Whats right with you A positive psychology of Human Strengths

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Whats right with you? A positive psychology
of Human Strengths

• A Retreat Teambuilding Experience With
• Robyn McKay, PhD
• Arizona State University

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What is positive psychology?

• The science of positive emotions, positive
  character traits, positive experiences, and
  positive institutions (Seligman
  Csikszentmihalyi, 2000)
• Research from positive psychology is intended to
  supplement (not replace) information about human
  suffering, weakness, and disorder (Seligman,
  Steen, Park, Peterson, 2005)

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My favorite faces of positive psychology
Robert Emmons, PhD Thanks!
Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD The How of Happiness
Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD Happier!
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Major Finding

• Happy people are more likely than their less
  happy peers to have
• fulfilling marriages and relationships
• high incomes
• superior work performance
• community involvement
• robust health
• a long life
• (Lyubomirsky et al, 2005)

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First, be happy.
Happiness creates the conditions for success to
arise, not the other way around. (Lyubomirsky
et al, 2005)
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Buthow do you be happy?
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Exercise 1 Amazing People

• Take 5 minutes to write about one of the best
  people that you know someone who is living a
  happy, productive life.
• What characteristics does he or she have?
• What is his or her life like?
• Compare your findings with your neighbor. How are
  your observations similar or different ?

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What the Best People Do

• We all have natural talents
• Leaders spend a lot of time practicing what they
  are already good at
• They dont spend a lot of time trying to improve
  their weaknesses
• People who are great at what they do are
  decidedly not well rounded

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Focusing on whats right a pathway to happiness
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A history lesson

• The Gallup Organization identified over 400
  different themes of talent by studying top
  achievers
• 34 of the most prevalent talent themes are
  measured in StrengthsFinder
• StrengthsFinder is a psychometrically solid
  instrument

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StrengthsQuest

• A strength is the ability to provide consistent,
  near-perfect performance in a given activity
• To build a strength
• Identify a talent
• Then refine it with skills and knowledge

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StrengthsQuest

• Based on a general model of positive psychology,
  and captures 4 factors
• Personal motivation (Striving/Executing)
• Interpersonal skills (Relationship Building)
• Self-presentation (Influencing)
• Learning Style (Strategic Thinking)

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Excellence

• Our talents hold the key to excellence
• Talent practice knowledge strength
• To be excellent, you need to have a clear vision
  about what excellence is, what it looks like, and
  what is required to reach it.
• Trying to be well-rounded diffuses your talents
• To become excellent, choose one or two talents to
  focus on

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Exercise 2 What makes you stand out?

• What was it like to take the assessment?
• Review the descriptions of your signature themes
• Ask What fits for me?
• Which themes do you really like?
• Find a partner and talk about which themes suit
  you

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Butshouldnt I focus on improving my weaknesses?
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• Nope!

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Exercise 3 What do your strengths sound like?

• With a partner, take a few minutesto talk about
  how you each express your strengths

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The Beehive Model of Strengths (Kerr McKay)
The Four Domains of Leadership Strength
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Exercise 3 Gathering

• Identify which parts of the hive your strengths
  fall into
• Remember you might be a hybrid!
• Choose one segment to focus on
• Gather with others in your area of the hive
• Answer these questions
• What do we have to offer?
• What do we need from those in the other parts of
  the hive?

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Final Thoughts

• Every organization is a hive
• Know your bees
• Focus on developing your strengths
• There are no satisfactory psychometric fixes for
  social injustice, stereotype threat, culture, and
  gender bias
• Just because someone is smart, creative, or has
  strengths doesnt make them a good person.
• Kindness and compassion are just as important to
  cultivate

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Final thoughts

• Its hard to get out of your own area of the hive
  and understand the needs of colleagues who are
  different from you
• Respecting the differences among your colleagues
  and understanding the nature of various forms of
  gifts and strengths can lead to a positive,
  innovative work environment

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To schedule a Whats Right With You? Retreat
Teambuilding Experience

• Contact Dr. Robyn McKay
• email robyn.mckay_at_asu.edu
• Tel [phone] or 480.727.1527