If you haven’t seen Shawn Achor’s TED talk, you really ought
to take 15 minutes and check it out. This is especially true if it’s Monday
morning and you’ve just begun to dread the work week ahead. To sum things up,
Shawn purports that we’ve been thinking about success backward. We in the
Western World tend to think that if we are successful, then we will be happy.
Shawn’s premise, full of supporting researching, is that if we are happy, then
we will be successful.
I chose to do this just a few weeks ago. And yes, it
happened to be a Monday morning. What’s happened to me has been explosive. I
began to do some research and found that Shawn Achor has done a great deal of
legitimate work with CEOs and executives around the world. His research was
done as a proctor and lecturer at Harvard. Most importantly to me, his approach
makes the changes a personal responsibility.
Without a second glance, I quickly ordered Achor’s first
book, The Happiness Advantage. If utilized, this set of principals can “easily”
help change the profitability of company I work for. My theory- due to recent
experience- is that happy employees are more engaged and productive (When
researching, I quickly found that I wasn’t the first to think this. As a matter
of fact, Shawn wasn’t even the first. But he wrote a book.) Although there’s an
element of “do-ability” that needs to be custom fit for the workplace I’m
involved in, this is possible.
The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor
Published by Random
House, 2010
I.
Part 1:Positive Psychology at Work
a. Introduction-
If success drives happiness, then every employee who has received a raise or
bonus ought to be happy. However, we find that this level of happiness is
short-lived. Research in positive psychology and neuroscience shows us that
happiness actually drives success; cultivating positive brains fuels this
competitive edge that Shawn calls The Happiness Advantage.
b. Discovering
the Happiness Advantage
c. The
Happiness Advantage at Work
d. Change
is Possible
II.
Part 2: Seven Principles
a. Principle
#1: The Happiness Advantage- Positive brains have a biological advantage
over neutral or negative brains; we can retrain our brains positively to
increase productivity and performance.
b. Principle
#2: The Fulcrum and The Lever- We can adjust our mindset in a way that
gives us the power to be more fulfilled and successful.
c. Principle
#3: The Tetris Effect- We can retrain our brains to focus on patterns of
possibility rather than stress and negativity
d. Principle
#4: Falling Up- In times of stress and crisis, our brains map different
paths to cope. Learning to choose a path that leads us not only up and out but
teaches us to be happier as a result is possible.
e. Principle
#5: The Zorro Circle- When overwhelmed, we become hijacked by emotion. To
regain control, learn to focus on small, manageable goals slowly expanding the
circle.
f.
Principle #6: The 20-Second Rule- Creating new
habits can be challenging. By taking small, incremental steps we can replace
bad habits with good.
g. Principle
#7: Social Investment- One of the greatest predictors of success and
achievement is our social support network.
III.
Part 3: The Ripple Effect
Spreading The Happiness
Advantage at work, at home and beyond- Although the only person we can
change is ourselves, making positive changes affects everyone around us.
One of the beautiful things about
the seven principals is that they are not incremental; they need not be
followed in order. Nor do all seven need to be in place to impact change. It’s
been my experience, both personal and in behavior that I’ve observed that even
that smallest, positive thought can trigger another positive thought, and so
on. Is this one way to impact change in the world? Maybe.
