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Making Positive Psychology Work

If you believe as we do that by uncovering tested, practical ways to help people move from functioning to flourishing at work, we can better navigate the incredible challenges and opportunities our world faces, then this podcast is for you. Our goal each week is to give you access to the world’ leading positive psychology, positive organizational scholarship and neuroscience researchers and practitioners to explore their latest research findings on how you can improve wellbeing, develop strengths, nurture positive relationships, make work meaningful and cultivate the grit to accomplish what matters most. If you want evidence-based approaches to bringing out the best in yourself and others at work, then consider this podcast your step-by-step guide.
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Now displaying: July, 2016
Jul 29, 2016

Emiliya Zhivotovskaya is the founder of The Flourishing Center of Benefit Corporation.  She is the creator of the Certification in Applied Positive Psychology. Emiliya talks about the connection of mind and body, specifically in regards to vitality.

Our bodies affect our thoughts and vice versa. So how do we bring that vitality into our lives?  It’s not through major interventions, but rather through daily life hacks.  Emiliya shares a few that you can implement into your life. 

You will learn about the importance of our digestive system in this conversation.  Emiliya talks about how our gut is our “second brain.”  She describes its effect on our our mind body health and lists ways for us to keep the second brain healthy.  This is a conversation with a lot of practical and easily implemented tips and exercises. 

Emiliya Zhivotovskaya’s website

You’ll Learn:

  • [2:06] - Emiliya shares her model of vitality.
  • [6:28] - Why do many researchers teach the mind and body are separate components?
  • [7:10] - Emiliya talks about why we move our bodies.  It’s not to meet an exercise goal, but our cells have inherent wisdom to move.
  • [8:28] - The enteric nervous system tells us our gut is “the second brain.”
  • [10:45] - Daily hacks are a way to bring vitality into our lives.
  • [14:02] - Emiliya talks about the importance of probiotics and prebiotics in our diets.
  • [15:29] - In modern times, we don’t squat enough.  Squatting also helps with healthy bowel movements.
  • [17:33] - Sleep is the foundation of all vitality.
  • [19:35] - The lightning round with Emiliya Zhivotovskaya

Your Resources:

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari - https://amzn.com/0062316095

Certificate in Positive Psychology - http://getcertifiedinpospsych.com

The Canadian Positive Psychology Association - http://cppa.ca

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post. 

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Emiliya for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Jul 22, 2016

Wayne Baker is a professor of management at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Wayne is also the first director of the Center for Positive Organizations.Wayne talks about the idea of a giving culture at work.

People are inherently generous and often, the biggest barrier is getting people to ask for what they need. Wayne talks about the ROI that a giving culture brings to organizations. He also talks about who is likely to reciprocate and what their motivations might be. I enjoyed this conversation with Wayne Baker and I’m certain you will too!

Wayne Baker’s website

You’ll Learn:

● [1:41] - Wayne shares some takeaways from his presentation at The Positive Business Conference on creating a giving culture.
● [2:30] - Wayne talks about the reciprocity ring.
● [3:21] - What steps need to be taken after an individual makes a request?
● [4:08] - The biggest barrier is getting people to ask for what they need.
● [5:07] - Wayne talks about why so many organizations struggle to create a giving culture.
● [6:35] - This process taps into the fundamental human principle of reciprocity.
● [7:12] - Takers give almost as frequently as givers give.
● [8:03] - The business benefits of the reciprocity ring.
● [10:19] - You can use technology to help you with the reciprocity ring.
● [11:19] - Early adopters become evangelists for the reciprocity ring.
● [12:37] - Setting boundaries in reciprocity and denying the power in reciprocity by not asking.
● [16:15] - Asking without expectations of receiving.
● [17:08] - The Lightning Round with Wayne Baker

Your Resources:

Learn more about the reciprocity ring at http://www.humaxnetworks.com/default.asp

The Reflected Best Self

The Power of Visioning

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success - Adam M. Grant

Seveneves - Neal Stephenson

A Book of Uncommon Prayer: 100 Celebrations of the Miracle & Muddle of the Ordinary - Brian Doyle

The Positive Business Conference

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Wayne for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Jul 15, 2016

Jessica Amortegui is a leading expert in positive psychology and positive organizational scholarship in organizations. Jessica is the Senior Director of Learning and Development at Logitech, where she has developed a two-day workshop on positive psychology practices for her team members.

Jessica shares how she organized this workshop, including her strategy to gain management support and team buy-in. Jessica also talks with us about job crafting and the idea of “the perfect job vs. the best job for us.” I think you will really enjoy this conversation with Jessica Amortegui.

This interview was produced in partnership with the Center for Positive Organization’s Positive Business Project.

Jessica's website: http://www.jessicaamortegui.com

You’ll Learn:

● [2:15] - Jessica talks about need for meaningful experience in order to open people’s hearts and minds to new ways of leading.
● [4:05] - How Jessica got Logitech leadership and the team to buy into a two-day workshop course on leading through positive psychology.
● [5:50] - Jessica shares what she taught the workshop attendees to get them so enthusiastic about these new philosophies.
● [8:21] - Jessica talks about balancing the science and the experience in teaching these practices to team members.
● [10:00] - The perfect job vs. the best job for us.
● [12:18] - Jessica talks about job crafting at Logitech.
● [13:49] - Job crafting through mastery, meaning, and membership.
● [15:49] - When might job crafting might not be ideal?
● [17:51] - Management support and involvement is vital to creating system-wide change.
● [18:28] - The lightning round with Jessica Amortegui

Your Resources:

● VIA Strengths Finder Survey - http://www.viacharacter.org/www/Character-Strengths-Survey
● Shawn Achor Ted Talk - “The happy secret to better work
● Simon Sinek Ted Talk - https://www.ted.com/speakers/simon_sinek
● “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” - Chris Voss & Tahl Raz
● Center for Positive Organization’s Positive Business Project - http://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Ryan for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Jul 8, 2016

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 and curiosity.
● [5:35] - Ryan talks about his 8-week program, “Mindfulness Based Strength Practice”and explains the difference between this program and others.
● [8:10] - Mindfulness based strength practice has a large impact on positive relationships.
● [9:08] - Ryan shares how mindfulness based strength practice can help people manage their problems.
● [10:18] - Ryan provides information on how you can experience the 8-week program.
● [11:52] - Ryan addresses opposition to mindfulness and talks about the idea of deliberate mind-wandering.
● [13:32] - Are there some people that can’t benefit from mindfulness?
● [15:05] - New research on the development and application of character strengths.
● [18:19] - Ryan talks about bringing character strengths to our work and that leading to a “life-calling”.
● [20:00] - The lightning round with Ryan Niemiec

Your Resources:

http://www.viacharacter.org/www/

Thich Nhat Hanh’s books on Amazon

The Illusion of Separateness: A Novel - Simon Van Booy

 

Jul 1, 2016

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 Positive Psychology. 

Bob's website: http://www.lrcs.uqam.ca/default_en.htm

You’ll Learn:

  • [1:46] - Passion can be obsessive or harmonious and the benefits of harmonious passion.
  • [2:30] - Bob defines overall passion.
  • [3:40] - Obsessive passions and how these seemingly productive activities can control a person.
  • [5:10] - How to determine if a passion is harmonious or obsessive.
  • [7:11] - Passions can go back and forth from being harmonious and obsessive. Bob shares what makes this change happen.
  • [9:25] - How organizations can nurture harmonious passion with members.
  • [11:25] - Having multiple passions is a healthier situation.
  • [12:08] - How to turn things around when a passion becomes obsessive.
  • [13:16] - There are certain activities in which you will only get the positive benefits if the passion is harmonious.
  • [15:08] - The lightning round with Bob Vallerand.

Your Resources:

“The Psychology of Passion” - Bob Vallerand

“Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation” - Edward Deci

“Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experiences” - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

“Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the Upward Spiral That Will Change Your Life” - Barbara Fredrickson

Canadian Positive Psychology Association

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