Westhill Consulting and Employment Review: Positive Psychology in the Workplace

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Positive Psychology is essential in maintaining employees in your company. Business leaders can take seemingly small steps to improve the psyche of their employees—changing the overall working environment. As I was working in Jakarta, Indonesia, I realized how psychology works in the workplace.

Intimidation is Not the Answer

In any business setting, employees are the most important asset. The current economic situation and tightening job markets have increased stress in the workplace. While some employers are using this to their short term advantage—often by using intimidation or uncertainty to spurn productivity—the bulk of recent scholarship warns against this.

According to many reports and reviews, employees who feel satisfied, valued, and happy at work typically do far better than those who feel disgruntled or overlooked and have many complaints. These findings have led many corporate officers to implement “positive psychology” techniques in their workplaces. Some of these techniques require professional expertise to carry out, but the majority can be done by anyone, in any type of office setting.

Take genuine interest in others

Managers with greater positivity infect their work groups. Simply responding to people in an interested, enthusiastic, enquiring and genuine way as opposed to being disinterested, dismissive, laconic or negative results in people liking you more. This does not come naturally to many of us especially when you are a boss and many things in your plate, and we may not even be aware we are behaving this way. Plan and practice until being active and constructive in your interactions becomes a habit.

Find and use your strengths

People who have the opportunity to do what they do best every day, to act on their strengths, are far more likely to be resilient and energized. Take some time to be really clear on your own strengths and then make sure you have ways to use them in your job. The boost in positivity that comes from finding new ways to apply your strengths is significant and lasting.

Create a climate of gratitude

It’s easy to fall into a routine in which pay raises and promotions are the only ways to recognize employees’ hard work. Small gestures, such as a random thank-you card from a supervisor, a laudatory email or face-to-face “Good job!” are some ways to show employees that their work, and presence, is valued. Try starting meetings by expressing gratitude to several employees for work well done or commending the positive impact their presence has on the office.