Making Positive Psychology Work

Have you ever been in a meeting where someone shares a "big announcement" and you can practically hear everyone's minds turning off? Compare that to times when you're figuring out a problem together with people you trust - same amount of work, totally different feeling. What makes some complex changes feel safe enough to lean into while others feel dead on arrival? This episode explores how to turn grudging compliance into willing commitment during change. We share the E in our HEART framework with practical tools for meaningful conversations that support self-organization. 01.09 Michelle shares how we can engage people more purposefully around change - even when the change is not something they want. 05.00 Michelle explains why compliance rarely lasts more than three months, and how we can win people's ongoing commitment to change 08:50 Michelle outlines the three basic human needs we all share when it comes to engaging purposefully in change. 13:30 Michelle provides two organizational tools to help workplaces be values-led around their changes. 17.53 Michelle shares how leaders can ask extraordinary questions and practice extraordinary listening to support their teams through change. 23.47 Michelle explains how each of us can use five simple change-crafting questions to make any change more personally meaningful. 29.54 Michelle shares an example of how two organizations that were merging engaged people purposefully to co-create a new set of values. 36.39 Michelle dives into why leaders often struggle to engage their people purposefully around change. 40.51 Michelle offers two post-it notes takeaways for this HEART of Change factor.

Why do some people thrive during change while others get completely overwhelmed? It comes down to whether their nervous system feels "safe enough" to stay curious and collaborative. This episode explores how your emotions impact your brain's internal navigation system and energy for change. We share the H in our HEART framework with concrete tools for reading these signals at individual, team, and organizational levels, transforming emotional chaos into psychological safety. 3:00 Chelle explains why Honoring Feelings is the best neurological place to start when navigating change. 8.13 Chelle shares what has surprised her when working with team and leaders about honoring feelings during times of uncertainty. 11.42 Chelle provides practical examples of how we can honor feellings at the 'Me' (indidvidual) level during change. 15.37 Chelle offers evidence-based tools to help leaders and teams honor feelings at the 'We' level when navigating change together. 21.25 Chelle suggests ways organizations can make it easier to honor feelings at the 'Us' level to make it safer for people to be honest about change approaches. 24.10 Chelle shares a case study of how a large public service organization has been practically using these tools to navigate change. 30.53 Chelle provides a caution for where most workplaces struggle when it comes to honoring feelings during change. 34.37 Chelle offers a post-it note takeaway for honoring feelings.

Ever wonder why change feels so much harder than it did in the past? We're in an unprecedented supercycle where disruptions collide and create ongoing "Oh FUD!" responses - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt that are flooding our nervous systems. Based on our work with organizations around the world, we share why traditional approaches miss what matters most and introduce our HEART framework for supporting teams through the emotional reality of transformation, even when uncertainty is the only constant. 1:49 Michelle discusses the concept of a "poly crisis" and why we are in a supercycle of change for the foreseeable future. 5:43 Michelle explains the "Oh FUD!" feeling many of us are having about change. 16:28 Michelle explores why assessing the dimensions of safety and predictability for change can improve our confidence. 20:02 Michelle introduces the HEART of Change Framework to help us navigate people's emotional and social experiences of change. 37:18 Michelle explains "H" - Honoring Feelings. 39:50 Michelle shares "E" - Engaging Purposefully 45:30 Michele introduces the "A" - Appreciate Strengths 47:02 Michelle outlines "R" - Reach Out 50:01 Michelle explains "T" - Take Tiny Steps

In this week's episode - join us for a chat and a laugh as we reminisce about the highs (and lows!) of 250 episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work.  Thanks for listening! MPPW Podcast on Facebook 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. Thank you!

Dr. Peggy Kern, an associate professor and researcher in well-being science, reflects on the evolution of positive psychology and its practical implications for workplaces, schools, and communities. They discuss the importance of recognizing the evolving nature of science and the need for integration. They also explore the significance of assuming responsibility for well-being at work and the benefits of self-care. The podcast wraps up with gratitude, acknowledgements, and a message for continued growth.

Halla Tómasdóttir is the CEO of the B Team, a group of courageous business and civil society leaders working together to transform business for a better world. Halla started her leadership career in corporate America, working for Mars and Pepsi-Cola. She was on the founding team at Reykjavik University, where she established the executive education department, founded and led a successful women's entrepreneurship and empowerment initiative, and was an assistant professor at the business school. She was the first female CEO of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce and later went on to co-found an investment firm with a vision to incorporate feminine values into finance. The company successfully survived the infamous economic meltdown in Iceland, and in 2016, Halla was an independent candidate for the president of Iceland, where she entered a crowded field of candidates and finished as the runner-up with nearly 30% of the vote. In this week's episode, we explore why we need to throw out the old leadership playbooks and unleash the authentic and principled leaders that can be found within each of us. Connect with Halla Tómasdóttir: https://bteam.org/ You’ll Learn: [03:04] - Halla shares why she is on a quest to empower and inspire authentic, gender-balanced, and principal leadership. [08:39] - Halla explains why so many leaders remain stuck in a crisis of conformity despite the scientific and business evidence that supports authentic, gender-balanced, and principled leadership. [12:38] - Halla offers some practical tips to help us unlock the leader inside ourselves, regardless of our job title. [19:29] - Halla explains why we need to broaden our definition of success in order to create thriving organizations. [26:28] - Halla shares her hopes for what might be possible after the global pandemic if leaders were ten times bolder in how they led and the impact this could have on workplace wellbeing. [32:44] - Halla shares how Reset Dialogues can help our workplaces and communities be braver, bolder, and more integrated as we create a healthier and more successful future. [38:21] - Halla begins the lightning round! Thanks for listening! MPPW Podcast on Facebook Think Again by Adam Grant Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, pleaseshareit 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, Halla!

Greg Walton, who's an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University. Much of Greg's research investigates psychological processes that contribute to major social problems and how wise interventions that target these processes can address such problems and help people flourish even over long periods of time. Dr. Walton's research has been recognized with awards from numerous organizations, including the American Psychological Society's Rising Star of the Year Award. And has been published in leading journals and covered in major media outlets all over the world. He's the co-editor of the Handbook of Wise Interventions: How Social Psychology Can Help People Change, and we are so honored to have him here with us today. In this episode, we explore how wise interventions - simple shifts to the way we make meaning of what's happening in the world around us - can have a big impact at work. Connect with Greg Walton: https://www.wiseinterventions.org/ You’ll Learn: [03:05] - Greg explains what makes an intervention wise. [06:30] - Greg shares how wise interventions can improve our sense of belonging at work. [11:37] - Greg explains how wise interventions can leverage our need for accuracy. [13:32] - Greg shares our wise interventions can leverage our need for integrity. [18:00] - Greg explains when wise interventions are most likely to succeed. [25:39] - Greg begins the lightning round! Thanks for listening! MPPW Podcast on Facebook Biased by Jennifer L. Eberhardt PhD 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, Greg!

Luke Burgis, entrepreneur in residence and director of programs at the Ciocca Centre for Principled Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of America, discusses the power of mimetic desire in shaping our wellbeing. He explains how desire is influenced by social cues and role models, and offers tips for maintaining healthy relationships. Luke also delves into the positive and destructive cycles desire can create, emphasizing the importance of understanding and shaping our desires for the good of ourselves and others.

Kim Cameron, a renowned professor of management and organizations, discusses positively energizing leadership. He explains how positive energy translates into leadership, recognizes positive energy at work, and shares examples of its impact. The importance of genuine motives, support, and contribution in making a positive impact is also highlighted.

John Hagel, recently retired partner from Deloitte and founder of Deloitte Centre for the Edge, discusses how positive emotions can help us move beyond fear. Topics include the importance of psychology in strategy, the power of alignment with narratives, the benefits of productive friction in teams, and the fusion of passion and purpose with a learning mindset.