Three Central Concerns of Positive Psychology

1. Positive emotions(happiness, pleasure, gratification, fulfillment)
2. Positive individual traits (strengths of character, talents, interests, values), and
3. Positive institutions(families, schools, businesses, communities, societies).

Connecting the three dots and we get the underlying theory: positive institutions facilitate the development and display of positive traits, which in turn facilitate positive subjective experiences.

What is positive psychology?

Is there a negative psychology? These are the two most common questions I receive when introducing positive psychology to business clients.

Positive psychology is a term coined Dr. Martin Seligman, Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Seligman is the founder of Positive Psychology, a new branch of psychology that focuses on the empirical study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. In other words, it emphasizes what is right with people rather than what is wrong with them, which has been the focus of psychology in the past. This field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

Why should CEOs care about happiness and well-being?

The increasingly educated talent pool now expects more than a job that pays well. Employees now seek happiness, purpose and meaning through their employment. If their employer cannot help them fulfill these needs, they will find a new employer or create a mode of employment that makes this happen. It is not my intent to cast a gloom and doom outlook for big corporations that are working hard to retain their talent pool. However it is so common an occurrence that employers can no longer ignore.

You would have noticed by now that I use the terms ‘happiness’ and ‘well-being’ interchangeably. This is intentional because happiness, in the field of positive psychology, refers not only to hedonistic pleasures, but also to meaning, purpose and life satisfaction.

To some people, happiness is a luxury that only the affluent can afford. Others frown upon the notion of happiness because of its association with being selfish, simple or stupid. Happiness, as it turns out, not only feels good, but is often good for you and for society. It is associated with a wide variety of tangible benefits, ranging from improved health, to better marriages, to increased chances of attaining personal goals and succeeding at work. Research shows that happy people live longer, succumb to fewer illnesses, stay married longer commit fewer crimes, produce more creative ideas, work harder and better on the job, make more money, and help others more. Although happiness is most commonly thought of as a destination, a state we work toward, it is also a resource or emotional capital we can use in the pursuit of other attractive outcomes. It is in this context that I believe we as business leaders, should pay attention to the happiness and well-being of our employees and all other stakeholders of our business.