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What is Mindset?

November 17, 2018 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

Mindset. It’s everywhere whether you know it or not. Growth mindset is one of the key differentiators between people who achieve their goals and those who don’t. Recognising a Growth mindset (and using it) dramatically impacts upon your performance whatever you do in life. Achieving your goals with a growth mindset is a lifelong habit worth investing your time in. But what is mindset? and how can you build your mindset muscle? We give take a look at mindset meaning and bring you the skinny on growth mindset Vs fixed mindset. Let the battle begin as we ask, what is mindset?

[Read more…]

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10 Hacks to Create a Growth Mindset in the Workplace

September 8, 2018 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

What does a growth mindset workplace look like? How would you recognise a growth mindset company? And how can you develop a growth mindset in the workplace? We take a look. read on for PCG’s 10 hacks to create a growth mindset in the workplace.

[Read more…]

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How To Stop Negative Thinking

June 23, 2018 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

When one thing goes wrong sometimes it can snowball and infect the rest of your day. Negative thinking can easily multiply and once you’re on a roll it can be a hard habit to break. We take a look at why negative thoughts come to mind (clue: it’s known as weapon focus), what negative thoughts are and how to stop negative thinking from in its tracks. That’s right, we’re going to show you how to kick those pesky thoughts into the long grass for good.

[Read more…]

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Are You A Growth Mindset Company?

May 26, 2018 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

Are you a growth mindset company? Why does it matter? There are a plethora of business trailblazers including Microsoft, Spotify, Quest and Google actively developing a growth mindset culture within their organisations and with good reason. We’re working with some of them to embed growth mindset but what makes them want to develop growth mindset employees? And what makes a growth mindset such an important component of a successful business? We take a look at the answer to these questions and more. Join us to find out if you are a growth mindset company.

[Read more…]

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3 Steps to Introduce Positive Psychology at Work

January 20, 2018 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

If you’re new to positive psychology or thinking about how you can implement it on a practical level in your workplace, you’ve come to the right place. Unlike traditional psychology it doesn’t focus on dysfunction, what’s broken or what’s not working. Nope. By looking at what works it aims to create more of it. Positive psychology is a new, science backed paradigm that will enable your team to flourish, optimise performance and even, wait for it, feel happier at work. We show you how.

[Read more…]

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How Positive Psychology Can Transform Your Leadership

January 12, 2018 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

Positive psychology has turned traditional leadership metrics upside down. This new science of success examines strengths rather than weakness, celebrates failure as the path to mastery and encourages a culture of learning rather than competition. We dive into three tried and tested, evidence based kick ass positive psychology practices that will positively impact upon your leadership.

[Read more…]

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Need a January Pick me Up?

January 10, 2018 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

Need a January Pick Me Up? A winter boost? It’s that time of year again. The days are short and the nights are long and you wonder if you’ll ever see the sun again. Fear not. We have a whole host of free stuff to build your resilience, improve your wellbeing and make you feel warm inside as you toast yourself by the fire. Go on. Treat yourself. It’s time to grab a mug of hot stuff, take time out and give yourself lashings of self care. We’ve got your back this winter gorgeous!

Need a January Pick Me Up 1:

Check out our fab podcast. We’ll take you through a whole host of topics ranging from positive psychology, resilience, mindfulness, self care and tons more.

Need a January Pick Me Up 2:

Dive into our extensive library of blogs. We’ve got hundreds of blogs, just for you. They’re right there at your fingertips – go on treat yourself.

Need a January Pick Me Up 3:

Sprinkle on our huge range of free resources. You can try everything from psychometrics to emotional intelligence tests. Whether it’s for your own personal development, to use with loved ones (and yes, we include your furry friends in that) or to use at work with your team, there’s something for everybody. Feel free to share ’em.

https://positivechangeguru.com/wp-content/uploads/Coffee-AD.mp4

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Screaming On The Inside? The Impact Of Emotional Labour

May 3, 2017 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

However much you love what you do, if your job involves working with people, you’ll understand the concept of emotional labour. Perhaps you’re a figurehead and it’s important to build rapport and maintain your cool even in difficult circumstances that would send the rest of us running? Maybe your role involves managing other people’s emotions and it’s not always pretty? Or if you’re the first point of contact for a business, it’s possible you’ll be on the receiving end of frustration, disappointment and rancour.

Are you able to answer ‘Yes’ to the following questions;

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Emotional Labour, Uncategorized Tagged With: artificial intelligence and learning and development, Emotional Intelligence, HR, learning and development, microsoft online safety team, mindfulness, positive psychology at work courses London, positive psychology at work training, resilience, resilience training, resilience training London, stress, stress management training, stress management training London, stress reduction, tech, technology, workplace stress

Modelling Wellbeing

January 4, 2017 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

Sometimes making changes can seem overwhelming, wondering where to start can be a major sticking point. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. PERMA Model to the rescue.

The PERMA model sets out 5 core components necessary for wellbeing and happiness. Seligmann offers the model as a way to obtain fulfilment, meaning and happiness throughout every sphere of life from the personal to the workplace. Whether you are planning a major lifestyle overhaul or you want to tweak things to find greater balance in your life, this model is a great place to start from. Let’s take a look at the five elements of PERMA.

P = Positive Emotion
Positive emotions go way beyond feeling happy. They include love, gratitude, compassion, contentment, zest, joy, hope and amusement. Perhaps you read that list and told yourself that these emotions are dependent upon personal circumstances? That emotions are a wild untameable beast that you can’t control at will? Rest easy we’re not going to send you off on mission impossible. Research from one of the world’s leading experts in positive emotions, Professor Barbara Fredrickson suggests that they can be built. Her theory, known as ‘Broaden and Build’ demonstrates how positive emotions can help us flourish in personal relationships, in the workplace as leaders or employees and even impact positively upon our longevity. Convinced? Good. Here are some practices that will help you build those life enhancing emotions.

Building Positive Emotions:

  • Random acts of kindness: sending a thank you card, picking up litter, buying the person behind you in the queue a coffee, you get the idea.
  • Keep a gratitude journal: write down 5 things each day that you are grateful for
  • Make sure you carve out time for people who are important to you
  • Build a resilience circle, friends who energise and renew you when you are with them. Leave the emotional vampires at home for this one.

E = Engagement

Seligmann describes engagement as “being one with the music, time stopping, and the loss of self- consciousness during an absorbing activity”. You might know this state as ‘Flow’ that state of consciousness where you are completely in the moment, absorbed and truly focused upon the task at hand. It’s the elusive ‘zone’. Time passes imperceptibly leaving hours feeling like minutes. When you are in flow you are also experiencing a stretch in your skills, focusing on something that provides you with a challenge. Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of ‘Flow’ is the leading authority on this topic. He describes how the intense concentration of flow is energising, satisfying and contributes to overall wellbeing. Csikszentmihalyi proposes that it is possible to increase our level of happiness by introducing more flow. But how?

Developing Engagement

  • Practice mindfulness techniques to limit distractions and increase your focus on the present moment (one of the conditions necessary for flow)
  • Savour being in the moment, noticing how you are feeling, what you are thinking along with any associated bodily sensations
  • Identify your strengths. Seligmann and Peterson’s VIA Character Strengths Assessment (go to www.authentic-happiness.com to access the questionnaire) is a great, free way to identify your strengths. Seligmann and Csikszentmihalyi agree that using your strengths will increase your happiness, facilitate flow and increase your positive emotions to boot (and who doesn’t love two for the price of one?).

R = Relationships

The third element is relationships. “We are inherently social creatures and positive relationships have a significant impact on our wellbeing.” (Seligman, 2012). This applies to all of your relationships; friends, loved ones, family, colleagues, partner and everyone else who you might come into contact with either in your community or professional networks. Relationships expert, Shelly Gable, describes how sharing positive news with others enhances our relationships. Gable also studied couples and found those who communicated and responded enthusiastically to each other (active-constructive responding as Gable termed it) experienced greater wellbeing. Building and maintaining your social network may also protect you against cognitive decline.

How can you build your social network?

  • Go places and do new activities
  • Take an interest in people
  • Develop your listening skills
  • Join a class or take up a hobby
  • Re-establish relationships with people that you have lost touch with
  • Create time to see friends and maintain your current relationships. Manage your energy levels (and your diary) to make this happen.
  • Be positive, people enjoy being around others who energise them
  • Develop your emotional intelligence

M = Meaning

Seligmann describes meaning as something greater than ourselves. Meaning has many guises, it’s your purpose for being on the planet. Perhaps it’s a cause you feel strongly about, it could be your work or pursuing an activity that you feel you were placed upon the earth to do. Finding meaning is often linked to values that you hold dear, something important to you. Research in this area indicates that people with a purpose live longer, are more likely to experience personal growth after trauma and enjoy increased wellbeing. Purpose isn’t filling that black hole with things or constant busy-ness, it’s rooted in a much deeper level. Here’s how to take your first steps in the quest for meaning.

Wondering how to build meaning into your life?

  • Viktor Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ as a good place to start. Viktor Frankls work on meaning was used in logotherapy and has even been applied to workplace settings.
  • Consider supporting an organisation that you care about
  • Spend time reflecting upon your values. Can you identify a top 10? Your values will act as your GPS when it comes to life, purpose and goal setting so it’s worth setting aside some detective time and a quiet space to consider this
  • Develop your authenticity. Feel the fear of rejection and be yourself. There’s only one you so you can be the best version of yourself.
  • Do something for someone else on a regular basis. We know that meaning is a lifelong pursuit so devote time to it, the evidence suggests every now and again is of little benefit. Be consistent.

A = Accomplishment

The final element is accomplishment or ‘I did it, and I did it well’ as Seligman puts it. Accomplishment requires goals setting, competency and mastery of those goals. Angela Duckworth defines the ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals’ as ‘Grit’. Grit is the ability to continue when achieving your goals feels like an uphill struggle. It is perseverance combined with the commitment to overcome adversity. Think of it as failing your way to success and you’re there with the concept of grit. So why are goals important?

We know that achieving goals, especially those linked to your values increases wellbeing over a period of time. Goals motivate us and help us to develop a growth mindset, a belief that we can try new things and succeed (even if it takes a while).

Developing Accomplishment

  • The obvious starting point is setting goals. You’re more likely to achieve them if they’re SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound)
  • Set yourself small goals to begin wth and build up to larger goals. Think of them as goal reps just like you would with weights at the gym. Start small and work up to the chunky, audacious goals. You’re building your accomplishment muscle!
  • Celebrate and savour your achievements
  • Remember the power of ‘not yet’. If you don’t succeed, learn from it, you’re just not there ‘yet’.
  • If goals really aren’t your thing, consider making changes to your current habits, small incremental steps will pay dividends. For example, if you want to increase your physical fitness and catch the bus to work everyday, consider getting off a stop early to increase your steps. Tiny tweaks will make a big difference and you’ll still be building accomplishment at the same time
  • If or when things get a little tricky with your goals and you’re feeling like it’s all a bit of an uphill struggle, visit our piece on ‘Grit’ for some great tips here  https://positivechangeguru.com/embracing-diffild-resilience/

[Read more…]

Filed Under: wellbeing Tagged With: accomplishment, bespoke positive psychology courses, engagement, goals, happiness, joy, martin seligmann, meaning, PERMA, positive emotions, positive psychology at work courses London, positive psychology at work training, purpose

Fast Failure For Innovation

December 7, 2016 by Gill Thackray Leave a Comment

Failure makes an uncomfortable bedfellow. Many business spend their time focusing upon performance goals avoiding mistakes or trying to shift them elsewhere when they happens. In many start ups and established businesses the resulting blame culture stifles and shuts down innovation as employees fear the aftermath of failure. The problem with this is that innovation is an inherent unknown, it’s value lies in discovery by trial and error and that path is littered with the carcasses of failure.

Celebrating Failure

Many start ups, especially in the tech world are turning the traditional paradigm of failure avoidance on it’s head. Google subsidiary, X, the company’s research lab led by Astro Teller, or “Captain of Moonshots” is a failure evangelist. X works firmly in the future rather than the present. Think AI, Google Brain, the driverless car, Project Loon or Project Calico researching life extension none of these would have come into being if Google fostered a blame culture. With a fail fast mantra firmly focused on the future, this culture incubates the art of possibility, of what could be rather than what is. In fact, Teller goes one step further actively encouraging experimentation by celebrating and rewarding failure (see our blog on Moonshots for more on this). This organisational culture embraces error reporting, shunning shaming and cover up. Proving Stanford Business Professor, Baba Shiv’s claim that failure truly is “The mother of innovation.”

Creating a No-Blame Culture For Innovation

Researchers at the Johannes Kepler Universitat (Rami, U. & Gould, C. 2016. From a “Culture of Blame” to an Encouraged “Learning from Failure Culture”. Business Perspectives and Research) found 3 drivers necessary to shift away from a blame culture.

  1. Act on covering up errors. If they’re hidden you can’t learn from them. This comes from the top and is usually influenced by leadership style. A punitive, authoritarian leader is less likely to persuade employees to discuss and learn from failure than a delegative, authentic leader who listsens. Genuine conversations need to take place around the value of error and it’s inherent correlation with innovation. Take a leaf from Google’s dream leader, Teller and throw a failure party.
  2. Error communication. The research found that employees in fast paced organisations with elevated workloads were more likely to report their errors. Where error was caused by lack of knowledge or training it was less likely to be reported. One of the most important factors in error reporting was peer support. This requires a people focused leadership style along with trust, transparency and openness.
  3. Social backing. This is really about buy in and trust. Employees need to believe that their colleagues have bought into no blame, error reporting. They also need to trust in the leadership team and that there is a real investment in innovation through fast failing. If employees secretly believe that the honesty required for error reporting will come back to bite them on the ass, your culture of innovation will fall down at the first hurdle.

12 Steps to Creating A Failure Friendly Innovative Culture

If you’re building a start up or leading an established business these steps are necessary to shift from a blame culture to an innovative learning culture.

  1. Model the behaviour you want to by admitting your own mistakes. A learning culture instead of a blame culture starts at the top.
  2. Discourage your managers from promoting a purely task focused performance culture.
  3. Promote open error reporting for large and small errors equally.
  4. Examine your systems, do they support or reward error outing rather than creative discussion?
  5. Ensure that all employees prevent error cover up.
  6. Place the spotlight on error management rather than people blame.
  7. Make sure that you have buy in from your leadership team to create a constructive error culture
  8. Cultivate a culture of discussion, creative debate and non-judgement
  9. Shine the light of error responsibility on procedures and systems rather than people.
  10. Make sure than competency and knowledge deficit is reduced by training your people.
  11. Celebrate and reward failure in a tangible way.
  12. When you enjoy a success borne out of failure communicate it to all levels of your organisation.

Want to know more about creating a no-blame culture or building innovation and creativity? We offer consultancy, training, bitesize, half day or one day training courses along with conference sessions on how to build effective organisations. Contact us at admin@positivechangeguru.com to find out more. We’d love to talk with you.

 

Filed Under: Innovation, Uncategorized Tagged With: bespoke positive psychology courses, blame culture, corporate resilience training, corporate wellbeing training London, covering up errors, creating a no blame culture, creativity, creativity training, entrepreneur, error reporting, fail fast, failure, Google X Lab, innovation training, learning and development, learning from failure, moving away from blame culture, no blame culture, no blame training, positive psychology at work courses London, start up, tech

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