Positive Psychology Will Transform Your Workplace. Here's How It Works.

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Throughout the 20th century, the psychology field mostly revolved around diagnosing and treating mental and behavioral problems, which is what I call the “disease,” or “deficit,” model. Fortunately, humanistic psychology soon emerged as a counterbalance, focusing on the whole person and how they can achieve their full potential. While this approach taught us a lot about self-actualization, personal growth, self-esteem, motivation, meaning, and our hierarchy of needs, it was short-lived. Soon, the field was dominated by traditional psychology again — that is, until the early ‘90s when American psychologist Martin Seligman introduced positive psychology.

In a nutshell, positive psychology seeks to understand optimal human functioning by studying what’s good and right about people and the factors impacting their ability to flourish. It’s helpful to think of it as humanistic psychology’s little brother. Although they’re related, positive psychology places greater emphasis on evidence-based research. In fact, its early focus was solely on collecting research. Today, it revolves around finding meaningful ways to use these evidence-based findings to make positive and practical changes — in both the world and the workplace. Here’s how to incorporate into yours.

Begin with the Individual

I always get kick out of asking people: “What are your strengths?” They usually either resemble a deer in headlights and rack their brain for an answer… or they place both hands on their hips, flip their hair, or roll their eyes, before saying “I don’t know.” Our culture often prioritizes modesty to a fault, but understanding your strengths at work is a huge part of employee development. It offers insight into what energizes you, helps you determine which types of positions are the right fit, and reveals the best ways for you to get your work done. Sadly, research shows only 17% of people use their strengths at work every day. Because when you tap into your strengths, your motivation, performance, and ability to hit your goals soar.

So, how can your employees uncover their own unique strengths? Start with an assessment! The positive-psychology favorite is a free, foundational strength assessment called VIA Character Strengths (or Value in Action), which rates individuals on 24 universal character strengths, such as their love of learning, curiosity, forgiveness, justice, creativity, honesty, gratitude, etc. Most of all, it helps you identify what you value and what energizes you in both life and at work. Other strength assessments can will help you understand your talents and abilities more specifically in the workplace, like the Strengths Finder or the Strengths Profile , which reveal your greatest workplace competencies. Regardless of which one your staff takes, the research is clear: When people truly discover their strengths, they perform their best at work, which results in better outcomes.

Create Positive Teams That Work Together

What’s the foundation of a positive team? A positive culture, which is built on positive emotions! Positive psychology evidence reveals that when employees have a 3-to-1 positive-to-negative ratio of experiences at work, they’re more productive, effective, and collaborative. This leads to higher levels of kindness, gratitude, fairness, celebration, hope, optimism, etc. When people feel their best, they’re also more creative, logical, and focused on their tasks at hand. Additionally, they’re more likely to accomplish their group’s goals. Because good teams run on positive interactions and relationships. They challenge and bring out the best in each member. When teams feel more comfortable being honest about the way current projects are going, they can identify and address issues earlier and more effectively. Ultimately, teams whose members feel supported and respected are the ones who thrive.

Focus on What’s Working Well

Every organization is a complex organism with its own strengths, challenges, beliefs, values, structures, and systems in place to achieve its mission. While I don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach for organizational behavior change and development, some evidence-based ideas, methods, and concepts from positive psychology are universal, such as appreciative inquiry . This collaborative, strengths-based approach helps employees adapt to change using positivity, imagination, shared goals, connections, trust, and understanding. It encourages team members to focus on the positive aspects of change — and the organization to double down on the things that are already going well. It’s simple: If your organization is great at giving back to the community, do more of it. If you’re best known for developing great leaders, develop more great leaders. If your customer service is superior to your competitors’, devote even more energy to customer service. The bottom line is this: Identifying what’s working well will inevitably foster a more positive organization.

My Top Five Favorite Books on Positive Psychology

Ready to apply these concepts in your own workplace? These books can help!

1. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Wellbeing by Martin E. P. Seligman

2. Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance by Kim S. Cameron

3. Positive Psychology at the Movies by Ryan Niemiec and Danny Wedding

4. The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life by Shawn Anchor

5. The Power of Positive Coaching by Lee and Julie Colan