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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: 2019
Jun 21, 2019

Mandy O'Neill is an associate professor of management at the George Mason University School of Business. Mandy's research focuses on how conceptualizing organizational culture as a function of emotions and gender enhances the link between culture and a number of individual teams, organizational processes, and outcomes, including decision making, attitudes, career success, health behavior, corporate strategy, and financial performance. Her research has been featured in journal and media publications all over the world.

In this week’s episode, we explore why leaders and teams need to invest in creating healthy emotional cultures and the practical steps they can take based on the latest research in workplaces.

Connect with Mandy O'Neill: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:54] - Mandy explains what her research has found about the importance and bottom-line value of intentionally, managing the emotional culture of an organization.
  • [04:48] - Mandy outlines what an emotional culture strategy might look like practically in workplaces.
  • [07:21] - Mandy explains why creating a healthy emotional culture doesn't mean leaders should try to eliminate negativity.
  • [10:12] - Mandy shares an example of how a health organization intentionally improved their emotional culture.
  • [13:09] - Mandy offers guidance on the best ways to measure a workplace’s emotional culture.
  • [17:03] - Mandy provides some tips for how we can practically improve the emotional culture of our workplaces and create more affection, caring, and concern for each other.
  • 21:45] - Mandy offers some suggestions for navigating more uncomfortable conversations with each other.
  • [25:20] - Mandy completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Mandy!

Jun 14, 2019

Chris Myers is an assistant professor in the management and organization discipline, the academic director of executive education at the John Hopkins University Carey Business School and holds a joint appointment in anesthesiology at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. Chris' research and teaching focuses on individual learning, leadership development and innovation with particular attention to how people learn vicariously and share knowledge and his work has been recognized with several scholarly awards and has been featured in a range of leading academic journals and popular media articles and outlets.

In this week’s podcast, we explore why focusing on learning opportunities can help workers to manage their levels of stress and how opportunities for coactive vicarious learning ensures there are no passive observers to the learning process.

 

Connect with Chris Myers: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:53] - Chris explains why focusing on learning opportunities, rather than gritting our teeth, grinding through or taking a break, can be a more effective way of dealing with stress at work.
  • [05:59] - Chris offers some tips to help us reach for learning opportunities during moments of stress.
  • [07:56] - Chris shares some examples of how workplaces are encouraging their workers to reach for more learning opportunities.
  • [09:34] - Chris explains why when teams engage together in learning behaviour, they report significantly lower levels of burnout.
  • [11:08] - Chris outlines how learning together in teams helps to improve workers growth mindsets and their levels of psychological safety.
  • [12:07] - Chris explains why the process of vicarious learning has been found to be one of the most effective ways for teams to learn together.
  • [13:53] - Chris walks us through how coactive vicarious learning takes our ability to learn together a step further, by ensuring there are no passive observers to the learning process.
  • [18:19] - Chris provides some tips on how the process of coactive vicarious learning could be used to amplify the use of wellbeing strategies in workplaces.
  • [20:20] - Chris offers some caveats and cautions for supporting coactive vicarious learning in your workplace.
  • [22:58] - Chris completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

 

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Chris!

Jun 7, 2019

Johann Berlin is the CEO of the T-lex Institute, who work with fortune 500 companies to create resilience in businesses by using restorative techniques and authentic engagement to strengthen the energy and connections between individuals, teams, and organizations to achieve a greater purpose. Featured in the Harvard Business Review, the New York Times and Washington Post among many other publications. Johann, who shared his work at Tedx in London and with leading universities all over the world.

In this week’s podcast, we explore why we need to create spaces for recovery breaks in our work days, and how we can find ways to fit these moments into even the most demanding of roles and workplaces.

Connect with Johann Berlin: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:23] - Johann explains why making space for recovery can be so challenging in our workplaces.
  • [07:16] - Johann provides some examples of how workplaces are making recovery breaks a social norm to help people look after their wellbeing.
  • [11:37] - Johann offers some tips for tuning into the somatic, emotional, and neurological signals of your brain and body when you’re struggling, and how to create rituals and habits to help you recover in these moments.
  • [23:02] - Johann completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

 

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Johann!

May 31, 2019

David Bright is a professor of organizational behavior and organizational development, and Chair of the Department of Management and International Business at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. An award-winning teacher with over 20 years of experience as a professional facilitator and executive coach, with expertise in organizational development, strategic planning, and change management, David is the co-author of Becoming a Master Manager, a textbook that features a values-based approach to leadership development.

In this episode, we explore how the state of an organization - dysfunctional to extraordinary -  impacts whether focusing on strengths or fixing weaknesses will be the best way to create positive changes, and how an appreciative lens can help the find the possibilities in any problems.

Connect with David Bright: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:27] - David explains how the Competing Values Management framework can help leaders and organization positively navigate the many paradoxes workplaces face today.
  • [08:16] - David shares how he has been practically applying the competing values framework as a leader during his university’s strategic planning process.
  • [13:53] - David outline why cynical conversations can provide positive experiences and outcomes in change processes and how to harness this energy.
  • [18:13] - David explains why it's important to assess the current state of a workplace – whether it leans towards dysfunction or extraordinary functioning – before deciding if a generative conversation or appreciative inquiry approach will be the best way to create positive changes.
  • [26:11] - David completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

 

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you David!

May 24, 2019

Thea O'Connor is a senior workplace wellbeing advisor, presenter, journalist, and coach. Thea has more than 20 years experience in the health sector, including her background as a dietitian and workplace health consultant, she is the founder of Nap Now and a committed nap-tivist.

In this week’s episode, Thea O’Connor explains why we need to raise people’s levels of body intelligence at work and the simple steps workplaces can take to help workers connect, listen, and respond to their bodies wellbeing needs as they go about their jobs.

Connect with Thea O'Connor: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:01] - Thea explains why improving people’s levels of body intelligence is an essential step for maintaining our wellbeing at work.
  • [04:52] - Thea provides some tips on how we can connect, listen, and respond better at work to what our bodies need to maintain our levels of energy.
  • [08:02] - Thea helps us to understand the importance of having a wellbeing rhythm in our days.
  • [09:45] - Thea explains the difference between our bodies circadian rhythm and ultradian rhythm and how we can manage these at work.
  • [12:21] - Thea shares the latest research on how chronotypes (body clocks) can influence people’s wellbeing and productivity at work.
  • [15:14] - Thea shares some examples of how teams can help look after each other’s physical wellbeing at work.
  • [17:23] - Thea explains how multitasking can undermine our wellbeing and performance at work and how we can break this bad habit.
  • [19:53] - Thea shares why she believes nap breaks should be the new coffee breaks in workplaces and how we can implement this practically.
  • [24:17] - Thea completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Thea!

May 17, 2019

Dr. Toni Noble who is an adjunct professor in the Institute for positive psychology and education at the Australian Catholic University and is widely known in education as the coauthor of the multiple award-winning positive education programme, Bounce Back. Toni's government projects include the national safe schools' framework, the scoping study on student wellbeing and resourcing the student wellbeing hub. And she's worked with an international expert group in Bhutan to develop a new paradigm for the United Nations to promote wellbeing and happiness as a global goal.

In this week’s episode, Dr. Toni Noble explains why perfectionism and loneliness are rising in our schools and workplaces and what we can do practically to help people navigate these challenges to their wellbeing.

Connect with Dr. Toni Noble: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:19] - Toni explains why the rise of perfectionism is an issue workplaces need to be mindful of when it comes to improving people’s wellbeing
  • [07:30] - Toni shares why dealing with perfectionism takes more than just practicing a growth mindset
  • [10:09] - Toni explains why self-compassion is such an important skill to develop when it comes to taming perfectionism
  • [13:37] - Toni outlines why loneliness is also becoming a growing issue in workplaces and what we can do practically to improve people’s relationships at work
  • [21:35] - Toni completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Toni!

May 10, 2019

Elise Morris, who is a disruptor of conventional leadership and people management practices and co-founder of the Strengths Lab. With more than 25 years of global and local human resources experience in corporate and public sector organizations and a masters of applied positive psychology, Elise's diverse background allows her to straddle the commercial realities of organizations while forming deep human connections to facilitate positive change and extraordinary outcomes.

In this week’s episode, Elise Morris explains how a strengths-focus can be infused across people management processes in workplaces.

Connect with Elise Morris: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:28] - Elise explains why strengths interventions in workplaces need to be more focused on how teams and organizations can support the development of people’s strengths.
  • [04:01] - Elise shares how the employee lifecycle or employee experience can be used to infuse a strengths focus throughout a workplace.
  • [05:40] - Elise offers some practical tips for strengths focused recruiting, from job descriptions to job advertisements, and job interviews.
  • [07:21] - Elise explains why she doesn’t generally recommend using strengths assessment surveys during the recruitment process.
  • [08:33] - Elise shares why the onboarding experience is a critical opportunity to help people embrace a strengths focus as they join a workplace.
  • [10:32] - Elise explains why it’s important that we are willing to be vulnerable with each other about our strengths and we experiment and learn how to use them more intelligently.
  • [11:28] - Elise offers some advice on how to address weaknesses in strengths focused workplaces.
  • [14:39] - Elise explains how leaders can have more meaningful strengths conversations with their people and provide some simple questions any leader can use.
  • [18:20] - Elise shares the steps workplaces can take to help develop people’s strengths as they go about their work.
  • [23:30] - Elise offers some ideas for how workplaces can be more strengths focused when people are leaving their organization and why this is worth the effort.
  • [25:44] - Elise completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Elise!

May 3, 2019

Ashley Goodall is a senior executive, talent expert, and author who spent his career exploring large organizations from the inside. Ashley currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Leadership and Team Intelligence at Cisco, a new organization that is built to focus entirely on serving teams and team leaders. He is also the coauthor with Marcus Buckingham of the wonderful new book Nine Lies About Work: A Free Thinking Leader's Guide to the Real World, and they've recently published two cover stories in the Harvard Business Review, The Feedback Fallacy and Reinventing Performance Management.

In today's episode, Ashley Goodall shares the common mistakes most workplaces make when it comes to giving people feedback and the simple steps leaders and workplaces can take to build strengths-focused teams.

Connect with Ashley Goodall: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:18] - Ashley explains what his research with Marcus Buckingham found were the defining characteristics of the best teams at Deloitte’s
  • [03:54] - Ashley shares how he applied these insights to build a new organization at Cisco focused on serving teams and team leaders
  • [07:10] - Ashley offers tips for helping teach team leaders how to develop their own strengths and their people’s strengths
  • [08:53] - Ashley explains why leaders are rarely reliable raters of their people’s performance and what they can do instead.
  • [11:00] - Ashley provides an example of what a strengths-based conversation might sound like between a leader and a team member
  • [15:00] - Ashley explains how leaders can still address people’s weaknesses and areas for improvement whilst still being strengths-focused
  • [16:48] - Ashley shares why the approach most people take to developing people’s potential at work is a lie.
  • [20:25] - Ashley provides suggestions for leaders who may have employees who are disengaged and have no interest in developing their strengths
  • [22:49] - Ashley offers advice to help align people’s strengths to their work, even when the opportunities are challenging.
  • [25:28] - Ashley completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Ashley!

Apr 26, 2019

Dr. Jillian Darwish currently serves as President and CEO of Mayerson Academy, a non-profit dedicated to transforming individuals, teams, and organizational performance. Under her leadership, the Academy has become the exclusive education partner to the VIA Institute, working with schools, universities, organizations, and communities to utilize the science of character strengths to transform cultures. The Academy’s work has been featured in EdWeek, Live Happy, and US News and World Report and Dr. Darwish has been invited to share the Academy’s work around the globe, including presentations in China, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and Hong Kong.

In today’s episode, Dr. Jillian Darwish shares the surprising findings of a recent study with 1,000 American workers about if, how, and why people are using their strengths each day at work and the practical steps many workplaces may be missing.

Connect with Jillian Darwish: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:45] - Jillian shares what a recent study of 1,000 people representative of the American workforce has discovered about if, when, and why people use their strengths – the things they good at and enjoy doing – at work each day.
  • [05:41] - Jillian explains why workers may feel that their workplaces are less committed to developing their strengths.
  • [09:57] - Jillian outlines why having psychological safety in our teams, leaders who are able to have meaningful strengths conversations, and organizations who are committed to building our strengths is so important.
  • [11:40] - Jillian offers some tips for helping more leaders have the willingness and confidence to have meaningful strengths conversations with their workers.
  • [13:38] - Jillian shares the three important steps workplaces can use to help their people use their strengths each day at work.
  • [15:55] - Jillian offers an important caution for workplaces trying to activate people’s strengths.
  • [22:41] - Jillian completes the Lightning Round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Jillian!

Apr 12, 2019

Dr. Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur who mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations and is lead faculty for the Forward Institute’s responsible leadership programme. She is the author of five books including Willful Blindness which was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times, and in 2015 she was awarded the transmission prize for her book A Bigger Prize. Margaret’s Ted talks have been seen by over seven million people.

In today’s episode, Dr. Margaret Heffernan shares what researchers have learned about the impact competition has on our performance and wellbeing, and gives us some practical tips on building psychological safety in our organizations

Connect with Margaret Heffernan: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:45] - Margaret explains what research William Muir discovered about how competition impacts productivity and why every leader needs to be mindful of this research in workplaces
  • [05:41] - Margaret explains why leaders may remain willfully blind to the cost on performance and wellbeing of fiercely competitive environments in workplaces
  • [09:57] - Margaret explains how willful blindness is driven by our theories of the world and how this impacts our ability to take in data that challenges our ideas
  • [11:40] - Margaret offers some tips for nudging leaders out of their willful blindness so they can appreciate the importance of their people’s wellbeing
  • [13:38] - Margaret shares why and how institutionalizing dissent in workplaces can help to lower levels of willful blindness for ourselves and others
  • [15:55] - Margaret explains how we can improve our ability in workplaces for “scrapping” as we learn to navigate conflict in healthy ways with each other
  • [19:24] - Margret offers some tips for improving social capital in busy workplaces and the impact it can have on the bottom line in workplaces
  • [22:41] - Margaret completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Margaret!

Apr 4, 2019

As Professor Emerita of Management at California State University East Bay, Loretta's research explores how people can discover their power over their mammalian operating system(laughs). The author of several books, including her newest one Tame Your Anxiety which is being released shortly, she has shared her research and talks all over the world

In today’s episode, we explore, how we can tame the anxiety our mammalian brains when facing challenges at work.

Connect with Loretta Breuning: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:15] - Loretta explains how anxiety can impact us neurologically at work when we’re facing challenges.
  • [05:13] - Loretta explores why we might have become too anxious about being anxious at work.
  • [06:43] - Loretta outlines how rewards can create a treadmill system for behaviors that can make us feel more anxious at work.
  • [09:39] - Loretta explains how we can prepare ourselves to better navigate our feelings of anxiety at work.
  • [14:31] - Loretta shares a tool she has created to encrypt self-soothing to help manage the anxiety that can come with learning in workplaces.
  • [16:50] - Loretta offers some simple suggestions to help others tame their anxiety at work.
  • [21:25] - Loretta outlines some of the pitfalls for taming anxiety in workplaces.
  • [225:30] - Loretta completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Lorettaa!

Mar 28, 2019

Today we're talking to Wayne Baker, who's a professor of business administration at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and faculty director of the Centre for Positive Organisations. Wayne's teaching and research focuses on social capital, social networks, generosity, positive organizational scholarship, and values. And his latest book is Permission to Ask, which is coming out in 2020. He's also a founder and board member of Give and Take Inc., developers of the Givitas collaborative technology platform.

In this week’s episode, we explore how individual and organizational levels of energy impact our performance and wellbeing, and the small steps we can take to boost, maintain, and our renew our energy levels at work.

Connect with Wayne Baker: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:06] - Wayne explains how emotional energy, relational energy, and organizational energy can impact our wellbeing and performance at work.
  • [06:41] - Wayne shares what he and other researchers are finding about the benefits of intentionally managing our emotional, relational, and organization energy in workplaces.
  • [08:34] - Wayne provides some examples of how workplaces are intentionally creating strategies to manage people’s energy at work.
  • [11:26] - Wayne explains how we can help people understand that unlike machines our energy ebbs and flows during a day, and the small things they can do to maintain higher levels of energy.
  • [13:53] - Wayne outlines how psychological safety and the willingness to ask for help shape the levels of organizational energy a workplace experiences.
  • [17:44] - Wayne shares why leaders often find looking after the energy of their organization so challenging.
  • [19:36] - Wayne offers for some tips for leaders to embed behaviors that help people to renew and sustain their energy in their workplaces.
  • [22:09] - Wayne explains how we can maintain our energy wisely, so we avoid burning ourselves or others out at work.
  • [23:06] - Wayne completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

Please leave an honest review of 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 don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Wayne!

Mar 21, 2019

Today we're talking to Michelle Etheve, who specializes in enabling people to create purposeful, strength-based change. With a Master's of Science in Coaching Psychology from the University of Sydney, post-graduate studies in Positive Psychology and Education, and experience utilising human centred design and appreciative inquiry, Michelle is sought around the world for her ability to create and deliver highly engaging learning and positive change experiences that enable people and teams to thrive.

In this episode, we explore how you can create more positive changes in your workplace by creating a coaching culture that supports continuous learning. We also explore where and why organizational changes often come unstuck.

Connect with Michelle Etheve: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:26] - Michelle explains how new research has found that organizational approaches to change can improve people’s wellbeing and create a virtuous cycle
  • [04:01] - Michelle provides a practical example of how one company is fusing wellbeing and changes approaches together as they deliver business outcomes
  • [08:09] - Michelle offers some tips for leaders to have more inclusive and meaningful conversations that invite people to take ownership of the changes that need to be created
  • [12:12] - Michelle shares some simple questions to help us support continuous learning as changes are implemented in our workplaces
  • [17:20] - Michelle shares an antidote to the “I’m too busy” stories that often bring change unstuck in workplaces
  • [18:46] - Michelle completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Michelle!

Mar 14, 2019

Today we're talking to Jon Berghoff, who is the co-founder and managing partner of the Flourishing Leadership Institute, and has designed and facilitated whole system change efforts through large group collaborative summits for the U.S. Navy, the United Nations, BMW and businesses and institutions of all sizes. Known for bringing out the "group genius" in high stakes, complex environments, with speed, ease, and playfulness, Jon is sought around the world for his ability to create powerful learning experiences around Appreciative Leadership, Emotionally Intelligent Negotiations, and Influence.

In this episode, Jon shares the insights from the new Change Lab 2019 Workplace Survey including why the quantity of change is not the real challenge workplaces face when it comes to supporting people's wellbeing.

Connect with Jon Berghoff: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:42] - Jon shares what The Change Lab 2019 Workplace Survey found when it comes to creating successful changes that support people’s wellbeing at work
  • [05:18] - Jon outlines why it is the quality of change experiences, not the quantity of change experiences that are burning people out in workplaces
  • [08:58] - Jon shares why having a clear organizational purpose has such an impact on creating successful changes in workplaces
  • [11:28] - Jon shares the three questions any workplace can use to help make changes more personally meaningful for workers
  • [14:07] - Jon outlines the six strengths-focused questions that workplaces can ask to make change more successful
  • [19:05] - Jon explains why 40% of workers might still believe that fixing weaknesses in their workplace is the best way to create successful changes
  • [20:56] - Jon shares how organizations can use an invite-and-inquire approach to creating change to drive more ownership and accountability for action
  • [24:56] - Jon outlines how the virtuous cycle between successful change and wellbeing in workplaces works and what we can do to harness it
  • [28:56] - Jon completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Jon!

Mar 7, 2019

Today we're talking to Ron Fry, who's a professor of organizational behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University and former chairman of the Department of Organizational Behaviour, which has been consistently ranked one of the best in the world by the Financial Times.


With 11 books and over 45 articles and chapters, Ron is widely published in the areas of organizational development, appreciative inquiry, team building, change management, executive development, and the role and function of the CEO. He's a co-creator of the appreciative inquiry theory and method and continues to both apply and study the applications of AI in organizations all over the world.

In this episode, we discuss the simple questions that leaders can ask to help their people not just survive, but thrive, through organizational change experiences.

Connect with Ronald Fry: 

https://weatherhead.case.edu/faculty/ronald-fry

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:03] - Ron explains the three most important evidence-based insights every leader should know in order to implement change effectively in their workplace.
  • [04:57] - Ron shares why the questions we ask as leaders set changes in motion and how we can be more intentional about the questions we choose.
  • [09:14] - Ron outlines how creating opportunities to build new connections inside and outside of our organizations can power our change efforts.
  • [12:38] -  Ron explains how Appreciative Inquiry can build rapid trust in workplaces to help people work together to make their hopes for a change a reality.
  • [17:39] -  Ron outlines why stability and change have an interconnected and interdependent relationship, and why stability is as important for our success as change is in workplaces.
  • [24:07] -  Ron challenges our language about change in workplaces, and provides insights on why we need to think of change as a verb.
  • [27:23] -  Ron shares his tips for helping people to flourish through change in workplaces.
  • [31:18] -  Ron explains what it takes to build a positive institution and if this is possible in any workplace.
  • [32:07] - Ron completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Ron!

Mar 1, 2019

Today we're talking to Marie McLeod who fuses her qualifications in social work, adult education, and positive pschology with her extensive experience in community culture change. As the director of PoPsy, Marie makes positive psychology practical for individuals, organizations, and families, and as the founder of The Kindness Company, she uses kindness and compassion to cultivate community level wellbeing.

In this episode, we explore why and how community-level kindness can be an active ingredient to improve wellbeing to workplaces and the frameworks and practical steps we can take to make this a reality. 

Connect with Marie McLeod: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:07] - Marie explains why we need to think about improving people’s wellbeing, at an individual and at the community level in workplaces.
  • [06:40] - Marie shares how she’s been using the Community Kindness Challenge to help wellbeing be taught and caught in workplaces at the levels of me, we, and us.
  • [12:01] - Marie outlines why she’s finding kindness is the superpower of wellbeing approaches.
  • [16:10] -  Marie outlines the BEACON framework for improving wellbeing at a community level and explains how this build shared accountability for the wellbeing actions people choose to take.
  • [21:09] -  Marie offers some practical tips for improving kindness in workplaces.
  • [24:43] - Marie completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Marie!

Feb 21, 2019

Today we're talking to David Zeitler who uses the latest research in neuroscience, adult development, and leadership development to help people find ways to embrace the process of change and create transformations for themselves and others. After beginning as a psychotherapist and later spending two years as a lay monk, David went on to train executives and life coaches in the Immunity for Change Coaching Program at Mind Works with Harvard Professor Lisa Lahey and Robert Kegan.

In this episode, we explore why we might be immune to creating the changes we want for ourselves and our teams in workplaces and how a simple mapping exercise can help us overcome our resistance to change.

Connect with David Zeitler: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:25] - David explains that our mind has its own immune system that impacts our ability to create changes in our lives
  • [04:51] - David outlines the three plateaus in adult mental development that help us navigate work and life
  • [11:17] - David offers some tips for different ways to approach technical challenges and adaptive challenges when it comes to creating change
  • [14:19] -  David outlines how a psychological immunity map can be used to embrace adaptative challenges and make change a little easier
  • [19:47] -  David outlines some of the common worries that drain people’s commitment for change
  • [22:40] - David shares how behavior change experiments can help us test our worries and concerns about creating change
  • [27:58] - David completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you David!

Feb 14, 2019

Today we're talking to Tegan Davies, who's a self-professed wellness geek, who has embedded positive psychology practices in the not-for-profit sector for over 10 years. Previously the head of Learning Development and Culture at Camp Quality, Australia's leading childhood cancer charity, Tegan is now the manager of operations at The Oranges Toolkit, a social enterprise dedicated to helping individuals and teams to realize their potential. She's also a board member for Action for Happiness in Australia, a business coach, and a qualified yoga teacher

In this episode, we discover how HR leaders can introduce and embed positive psychology approaches across workplaces, and the importance of establishing a common language, evidence-based practices, and wellbeing champions.

Connect with Tegan Davies: 

[free_product_purchase id="44348"]

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:21] - Tegan explains how Camp Quality – an Australian not for profit that helps children and their families who are impacted by cancer – has leveraged positive psychology approaches to look after the wellbeing of their staff in these sometimes very challenging circumstances.
  • [05:38] - Tegan shares how as an HR leader for Camp Quality she began finding ways to embed positive psychology approaches in the organization
  • [10:31] - Tegan provides some examples of the positive psychology approaches she has found works best in organizations.
  • [15:03] -  Tegan shares her tips on finding wellbeing champions in your workplace and how you can harness their commitment and strengths to improve wellbeing across your workplace.
  • [20:49] -  Tegan explains the importance of celebrating the successes of wellbeing journeys.
  • [23:53] - Tegan offers some cautions on taking a one-size fits all approach to organizational wellbeing programs.
  • [28:23] - Tegan outlines how common language and frameworks can help people to tailor their own wellbeing journey.
  • [30:50] - Tegan completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Tegan!

Feb 7, 2019

Today we're talking to Nick Craig, who's the author of the newly published book Leading From Purpose, and President of the Core Leadership Institute where he guides executives at companies including Ben & Jerry's, Heineken, ING Bank, Lego, Unilever, and more, on the journey to discover and lead with purpose. In 2007, Nick began collaborating with Professor Bill George at Harvard Business School and this led them to co-author 'Finding Your True North: A Personal Guide', which became the course book for the Harvard Business School MBA class Authentic Leadership Development.

In this episode, we explore the simple questions that can help us find more purpose in our work and the easy actions we can take to live our purpose more consistently. 

Connect with Nick Craig: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:55] - Nick explains why he was converted from feeling cynical about purpose in workplaces to believing that it is instrumental.
  • [06:53] - Nick shares some simple questions for helping people to find more purpose in their work.
  • [08:54] - Nick explains how a purpose statement can help us to live from our purpose easily and more consistently at work.
  • [10:19] - Nick shares why purpose is not our passion, not our values, and not our happiness any why living our purpose can be challenging.
  • [13:57] - Nick explains how a growth mindset can help us to live our purpose.
  • [16:20] - Nick outlines how purpose can fuel our levels of energy at work.
  • [18:34] - Nick explains how leaders can share their sense of purpose in ways that are clear and inspiring for others.
  • [20:49] - Nick completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Nick!

Feb 3, 2019

Today we're talking to professor James Pennebaker, who is the region's centennial chair of psychology at the University of Texas, an avid researcher, and teacher. Jamie is the originator of expressive writing and has received numerous research and teaching awards and honors for his work. He has published more than 300 articles and has been the author or editor at the 12 books, including Opening Up By Writing It Down How Expressive Writing Improves Health and is emotional pain

In this episode, we discuss the many research-based benefits of expressive writing, why it works, and the best ways to engage in this wellbeing practice at work and at home.

Connect with Jamie Pennebaker: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:07] - Jamie explains how he discovered the power of expressive writing and the studies he has conducted over the last thirty years to understand its impact on our wellbeing.
  • [05:07] - Jamie details the benefits thousands of studies around the world have now established for expressive writing.
  • [07:44] - Jamie shares what the research has found out about why expressive writing can beneficial for so many people.
  • [11:48] - Jamie offers some tips on how workplaces and leaders can use expressive writing to help improve people’s wellbeing in organizations.
  • [15:30] - Jamie provides practical guidance on the best ways to practice expressive writing.
  • [21:00] - Jamie offers some cautions on when and for whom expressive writing is used to try and improve people’s wellbeing.
  • [23:49] - Jamie explains how his latest research is looking at how the words we use when we write can also provide insights into our wellbeing.
  • [30:20] - Jamie completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Jamie!

Jan 24, 2019

Today we're talking to James and Suzie Pawlekski, who are authors of the best-selling book Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts. James is a Professor of Practice and Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he co-founded the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology Program with Professor Martin Seligman. Suzie is a freelance writer and well-being consultant specializing in the science of happiness and its effects on relationships and health.

In this episode, we explore how we can build happier relationships with others at work with practical, evidence-based tips you can use to keep your passions harmonious, prioritize positive emotions, savor positive emotions and savor each other's strengths.

Connect with James & Suzie Pawelski: 

https://www.buildhappytogether.com/

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:54] - James and Suzie explain what Aristotle taught them about having better relationships as they honeymooned.
  • [05:53] - James and Suzie provide some tips for improving our more challenging relationships at work.
  • [08:46] - Suzie explains how we can promote a healthy passion for our relationships at work.
  • [10:32] - James offers some practical tips for boosting positive emotions in our relationships.
  • [13:13] - James and Suzie explain how savoring positive emotions can help to improve our relationships and practical ways we can practice this more in workplaces.
  • [15:48] - James and Suzie offer some tips for savoring strengths in others.
  • [19:16] - James and Suzie share their advice for integrating these behaviors to improve our relationships into our busy working lives.
  • [21:27] - James & Suzie completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you James & Suzie!

Jan 17, 2019

Today we're talking to Shawn Achor who's one of the world's leading experts on the connection between happiness and success. Shawn's research on mindset made the cover of the Harvard Business Review. His TED Talk is one of the most popular of all times, with over 13 million views, and his lectures airing on PBS have been seen by millions of people around the world. Shawn has worked with over a third of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as the NFL, the NBA, the Pentagon, and the White House. He is also the author of the New York Times best-selling books, "The Happiness Advantage," and "Before Happiness," and his newest book is "Big Potential."

In this episode, we explore why the biggest impediment to our success is not a lack of productivity, hard work or intelligence, but the way in which we pursue it. Shawn explains why researchers have found that it is our ability to connect with, contribute to, and benefit from the ecosystem of people around us that ultimately determines our success.

Connect with Shawn Anchor: 

http://goodthinkinc.com/

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:11] - Shawn explains why realizing our potential relies on our ability to work well with others.
  • [05:41] - Shawn outlines why studies suggest in workplaces it is not survival of the fittest, but survival of the best fit.
  • [07:54] - Shawn shares why hyper-competitive environments undermine our wellbeing and potential.
  • [10:27] - Shawn offers some practical tips for enabling survival of the best fit in our workplaces.
  • [16:41] - Shawn outlines five simple steps for we can take to help us realize our big potential.
  • [22:08] - Shawn explains how to nudge even the most skeptical people into experimenting with more collaborative and big potential behaviors in workplaces.
  • [27:07] - Shawn completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Shawn!

Jan 10, 2019

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 cultivating heartfelt positivity does and doesn’t improve our wellbeing.
  • [08:26] - Nick provides some simple tips to help improve our ability and confidence to understand what evidence-based research approaches are and aren’t finding.
  • [21:42] - Nick completes the Lightning round.

Your Resources:

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.

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

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you Nick!

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