This is the first in a series about the application of positive psychology in and to the workplace so that it becomes not only a more enjoyable experience but also a more profitable one.
In order to do so we need to take down and re-look at what we mean by traditional terms such as ‘work’, ‘profitable’, ‘management’, ’employees’, and a host of others. Over the next few weeks I shall be writing bite size chunks on how to revolutionise your business for everyone involved.
This first post is a general introduction to the concept of looking at your business through a different lens, from a different angle and creating a different perspective. Business management practice is stuffed full of jargon and habit which is unconsciously reinforced by repetition. Management is taught as a hierarchical systems based financially orientated rigid structure.
What Positive Psychology Focuses on in a Nutshell
Positive psychology focuses on the positive events and influences in life, including:
- Positive experiences (like happiness, joy, inspiration, and love).
- Positive states and traits (like gratitude, resilience, and compassion).
- Positive institutions (applying positive principles within entire organizations and institutions).
These topics are studied in order to learn how to help people flourish and live their best lives and a life that exists as a whole life.
BUSINESS ORGANISATION
The irony is that the organisation is based around people and people are not designed as rigid organisms. People, you and me, perform best in an environment which is fluid that stimulates and liberates. The result is that business hierarchy becomes a threatening and threatened environment: senior managers exert control policies to achieve business objectives that are usually financially driven; in turn they feel threatened by talent beneath them.
Businesses are additionally like families: they become mirror images in terms of management style of the personalities of the Board and senior management teams. So for example if a department manager has a bullying style this can manifest as management by fear as opposed to liberation by love; those who the manager does not perceive as a threat in personality and/or talent will be promoted. Those who perhaps are adept and could benefit the business are not promoted and ultimately leave.
PSYCHOLOGY IN BUSINESS: FAST TRACKING BETTER PERFOMANCE
The history of business management styles demonstrates that they tend to be directional rather than collaborative. What happens when psychological principles are applied to business management? These principles are based on those of relationship, mind to mind, within which each is interested in mutual benefit for themselves and another equally.
Imagine what might happen to business performance if individuals were liberated to perform to the maximum of their individual uniqueness by managers who saw everyone as an opportunity rather than a threat.
This series of Blogs takes this subject and expands it further and will cover individual mental well-being, liberated management, team management, liberating leadership, mentoring and other core elements of Positive Psychology at Work.
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