Positive psychology at the workplace - Research Paper Example

Positive psychology at the workplace It is a reality that today workplace issues are more diverse, complex, and inexplicable than ever before. A large percentage of such issues are commonly found to be originating from negative workplace environment fraught with confusions, biases, discrimination, fear, and unhealthy criticism. Major annoying workplace issues include excessive gossip about each other’s personal affairs, sexual or mental harassment, communication gap between employers and employees, and mistreatment of myriad changes by workforce. So many solutions have been proposed in a staggering number over the last many years by HR professionals and business experts to address these commonest workplace dilemmas in an appropriate manner. Unfortunately, most of the strategies proposed aim to deal these intricate issues with a very conventional approach with the result that more problematic hurdles are faced by workforce than before in the way of increased production and revenue. Amidst much pandemonium created by seemingly impossible workplace dilemmas, there exists one such effective remedy that can actually combat ferociously against them. Positive psychology is that remedy or counter measure that should be set in function at every workplace so that it is easily identifiable, significant, and striking. It is capable of saving the workforce from so many stressful challenges that it should be made the hallmark of every workplace environment. This paper strives to discuss the substantial benefits offered by positive psychology and analyze ways by which companies suffering from unproductive employees could be helped. In tough times, entrepreneurs can nurture thriving companies by trying the science of happiness on employees which is positive psychology. Conductor Inc. is one of the best places named by Crain’s to work for in 2011 and according to Maria Bradley who joined the firm as strategic account director and recently got promoted to team manager, the secret to success for any company is largely based on collaboration and commitment (Flamm, cited in Crain Communications Inc., 2012). Each worker should be motivated to do a lot of things which do not necessarily fall into the role assigned to that worker like filling communication gap, condemning office gossip, offering creative ideas, and professional handling of the bosses who sabotage employee’s careers. According to another employee Lisa Sotto who serves as managing partner of Hunton & Williams which is another best place to work for in 2011, positive psychology asserts that open communication policy should be ensured in a workplace. Such an open policy must include focus groups, monthly staff meetings, and a committee charged with tracking employees’ opinions and issues (Messina, cited in Crain Communications Inc., 2012). Crain’s magazine suggests that creating a kind of culture where people feel part of the organization itself rather than merely remaining involved in their individual jobs makes a company preferable over another to work for. Also, strengthening the cooperative and collaborative spirit among employees, encouraging them to maintain a balance in life and work, allowing them to own their lives, and refraining from oppressing them in multiples ways are also some features by which the managers in charge can commit themselves to winning over employees’ trust so that success could be ensured (Crain Communications Inc., 2012). All these ways as mentioned by Crain’s by which different organizations have made themselves best places to for in 2011 form an integral part of the positive psychology’s structural framework and essentially should be followed in a workplace. Conventional approaches have failed to respond properly when tried for handling workplace issues in the past due to which entrepreneurs feel more motivated to try positive psychology for building thriving companies. Positive psychology helps to resuscitate and maintain the relationship between mental health of the workforce and company’s success in the market. It also helps to eliminate some of the crippling emotional effects produced by negative criticism, domineering attitude of bosses, and prejudices stemming from cultural diversity. People knowing the true value of positive psychology never try conventional methods to sort out different issues cropping up at workplace on daily basis, rather they use their fundamental character strengths to find potential opportunities. Robert Aliota, founder of Carolina Seal company, is one such example who upon finding that a competitor had crushed one of his key segments and also hooked one of his principal customers, did not waste time in negativity but capitalized on his basic character strengths and this is the central requirement of positive psychology. “One person's constant negativity infects the entire team and production drop. Unlike a cold, negativity doesn't disappear with time” (Norris, 2011). Aliota’s strengths were optimism, generosity, and extroversion and capitalizing on them helped the business survive even when things appeared miserable (Coplan, 2009). Conventional approaches have limited success and often fail to resolve workplace conflicts because they often overlook the core factors that cause and exacerbate certain workplace dilemma. In contrast, positive psychology lays focus on grooming mental health of a worker so that he/she could produce to the best possible level by maintaining a positive culture, one in which tough workplace issues are acknowledged fully and kept from stripping satisfaction from workforce. It helps the workers acknowledge that changes are for the betterment and should not be looked down upon. Many times, workers repress changes because they are not taken in confidence by the authoritative bosses and not notified about the latest updates. That is why workers start felling left out and not included in the whole process which makes them unproductive. Companies suffering from unproductive employees related bad effects need to change the internal environment of the workplace. The difference between unsuccessful and successful companies mainly stems from the difference in internal environment. A peaceful and collaborative internal environment helps in grooming the hidden talents of initially unproductive employees. A domineering boss, in contrast, cultivates a rough workplace environment in which employees see their careers sabotaged by the rude employers and productivity plummets down instead of soaring, as it does when negative attitudes are turned around. Negativity is an extreme dilemma which heavily interferes with productivity and employee satisfaction. An unhappy employee brings down productivity and foments negativity in the environment. The root causes which make an employee unhappy and unproductive should be addressed like tough workload, job insecurity, lack of challenge and management support, or workplace boredom (Schleifer, 2006). A happy employee with a positive mind treating the workplace with dignity and managing other projects as if they are assigned typically to him/her hugely influences the rate of “customer satisfaction, loyalty, supply costs, turnover, sick days, project completion, quality and more” (Norris, 2011). Happy, satisfied, and secure employees know how to deal with negativity at workplace, eliminate it, and foster productivity rate. They fully acknowledge that negativity originating from insecurity, excessive workload, and sense of captivity can be the most destructive force unleashed on a company. They never ignore negativity but report its effects harassing the workplace environment to the committee in charge, hasten to fill the communication gap in doing do, and feel motivated to do a lot of things which do not essentially fall in their assigned job circles. Such employees make a difference between companies with a soaring productivity and those struggling with workplace issues hopelessly. Summing up, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that positive psychology can help the companies immensely in changing the attitudes and thinking patterns of unproductive employees who fail to reach the set targets due to overpowering workplace dilemmas like bullying, incapacitating employers, cultural diversity, and office gossip. Conventional approaches to each of these issues are not only likely to fail but they also exacerbate the already worsened situation. Increased production and stability in market is directly related to creative and productive mood of the workforce and positive mood in turn depends tremendously on positive psychology. References: Coplan, J. H. (2009, Feb 13). How Positive Psychology Can Boost Your Business. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_62/s0902044518985.htm Crain Communications Inc. (2012). Best Places to Work 2011. Retrieved from http://www.crainsnewyork.com/gallery/20111204/FEATURES/113009999/1 Norris, B. (2011). How to Create and Sustain a Positive Workplace—A Leader's Guide. Retrieved from http://www.briannorris.com/speaking/moraletraining.html Schleifer, J. (2006). Workplace Negativity: Ways to Beat It. Retrieved from http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2006/08/23/workplace_negativity_pessimism_how_to_beat_it.aspx Read More