Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast

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:  The Change Lab 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

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:  https://www.lead2flourish.com/ 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’

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 insigh

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:  www.kindnesscompany.com.au 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’

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:  http://www.mindfulnesscoach.biz/ 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

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:  http://www.theorangestoolkit.com.au/ [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

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:  https://coreleader.com/ 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 mo

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:  Jamie Pennebaker's Profile 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 writ

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] - Jame

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 An

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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