about these generative approaches. Connect with Robyn: Website:  positivitystrategist.com You’ll Learn: [02:18] - Robyn explains the characteristics of a positive workplace. [04:45] - Robyn shares how we can help leaders feel more confident about the benefits of giving people a voice when it comes to improving positivity in workplaces. [07:37] - Robyn shares an example of how Appreciative In

Today we’re talking to Dan Cable, a Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School and whose research and teaching focuses on employee engagement, change, organizational culture, leadership mindset, and the linkage between brands and employee behaviors. An award-winning researcher, Dan has published more than 50 articles in scientific journals, been extensively featured in business publications around the world, and the author of several books, the latest being ‘Alive at Work’. Dan’s clients include Deloitte, McDonald’s, Twitter, and many more. In this episode, we explore how workplaces can harness people’s neurological seeking system to help them bring their best selves to work each day and why self-expression, serious play and purpose can help us to achieve what we’re truly capable of doing while looking after our wellbeing. Connect with Dan: Website:  dan-cable.com You’ll Learn: [02:33] - Dan explains why researchers continue to find why many employees still feel like they can’t really be

Today we’re talking to Rob Baker, who’s a specialist at bringing positive psychology to workplaces, and strives to be a force for good in the world of work. A graduate of the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology programme at Melbourne University, Rob is the founder and chief positive deviant of a leading evidence-based positive psychology, well-being, and HR consultancy called Tailored Thinking. His ideas and research on how people can personalize work and bring their whole and best selves to the workplace have been presented at academic and professional conferences around the world. In this episode, we discuss how job crafting and in particular micro-crafting (small changes to what you do each day) can help you to align your work with your strengths, interests and passions to help you balance the demands of your job and feel more engaged, satisfied and effective at work. Connect with Rob: Website:  tailoredthinking.co.uk/ You’ll Learn: [02:15] - Rob explains what job crafting is and how it might help us a

Today we’re talking to Dr. Fred Luskin, who founded and currently serves as Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects. Fred is also a senior consultant in Health Promotion and Wellness at Stanford University’s health center, where he teaches classes on positive psychology, the art and science of meditation, forgiveness, wellness, flourishing, and the psychology of storytelling to undergraduate and graduate students, and conducts numerous workshops and staff development trainings in relationship enhancement, stress management, and positive psychology through the Stanford Be Well program. He’s the author of several best-selling books, including Forgive For Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness, and has been interviewed by mere outlets around the world. In this episode, we discuss how forgiveness can help to improve our wellbeing, grit and psychological safety at work. Connect with Fred: Website:  https://learningtoforgive.com/ You’ll Learn: [02:02] - Fred explains the value of for

Today we’re talking to Darren Coppin, who is a Ph.D. researcher and businessman, who implements positive psychology methods, not because of any deep-seated faith in the movement’s principles, but because it works. Darren’s mother is an outrageous hippy who is at one with the universe, so Darren over-zealously tries to ensure that everything he says and does is evidence-based. In that vein, since 2014, over 105000 people have been through his government-funded model to increase the return to work rates for welfare recipients, and these tools are now being adopted by higher education and apprenticeship institutions around the world. In this episode, we discuss how to optimize people’s motivation and resilience for work. Connect with Darren: Website:  Darren Coppin on LinkedIn You’ll Learn: [02:01] - Darren explains how the motivation for behavior change is often misunderstood in workplaces. [03:26] - Darren shares how he’s applied the principles of behavior change to help long-term unemployed people find work.

Today we’re talking to James and Janice Prochaska. Jim is the Director of the Cancer Prevention Research Center and Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Rhode Island and is internationally recognized for his work as a developer of the stage model of behavior change for which he has won numerous awards, including being one of the Top Five Most Cited Authors in Psychology from the American Psychology Society. He is the author of over 400 publications, including four books of which the latest is Changing to Thrive which he co-authored with his wife Janice, who is one of the most published authors in the field of social work having applied the model of behavior change to cutting-edge issues. In this episode, we discuss the stages of change most people move through and how understanding this process can help to improve people’s wellbeing and enable leader’s to embed positive changes in workplaces. Connect with James & Janice: Website: jprochaska.com You’ll Learn: [02:13] - Jim outl

Today we’re talking to Dr. Acacia Parks, who is the chief scientist at Happify, an online platform that turns the science of happiness into activities and games to create lasting changes and whose research focuses on self help methods for increasing happiness via books and digital technology with an emphasis on objective, observable outcomes such as physical health indicators. Acacia regularly publishes articles in scientific journals, has edited three books, and is also the associate editor at The Journal of Positive Psychology. In this episode, we explore how positive psychology and wellbeing interventions can be delivered in workplaces through technology platforms like Happify to create behavior changes that stick. Connect with Acacia: Website: happify.com You’ll Learn: [02:05] - Acacia explains how positive psychology interventions can be delivered through technology platforms to create behavior change that sticks [03:19] - Acacia outlines how the Happify technology platform works [04:40] - Acacia shares

Today we’re talking to Alex Linley and Trudy Bailey from Capp, whose vision is to match the world to their perfect job. Alex is one of the early leaders in positive psychology and its applications, particularly around strengths, and he’s the author of From Average to A+. Trudy’s been responsible for the relaunch of Capp’s Strength Profile tool and ensuring that practitioners have access to the tools to build a strengths-based culture that’s sustaining. In this episode, we discuss the business case for understanding how the use, energy, and performance of our strengths can improve our performance, wellbeing and business outcomes. Connect with Alex & Trudy: Website:  www.capp.co/Home www.strengthsprofile.com/ You’ll Learn: [02:22 - Alex summarizes his three most important findings on developing people’s strengths at work. [04:25] - Trudy shares new research on how using our strengths can help us to achieve our goals. [05:48] - Trudy explains how the Strengths Profile tool works to help people develop the

Pernille is an experienced Business Consultant, Trusted Advisor, Facilitator, Board Member, Author and Speaker with a specialty within the Future of Leadership & Work, Change Management & Strategy Execution, Organizational Culture and Development. Passionate about developing Organizations, Leaders, and Leadership Teams from a Strengths-Based Perspective, focusing on their Core Ideology and how to add value to the world. In today’s episode, we cover the strengths-based approach to leadership and team development, and how focusing on these strengths has greater effectiveness than trying to improve peoples weaknesses. Connect with Pernille: Website: https://hippebrun.com/ You’ll Learn: [01:51] - Pernille gives the business case for a strengths-focused approach. [06:05] - Pernille explains how the acronym IDEAL PIT helps to remember the philosophy behind a strengths-based approach. [10:47] - Pernille explains how to run strengths-based meetings at work. [12:46] - Pernille covers using a strengths-focused