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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: 2020
Jun 26, 2020

Sheila Heen is an expert on managing difficult negotiations, a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School, and a founder of Triad Consulting. Sheila often partners with executive teams, helping them work through conflict, repair working relationships, and make sound decisions together and her clients include Apple, HSBC, Unilever, and Pixar among others. She is the co-author of the New York Times business bestseller Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most and more recently Thanks For The Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even When It’s Off-Base, Unfair, Poorly Delivered and Frankly, You’re Not in the Mood).

In this week’s podcast, we explore why receiving feedback can be so challenging at work, and how we can unhook from our feedback triggers to make the most of the gift we are being given.

Connect with Sheila Heen:

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:45] - Sheila explains why learning to receive feedback is a skill that we should all be building.
  • [05:29] - Sheila outlines the research findings on how being able to receive feedback impacts people’s performance and wellbeing at work.
  • [07:37] - Sheila shares the three different triggers that can make hearing feedback difficult to hear.
  • [11:26] - Sheila explains the three different types of feedback people are given at work and why it helps to be clear about the purpose of the feedback we’re giving and receiving.
  • [16:07] - Sheila offers tips for us to be present and really hear and make the most of the feedback we’re given.
  • [20:04] - Sheila explores how growth mindsets can help us lean into giving and receiving feedback better.
  • [24:09] - Sheila explains why the ability of leaders to receive feedback well helps to improve psychological safety in teams.
  • [26:33] - Sheila enters for 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, Sheila!

Jun 19, 2020

Cliff Kayser is a consultant who brings 25 years of experience with senior-level OD internal positions with the Washington Post and the National Cooperative Bank, as well as his external consultancies and coaching practice with experienced and successful partners, polarity partnerships and the Institute for the Polarities of Democracy. Cliff is on faculty at American university’s master’s in OD, and a coaching fellow for George Mason University Center for the Advancement of well-being, which is where he and I met.

In this week’s episode, we explore how to balance “either/or” thinking with the need for “and” so we honor competing polarities when it comes to the way we work together.

Connect with Cliff Kayser:

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:40] - Cliff explains what polarity thinking is and why it matters in workplaces.
  • [02:26] - Cliff offers some examples of the common polarities workplaces have been grappling with over the last 12 months.
  • [03:38] - Cliff explains how teams and workplaces can navigate the polarities of “me and we” and “us and them”.
  • [06:07] - Cliff provides an example of how a healthcare company has navigated the polarities of centralized and decentralized resources.
  • [10:05] - Cliff shares a case study on polarities of how Charleston Police Department navigate the tension of law enforcement and community engagement.
  • [15:47] - Cliff explains why polarity thinking is common sense but not common practice.
  • [18:32] - Cliff shares where OR thinking can be useful.
  • [22:48] - Louis asks cliff if he’s ready for 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, Cliff!

Jun 12, 2020

Valorie Burton is the founder and CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute and a best-selling author, international speaker, and life strategist. Valorie has a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and her company provides coaching, coach training, and resilience training and has served clients in all 50 American states and 15 countries on six continents. Since 1999, she has written 13 books on personal development, including the best sellers Successful Women Think Differently and What’s Really Holding You Back? And she’s been featured in media outlets around the world.

In this week’s episode, we explore how to practice racial empathy in workplaces and the simple steps workers can take to be respectful and effective white allies.

Connect with Valorie Burton:

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:13] - Valorie explains how the murder of George Floyd caused her to speak out on the need for racial empathy.
  • [07:28] - Valorie shares why in order to become unstuck on the issue of racism in workplaces we need to start telling the truth.
  • [11:29] - Valorie helps us understand why it often difficult for people of color to talk about what’s happening and the impact that racism has on them at work.
  • [15:07] - Valorie offers suggestions for how white allies can help better support people of color in their workplace.
  • [21:39] - Valorie provides some tips for how people of color – if they wish – can encourage white allies to take action.
  • [25:16] - Valorie explains people of color often don’t need help from white allies but do need them to listen.
  • [29:46] - Valorie enters 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, Valorie!

Jun 5, 2020

Dr. Suzy Green is a Clinical and Coaching Psychologist – and Founder & CEO of The Positivity Institute, a positively deviant organization dedicated to the research and application of Positive Psychology for life, school, and work. She is a leader in the complementary fields of Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology, was the recipient of an International Positive Psychology Fellowship Award, has lectured on Applied Positive Psychology as a Senior Adjunct Lecturer in the Coaching Psychology Unit, at the University of Sydney for ten years, and is an Honorary Vice President of the International Society for Coaching Psychology. On top of all of that, Suzy has just released her brand new book called – The Positivity Prescription.

In this week’s podcast, we explore what ‘wellbeing coaching’ is and how we can make this more accessible in workplaces.

Connect with Suzy Green:

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:42] - Suzy shares what wellbeing coaching is and how it differs from other types of coaching.
  • [04:39] - Suzy paints a picture of what a wellbeing coaching experience might be like.
  • [06:33] - Suzy explains what makes coaching particularly effective when it comes to improving people’s wellbeing.
  • [08:50] - Suzy highlights what might be holding back workplaces from engaging wellbeing coaching.
  • [11:10] - Suzy how we might make coaching more accessible to workplaces.
  • [13:19] - Suzy discusses the questions and cautions we should be considering when it comes to offering group coaching.
  • [16:05] - Suzy shares the three Ms for building positivity.
  • [18:04] - Suzy shares practical ways to enhance our mindfulness, mindset, and mood.
  • [21:12] - Suzy enters 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, Suzy!

May 29, 2020

Al Comeaux is a former executive at Travelocity, GE, American airlines. As a senior leader, Al has championed change across a range of workplaces and undertaken a 20-year journey researching why so many change efforts fail and what's needed for success.

Al is the founder of Primed For Change, a disruptive project to prepare leaders to take organizations successfully through change, and this week he has released a new book called Change Management.

In this episode, we explore how senior leaders think about change in workplaces and how they can balance being SMART with taking an approach that wins people’s HEARTS.

Connect with Al Comeaux:

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:58] - Al explains what most often takes leaders by surprise when it comes to trying to successfully create change in workplaces.
  • [06:23] - Al helps us explore if leaders should be more focused on understanding the problems or the opportunities for change in their organization.
  • [07:44] - Al offers tips for helping leaders to consistently explain the opportunity for change across their workplace, whilst allowing teams to make the change personally meaningful.
  • [09:43] - Al offers guidance on when leaders should try a top-down versus open source approach to leading change.
  • [14:52] - Al provides examples of how leaders can be SMART and have HEART when it comes to leading change.
  • [18:24] - Al offers examples leaders model the change consistently.
  • [22:31] - Al offers some tips for turning around the change cynics.

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, Al!

May 22, 2020

Mandy O'Neill, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Management at the George Mason University School of Business and a Senior Scientist at the University Center for the Advancement of Wellbeing. Mandy holds a doctorate in Organizational Behavior from Stanford University Graduate School of Business where she was a National Science Foundation graduate fellow and is an expert on organizational culture, immersions in the workplace, and women's careers.

Mandy consults and conducts academic research across a wide range of organizations, including Fortune 500 corporations, global technology firms, major medical centers, and emergency response teams. Her work has been published in a variety of scholarly and practitioner journals, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, and the Harvard Business Review.

In this episode, we look at the headlines of the Wellbeing Lab research from the US and the importance of a culture of companionate love in workplaces.

Connect with Mandy O'Neill:

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:50] - Mandy shares an overview of the most recent Wellbeing Lab research results from the US.
  • [11:23] - Mandy explains what companionate love is and the impact it has on workplaces.
  • [14:28] - Mandy explains the difference between cognitive and emotional culture.
  • [17:28] - Mandy shares the impact that leaders demonstrating companionate love has in workplaces.
  • [21:22] - Mandy suggests ways leaders can build a culture of companionate love.
  • [26:08] - Mandy enters 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!

May 15, 2020

In this week’s podcast we explore relational agency, and the four simple skills you can build in your teams to listen deeply, lift each other, and turn challenges around.

Connect with Arne Carlsen:

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:25] - Arne explains what relational agency is and why it matters when it comes to our wellbeing and performance at work.
  • [07:08] - Arne outlines how we can build more respectful engagement in our relationships at work.
  • [10:30] - Arne shares how we can practice generative resistance and healthy conflict with each other at work.
  • [13:08] - Arne outlines how liberating laughter compliments generative resistance and how we can create more of it in workplaces.
  • [16:27] - Arne offers tips for cultivating psychological safety within ourselves and our relationships.
  • [18:46] - Arne explains how the Best Reflected Self exercise can help us discover our strengths and improve our relationships.
  • [23:35] - Arne shares how leaders have introduced these relational agency skills successfully to their teams...
  • [25:10] - Arne enters 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, Arne!

May 8, 2020

In this week’s episode, Scott Barry Kaufman talks about his new book, “Transcend: The New Science of Self Actualization” in which he unearths some of Dr. Abraham Maslow’s unfinished work. He shares common misconceptions on the hierarchy of needs, how workplaces can support collective actualization, and why it is important to stay positive at this time of COVID 19—even amidst uncertainty or suffering. Scott brings in familiar psychology research to create a case for how leaders can be more enlightened in their approaches.

Connect with Dr. Scott Kaufman:

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:41] - Scott explains Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory and why there is a misconception in using the pyramid metaphor.
  • [07:09] - Scott explains how we can use the ideas and resources in his book at a time of global pandemic.
  • [12:52] - Scott explains how values play a part in creating transcendent workers and workplaces.
  • [17:59] - Scott shares how workplaces can help team members create more moments for integration and actualization.
  • [22:35] - Scott enters 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, Scott!

May 1, 2020

Warren Nilsson is an associate professor of social innovation at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and the faculty associate of the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation. He’s also the co-founder of Organisation Unbounded, an international community of inquiry and experimentation, exploring how social purpose organizations can more closely align their internal practices and cultures with their external social change goals. Warren has worked with social purpose organizations in North America, Africa, and South Asia connecting his academic research with practitioner-driven social initiatives.

In this week’s podcast, we explore what any workplace can learn from social change organizations about the two unique steps they take to create positive change inside and outside of their workplaces.

Connect with Warren Nilsson:

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:08] - Warren explains how learning to successfully create social change can help to transform any organization.
  • [05:22] - Warren shares what his research has been finding to help any workplace create more positive change in the world.
  • [07:42] - Warren outlines why workplaces need to work more in the social field if they want to have a positive impact on the world.
  • [12:53] - Warren shares how psychological safety and high-quality connections offer practical insights and tools to help us create social fields that help to create social change.
  • [15:33] - Warren offers some tips on what the best social purpose organizations do to align their external purpose with the internal ways they bring out the best in their staff.
  • [22:54] - Warren explains how workplaces can create cultures of listening and connecting people to what they are feeling.
  • [29:17] - Warren explains why scaling questions rather than scaling solutions often offers a more effective pathway for creating social change.
  • [35:01] - Warren enters 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, Warren!

Apr 24, 2020

Anne is a Change Professional who has managed change programs across multiple industries, from large scale systems implementations through to workplace transformations, with a focus on changing cultures and building internal business change capability. For the last seven years, Anne has been bringing wellbeing into her change programs with fabulous results and has been referred to as “the Magic Maker”.

In this week’s episode, we explore the practical actions workplaces can be taking to care for their people’s wellbeing during a time of disruption and rapid change.

Connect with Anne Lomax:

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:50] - Anne shares how the CoVID-19 pandemic impacted Qantas as a workplace.
  • [02:24] - Anne’s essential first step to supporting people during a disruption.
  • [03:23] - Anne’s number one priority for worker wellbeing during the CoVID-19 disruption.
  • [03:54] - Simple, practical ways to support wellbeing during a disruption.
  • [05:51] - What goes into a daily calm session?
  • [08:22] - Anne’s biggest learning on wellbeing during change.
  • [09:19] - The ‘new normal’ of workplace wellbeing
  • [10:19] - Anne enters 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, Anna!

Apr 17, 2020

Bruce Daisley was previously Twitter’s most senior employee outside of the United States in his role as Vice President across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Bruce’s passion for improving work led him to create the podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat on using evidence-based approaches to make work better and he’s recently released a book of the same name.

In today’s podcast, we explore how leaders can help bring out the best in their teams as more workers suddenly find themselves working remotely.

Connect with Bruce Daisley:

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:48] - Bruce shares some of the evidence-based practices that helped him to bring out the best in himself and his teams at Twitter.
  • [07:20] - Bruce shares Twitter’s invitation to #lovewhereyouwork and why as a leader this became his priority.
  • [11:33] - Bruce offers some practical tips for staying physically distanced but socially connected with each other at work.
  • [14:54] - Bruce explains how we can manage the stress that comes with working more remotely.
  • [18:07] - Bruce offers some examples of how teams can build and maintain psychological safety with each other.
  • [22:55] - Bruce shares why positive effect and laughter helps teams to be in sync with each other and what we can do to create more laughter our workplaces.
  • [24:32] - Bruce enters 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, Bruce!

Apr 10, 2020

Dr. Adam Fraser is a human performance researcher and consultant who studies how organizations adopt a high-performance culture to thrive in this challenging and evolving business landscape. Adam has worked with elite athletes, the armed forces and business professionals of all levels. In the last eight years, he has delivered more than 1200 presentations to over 300,000 people in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Adam is also the author of four best-selling books, including his latest one, Strive, which I’m looking forward to delving into today.

In this episode, we explore the benefits of struggle when it comes to our learning and growth and the four practical steps we can take to get more comfortable with struggle.

Connect with Adam Fraser:

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:35] - Adam shares what enables us to strive
  • [06:46] - Adam talks about why we need to make struggle our friend
  • [07:55] - Adam explains about the value of negative emotions
  • [12:26] - Adam introduces foreground and background behaviors that support striving.
  • [13:24] - Adam outlines the SAFE foreground behaviors and how we can learn to sit with discomfort.
  • [18:13] - Adam offers tips for accepting our struggle without judgment.
  • [23:29] - Adam shares how the focus of our struggle can be development, learning, and growth.
  • [26:53] - Adam explains how we can engage in the most constructive behaviors even in the midst of struggle.
  • [34:11] - Adam enters 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, Adam!

Apr 2, 2020

Dr. Peggy Kern is an associate professor at the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne’s graduate school of education. Peggy’s research is collaborative in nature and draws on a variety of methodologies to examine questions around who thrives in life and why. Including understanding and measuring healthy functioning, identifying individual and social factors impacting life trajectories and systems informed approaches to wellbeing. She’s published three books and over 85 peer-reviewed articles and chapters.

In this week’s podcast, we explore the impact COVID-19 and the economic downturn is having on workers’ wellbeing and performance, and what leaders and workplaces can be doing to support them.

Connect with Peggy Kern:

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:45] - Peggy shares her latest research findings on how workplaces can help workers to care for their wellbeing.
  • [11:03] - Peggy explains what research over the last two weeks has found about the impact of COVID-19 and the sudden economic downturn is having on workers' wellbeing and performance.
  • [15:28] - Peggy provides insights into why some workers are thriving even though they are experiencing high levels of worry and anxiety at the moment.
  • [18:19] - Peggy offers tips to help workers thrive even in the face of struggle and how this may shift over time.
  • [22:28] - Peggy explains why as workers grieve through the changes that are happening that workplaces and leaders can make it ok to talk about the struggles they are experiencing.
  • [24:04] - Peggy offers guidance for HR teams are why to focus their resources and efforts during this unpredictable time to support workers’ wellbeing.
  • [27:25] - Peggy enters 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, Peggy!

Mar 26, 2020

Dr. Michelle McQuaid and Dr. Paige Williams are the co-founders of The Leaders Lab, which helps leaders to thrive and create thriving workplaces. They use evidence-based approaches that draw on the latest research in neuroscience, positive psychology, leadership, and systems thinking to help leaders and workplaces move beyond just the need for resilience, to become antifragile.

In this week’s podcast, we explore the practical steps leaders can take to be more neurologically robust and antifragile, so they can help themselves and their teams thrive during this time of unprecedented disruption and change.

Connect with Dr. Michelle McQuaid & Dr. Paige Williams:

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:50] - Michelle shares hot-off-the-research-desk data about the impact coronavirus and the economic downturn is having for leaders and their teams.
  • [06:06] - Michelle and Paige explore how leaders can be antifragile and thrive even during this time of great unpredictably and disruption.
  • [10:48] - Michelle and Paige explore why leaders need a coaching style of leadership to support themselves and others amidst the challenges they are facing right now.
  • [13:23] - Michelle and Paige explain how leaders can recruit their brains to manage the anxiety and fear that they and their teams may be feeling at the moment.
  • [14:19] - Michelle and Paige provide tips on how leaders and their teams can operate in reality without catastrophizing unnecessarily.
  • [18:28] - Michelle and Paige explore how leaders can break the negative and build the positive for their teams in these uncertain times.
  • [21:36] - Michelle and Paige explain how leaders and their teams can use intelligent risk to quickly learn and grow in the face of the unprecedented changes they are experiencing.
  • [25:35] - Michelle and Paige offer tips on how to seek collective wisdom across a team even when more and more people are having to work virtually.
  • [30:03] - Michelle and Paige explore how leaders can tackle the infinite game so on the other side of coronavirus and economic downturns they and their teams are able to maximize what they’ve learned during this challenging period.
  • [34:49] - Michelle enters 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, Michelle!

Mar 19, 2020

In this week’s podcast, we explore how pro-social principles and tools can help groups collaborate more effectively together by creating safe spaces, to be honest about what they want, what they fear, and how this shapes the way they choose to work together.

Connect with Paul Atkins: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:32] - Paul explains why collaborating with each other is often challenging at work.
  • [04:18] - Paul shares why we often struggle to appreciate the differences in each other.
  • [05:40] - Paul outlines the prosocial process and how it might help us to collaborate better with each other.
  • [07:48] - Paul outlines the eight-core design principles that guide the prosocial process.
  • [16:58] - Paul shares an example of how the prosocial principals and tools can be applied in workplaces.
  • [23:36] - Paul offers some simple questions we can use to help create more prosocial ways of working together.
  • [27:45] - Paul offers some tips for dysfunctional teams to become more prosocial and collaborate better together.
  • [30:26] - Paul enters 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, Paul!

Mar 12, 2020

In this week’s episode, Dr. Michelle McQuaid explains the 5 evidence-based MAGIC factors that make p positive change possible in workplaces, and how you can activate these in your own work or across your whole workplace.

Connect with Michelle Mcquaid: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:37] - Michelle explains what positive change is and why it should be our goal in workplaces.
  • [04:09] - Michelle outlines the 5 evidence-based MAGIC factors for creating positive change.
  • [10:56] - Michelle shares how her virtual global team embeds the MAGIC factors to create positive changes together.
  • [15:07] - Michelle shares why workplaces often struggle with generative conversations and self-organization.
  • [21:18] - Michelle offers some tips for people who feel they have little control over how change unfolds in their workplace.
  • [24:43] - Michelle enters 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 Michelle!

Mar 5, 2020

Stewart Friedman is an organizational psychologist at Wharton and founder of Wharton’s Leadership Program and it’s work-life integration project. Listed among HR magazine’s most influential international thinkers, Stewart has written two best sellers, Leading The Life You Want and Total Leadership. And his newest book, which is about to be released, is Parents Who Lead.

In this week’s podcast, we explore the practical steps we can take to integrate our work and our life to create four-way wins across our career, our family, our community and ourselves (mind, body, spirit) and the impact this has on our wellbeing and performance at work.

Connect with Stewart Friedman: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:18] - Stew explains how we can create four-way wins by integrating our careers, our family, our community, and our own needs to improve wellbeing and performance.
  • [06:29] - Stew offers some practical tips to help us improve the integration of our career, our family, our community and ourselves.
  • [14:33] - Stew outlines how peer coaching in workplaces can be used to help people become more confident and motivated to experiment with integration across their career, family, community, and self.
  • [19:31] - Stew explains how we can lead better in our families and the impact this has on our work.
  • [25:31] - Stew offers tips for asking workplace leaders for the support we need to create the win-win outcomes we need to better integrate our careers, our families, our community and ourselves.
  • [28:15] - Stew 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 Stew!

Feb 27, 2020

Peter Block is an author and citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the author of nine books including Community: The Structure of Belonging, The Abundant Community with John McKnight and coauthor of An Other Kingdom. His work is in the restoration of the common good and creating a world that reclaims our humanity from the onslaught of modernism.

In this week’s episode, Peter Block explains why listening and connecting are the core leadership strategies needed in workplaces today, how to work with cynics, and what the key questions and conversations have been in his work as an organizational turned community development practitioner-scholar.

Connect with Peter Block: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:32] - Peter explains why listening is a core capacity needed in workplaces today and why being a role model or visionary leader is not necessary.
  • [06:58] - Peter explains what conversations are necessary in shifting organizational narratives.
  • [08:58] - Peter shares how he assesses whether an organization is ready to have a new more positive change conversation.
  • [11:30] - Peter explains what helps him understand concepts like emergence and complex adaptive systems.
  • [12:31] - Peter explains why it’s important to live with uncertainty and side with the cynics.
  • [15:01] - Peter shares why creating wellbeing and change is all about connection.
  • [15:37] - Peter 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 Peter!

Feb 20, 2020

Dr. Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University. As a pioneer in the field of science help, her mission is to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal wellbeing and strengthen communities.
Kelly is the author of several books, including the international bestseller, The Willpower Instinct, and The Upside of Stress and her newest book is The Joy of Movement.

In this week’s episode, we explore the latest research on why movement – not just exercise – is so important for our wellbeing and the simple, joyful ways we can get moving more.

Connect with Kelly McGonigal: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:17] - Kelly shares the latest research findings on why movement is so important for our wellbeing.
  • [05:23] - Kelly explains why we don’t have to exercise in order to enjoy the wellbeing benefits that come from moving.
  • [11:30] - Kelly shares some of the latest research on how high-intensity movement – like running – helps to fuel endocannabinoids which improve our ability for social connection.
  • [15:49] - Kelly explains how long-term regular exercise helps to build hope molecules that help us recover from trauma or depression and improves our levels of resilience.
  • [15:49] - Kelly helps us understand how calm synchronized movements, even when we’re sitting down, can increase our pain tolerance and improve our sense of connection.
  • [15:49] - Kelly offers some tips for how workplaces can help their workers to move more.
  • [22:48] - Kelly 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 Kelly!

Feb 13, 2020

Dr. Michelle McQuaid is known for her research, books, and tools, which help people create positive changes and thrive more consistently in their workplaces.  Michelle holds a Master in Positive Psychology, and a Ph.D. on how Appreciative Inquiry Summits create positive disruptions that enable systems to flourish, and is a co-founder of The Change Lab.

In this week’s episode, we explore how leaders and workplaces can tackle complex challenges and create positive changes through the use of language, conversations, and self-organization.

Connect with Dr. Michelle McQuaid: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [02:17] - Michelle shares her thoughts on the ability for the latest research in human flourishing to help create positive changes given all the challenges our world faces at the moment.
  • [05:23] - Michelle shares some tips for workplaces to create more positive changes.
  • [11:30] - Michelle outlines the simple actions leaders can take to make change a more positive experience.
  • [15:49] - Michelle shares a simple learning loop exercise to help anyone create change in their workplace – regardless of their job title.
  • [22:48] - 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 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 Michelle!

Feb 6, 2020

Today we're talking to Tom Rath, an author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and wellbeing. During his 13 years at Gallup, Tom was the programme leader for the development of Clifton StrengthsFinder, which has helped over 20 million people to uncover their talents, and went on to lead the organization's employee engagement, wellbeing, and leadership practices worldwide. For the past 5 years Tom has served as a Gallup senior scientists, and is also an advisor, investor, and partner in several startups. His ten books, including StrengthsFinder 2.0, Wellbeing, and Eat Move Sleep have sold more than 10 million copies. His newest book, Life's Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World, has just been released.

On today's episode, we're discussing how to ensure our work isn’t doing more harm than good when it comes to our wellbeing, and the simple steps we can take to align our contributions to the things that are meaningful and energizing for people.

Connect with Tom Rath: 

You’ll Learn:

  • [03:33] - Tom shares the research that suggests that work is killing people when it should be making us healthier.
  • [05:55] - Tom explains what we can learn from Tinder when it comes to matching the right people to the right work in an effort to improve our wellbeing.
  • [07:55] - Tom offers some tips for what we can do as individuals to ensure our work is energizing and meaningful.
  • [12:14] - Tom explains the difference between our passions and our contributions at work and how these impact our wellbeing.
  • [14:28] - Tom helps us understand how to align our strengths to our contributions at work
  • [16:18] - Tom shares his new tool for helping people to identify their contributions at work.
  • [19:06] - Tom outlines the three contributions every team needs from its people to be successful.
  • [21:21] - Tom explains how people’s contributions can evolve over time and why personality is not as fixed as researchers have previously thought.
  • [25:18] - Tom cautions us on avoiding overplaying our contributions at work and burning ourselves out.
  • [27:45] - Tom explains how we can amplify our contributions by managing our time more effectively.
  • [29:44] - Tom explains how leaders can recruit people around the contributions people most want to make.
  • [31:56] - Tom 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 Tom!

Jan 30, 2020

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a professor of Psychology at the University of California - Riverside. Her research on the science of happiness has been the recipient of many honors.  She is a best-selling author of the books The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want and The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy, but Does.

In this conversation, you will hear Sonja share her thoughts and findings on happiness.  Sonja shares some of her findings that prove that positive activity interactions work.  Sonja also talks about some of the myths of happiness, which is the topic of her latest book.  She talks about the identification process to determine which interactions may work for individuals.  She also talks about happiness in group dynamics, specifically the workplace.  Sonja must present these interventions in various ways, depending on the environment and situation and she explains how she does that.  

Connect with Sonja Lyubomirsky:

Website: http://sonjalyubomirsky.com/

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:57] - Sonja shares what she hopes attendees gain from her presentations on happiness. Sonja says that it is possible to become happier.
  • [03:06] - Happiness is a broad term and Sonja describes how she defines the term.  
  • [04:07] - Sonja’s talks about the short-term and long-term improvements people can make with happiness.  She explains that short-term happiness is easier to achieve than long-term happiness.
  • [05:10] - Sonja describes the benefits of people being happy in the workplace.  She also explains why it’s not a good thing to be “too happy” in the workplace.
  • [06:46] - Sonja lists a few interventions that people can use in the workplace to become happier at work.
  • [08:38]- Sonja shares some of her findings that prove that positive activity interventions work.  She talks about gratitude and the role that factors like culture and dosage play a role.
  • [10:37] - In her book, The How of Happiness, Sonja provides a survey to help determine which interventions might work for individuals.  She talks about this identification process.
  • [13:04] - Sonja shares some of the myths of happiness.
  • [15:32] - Sonja talks about the idea of happiness and well-being in social environments and with each other in various relationships.
  • [16:50] - Happiness shouldn’t be forced on anyone. Sonja talks about situations where happiness interventions aren’t the right strategy.
  • [19:11] - Sonja explains how she presents these interventions in different types of workplaces.
  • [20:00] - The Lightning Round with Sonja Lyubomirsky

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.  

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 Sonja for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Jan 23, 2020

Russ Harris is the author of the international best-selling self help book, The Happiness Trap.  He is a therapist and coach, as well as a world renowned trainer of acceptance and commitment therapy, otherwise known as ACT.  He has provided ACT training to over 20,000 people all around the world.

In this conversation, you will hear Russ talk about the ACT approach. He explains how individuals and organizations can use the ACT approach to work through negativity and be comfortable with accepting rather than solving.

Connect with Russ Harris:

Website: ActMindfully.com.au

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:28] - Russ talks about finding healthy ways to accept things that seem completely unacceptable.  
  • [04:07] - Russ shares how those of us that are used to a CBT approach to our challenges can get comfortable with accepting rather than solving.  
  • [07:55] - Self-compassion is an important skill to normalize being able to get comfortably uncomfortable.  Russ explains how the ACT approach works through negativity.  
  • [09:54] - Russ talks about the ideas of expansion, anchoring, pursuing the value of kindness, and connectedness with others.
  • [12:22] - Russ describes how to introduce these ideas into workplaces.  He describes his experiences with different types of work environments.
  • [17:24] - When asked about work situations where ACT approach may not be a good fit, Russ shares the range of situations where these strategies have been implemented.
  • [19:50] - The Lightning Round with Russ Harris

Your Resources:

The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT - Russ Harris and Steven Hayes

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration - Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

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 Russ for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Jan 17, 2020

Robert Biswas-Diener, is a leading researcher on culture, wellbeing, positive psychology coaching and author of several wonderful books including the The Upside of Your Dark Side

With recent political changes in the United States and the UK leaving many feeling fearful and apprehensive about the future, Robert shares his insights on how to become comfortable with these uncomfortable feelings.  He suggests rather than trying to whitewash them, by accepting them, and seeing them as signals that something isn’t right, you can then decide on a constructive response to what’s unfolding.  You can also apply this in workplaces when looming mergers or restructures stir up similar feelings of uncertainty and fear.

Connect with Robert Biswas-Diener

Robert’s Website - RobertDiener.com
PositiveAcorn.com
IntentionalHappiness.com

You’ll Learn:

  • [01:37] - Robert talks about how emotions are like signals giving us a mental thumbs-up or thumbs-down about the quality of our life.  
  • [05:35] - If you are fearful, it’s telling you that something you care about may be under threat, and you may need to protect it.   
  • [07:54] - Robert explains when you can be comfortably uncomfortable with your negative emotions, instead of feeling overwhelmed, you can act constructively.
  • [11:05] - Robert explains one important step in tolerating these emotions, is to specifically label the emotion to help understand what message it may be telling you.
  • [13:54] – When people are experiencing incredible change in workplaces and feeling very negative, Robert talks about how leaders can build capacity in their employees.
  • [16:20] - Robert says sometimes leaders need to challenge apprehension and other times it’s ok to validate concerns.
  • [17:49] - Robert believes happiness and wellbeing doesn’t have to be a mandate at work.  
  • [20:30] –To be a whole person you need to experience and draw on the full range of positive and negative emotions.
  • [21:35] - Robert explains why “you never want cheerful optimists in the control tower, directing flight traffic.”
  • [22:18] - The Lightning Round with Robert Biswas-Diener

Your Resources:

The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your “Good” Self--Drives Success and Fulfillment - Robert Biswas-Diener & Todd Kashdan
View all of Robert Biswas-Diener’s books on Amazon
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success - Adam Grant
Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection - Deborah Blum

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 Robert for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

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