Professor Brian R. Little has been a major innovator in the field of personality assessment and motivation, beginning when he received his Ph.D. in personality psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and most recently he has been the 2020 winner of the Henry A. Murray Award for distinguished research on the study of lives. He is currently a Senior Fellow in Person-Analytics at the Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania, and Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at Carleton University in Ottawa. He is also a widely renowned educator, having received major awards for his teaching at a number of universities, including Harvard where for four consecutive years he was elected a Favorite Professor by his students. Along with Brian’s bestselling books – “Me, Myself and Us: The Science of Personality” and the “Art of Well-Being”; Brian has a very popular TED talk that has been viewed over 20 million times.

In this week's episode, Brian Little shares insights from his innovative research on how our personal projects shape our personality.

Connect with Professor Brian Little:

• http://www.brianrlittle.com

• [03:41] - Brian explains what shapes our personality.
• [06:48] - Brian discusses how personal projects contribute to our personality.
• [08:54] - Brian shares examples of how projects shape personality.
• [12:06] - Brian explains what it is to be ‘authentic’ when it comes to personality.
• [15:40] - Brian discusses how we express ourselves for individual flourishing can impact others.
• [17:50] - Brian describes how our personal project could enhance or compromise our wellbeing.
• [23:43] - Brian introduces us to ‘well-doing’ and the sustainable pursuit of our personal projects.
• [25:00] - Brian shares a tip on how we can better understand each other in the workplace.
• [28:15] - Brian enters the lightning round.

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• Think Again by Adam Grant

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Brian!

In this week's episode, we discover the five evidence-based approaches teams can playfully experiment with as they head back to the office to improve their resilience and wellbeing.

Connect with Nic Marks:

• https://fridaypulse.com/

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• [02:47] - Nic explains how we can differentiate happiness and wellbeing in our workplaces
• [03:58] - Nic outlines the business case for investing in employee wellbeing.
• [06:45] - Nic outlines the five evidence-based ways we can improve the wellbeing and resilience of teams at work.
• [08:35] - Nic provides an example of how we can make hybrid working arrangements fairer for teams.
• [10:52] - Nic shares how leaders can help their teams strike the right balance of learning and challenge without burning people out.
• [12:29] - Nic explains why encouraging teams to playfully experiment as they work can boost psychological safety, creativity, and innovation.
• [15:17] - Nic shares how we can optimize meaning and purpose in our teams without creating passion fatigue for workers.
• [17:25] - Nic shares some suggestions on how teams can set healthy boundaries as they work together.
• [24:04] - Nic shares insights from the new World Happiness reports on the impact that COVID has had on worker wellbeing.
• [27:33] - Nic enters the lightning round...

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Nic!

Dr. Paige Williams is co-founder of The Leaders Lab and honorary fellow and researcher at the Centre for Wellbeing at the University of Melbourne. Paige creates practical evidence-based pathways to teach leaders how to leverage their energy attitudes and mindsets to benefit from the dynamic complex and uncertain environment in which most organizations now operate using the latest research in neuroscience, positive psychology, leadership, and systems thinking. And you can see how all of these ideas come together in her book, Becoming AntiFragile: Learning to Thrive through Disruption, Challenge, and Change.

In this week's episode, we explore new research that explains how some leaders are supercharging the well-being and performance of themselves and their teams as they try to shape the new normal of work.

Connect with Dr. Paige Williams:

• https://www.michellemcquaid.com/theleaderslab/leadingtothrive/

• [02:45] - Paige explains why new data suggests that old leadership approaches are no longer working well in most workplaces.
• [06:08] - Paige shares how leaders are doing right now when it comes to their ability to navigate the uncertainty ahead.
• [07:23] - Paige explains why team members often have a different perspective on how their leaders are doing.
• [09:56] - Paige shares the impact leader’s work location – at home, in the office, or a hybrid – is having on the outcomes they can achieve.
• [11:42] - Paige helps us understand how leaders who are thriving in the midst of uncertainty do show up differently.
• [12:56] - Paige outlines the beliefs of a THRIVE mindset.
• [17:19] - Paige shares how leaders are creating cultures of care to support the wellbeing and performance of themselves and their teams.
• [19:27] - Paige shares why the frequency of care that leaders express makes a significant difference in what teams can achieve.
• [22:16] - Paige provides some practical tips for how leaders can create a care culture.
• [24:52] - Paige enters the lightning round...

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• Useful Belief by Chris Helder

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Paige!

In this week's episode, we bust the outdated myths about how our brains work and discover what the latest science really suggests about how we can work better with others.

Connect with Lisa Feldman Barrett:

• https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/

• [03:29] - Lisa explains what the latest research suggests about how our brains really work and what they are best for?
• [06:21] - Lisa shares how our brains are structured like a network, to share the information that makes up the experiences and actions of our lives.
• [08:16] - Lisa shares why our brains are predicting organs and what this might mean practically for us as we go about our work.
• [15:12] - Lisa explains how our brains are impacted by each other as we work together.
• [20:16] - Lisa explains the 5Cs of the human brain and how these help us to create a social reality as we work together.
• [33:14] - Lisa shares how we can use our brains to more intelligently navigate the socially constructed worlds in which we live.
• [35:51] - Lisa enters the lightning round...

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• After Phrenology by Michael Anderson
• Metazoa by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Lisa!

In this week’s episode, Dr. Paige Williams chats with Associate Professor Carol Kauffman, who shares her insights into how leaders can more effectively build bridges of connection with their people.

Connect with Carol Kauffman:

• https://carolkauffman.com/

• [02:17] - Carol shares her favorite question to help build leadership capacity and impact
• [05:48] - Carol explains how we can overcome ego through a shift in perspective
• [09:14] - Carol suggests how we can shift to a more constructive leadership perspective
• [10:37] - Carol shares how to build bridges with people who are reluctant for connection
• [14:28] - Carol explains the risk of resilient leaders missing compassion
• [17:18] - Carol explains a technique to build bridges in feedback conversations
• [20:08] - Carol shares a guiding principle to use when ‘coaching up’
• [28:35] - Carol enters the lightning round...

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• The Institute of Coaching

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Carol!

In this week's episode, we explore how workplace wellbeing programs can benefit from understanding the best practices of trauma theory and attachment theory.

Connect with Dr. Sandra Bloom:

• https://www.geniuswithin.co.uk/

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• [02:49] - Sandra explains what trauma theory can teach us about caring for each other in workplaces.
• [04:38] - Sandra outlines why attachment theory can teach us about caring for each other in workplaces.
• [06:30] - Sandra shares how trauma theory and attachment theory can help us to care for wellbeing in workplaces.
• [10:09] - Sandra explains how workplace wellbeing approaches can balance the science of human flourishing with the science of human suffering.
• [11:49] - Sandra offers some tips for how we can create sanctuaries of wellbeing in our workplaces.
• [18:05] - Sandra shares why we need a safety plan in addition to a wellbeing plan.
• [20:06] - Sandra offers some tips for how we can build more psychologically safe organizational cultures.
• [24:08] - Sandra explains the importance of balancing rights and responsibilities in order to avoid abuses of power in our workplaces.
• [33:31] - Sandra enters the lightning round...

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• https://nonkilling.org/center/

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Sandra!

Dr. Nancy Doyle is a Chartered Psychologist, in organizational and occupational psychology and the founder and owner of Genius Within, a social enterprise dedicated to facilitating neurodiversity inclusion. Her work has included advising NGOs, international and national civil servants, and political groups, as well as working with organizations towards a future where all Neurominorities are able to maximize their potential and work to their strengths.

Nancy is also a Research Fellow with Birkbeck, University of London. And In 2019 she was recognized by the British Psychological Society with an award for her contribution to Policy Impact in Occupational Psychology.

In this week's episode, Dr. Nancy Doyle talks us through the wonderful benefits of a neurodiverse workforce and how we can best support this.

Connect with Nancy Doyle:

• https://www.geniuswithin.co.uk/

• [02:38] - Nancy explains what neurodiversity is.
• [07:55] - Nancy shares what are considered Neurominorities.
• [10:06] - Nancy shares where labeling people’s neurodiversity began.
• [14:01] - Nancy shares some of the future labels neurotypicals might be given as our work changes in the future.
• [19:02] - Nancy shares where we can get started growing more inclusive workplaces for Neurominorities.
• [23:00] - Nancy shares what everyone should know about supporting Neurominorities in workplaces.
• [24:55] - Nancy enters the lightning round...

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• The World Needs All Kinds of Minds: TED Talk by Temple Grandin
• Books by Thomas Armstrong

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Nancy!

In this week’s episode, we explore how teams and leaders can work together to lower the risk of burnout. 

Connect with Paula Davis:

• https://stressandresilience.com/

• [02:46] - Paula explains why addressing burnout has become such a big issue in workplaces in recent years.
• [05:00] - Paula defines the difference between burnout and stress.
• [08:51] - Paula shares why we need to cause approach – and not simply a symptoms approach – to addressing burnout in workplaces.
• [12:20] - Paula explains why teams play such an important role when it comes to addressing burnout.
• [14:34] - Paula shares some of the simple steps teams can take to lower the risk of burnout.
• [18:49] - Paula explains how tiny noticeable things in teams can have a big impact on burnout.
• [23:06] - Paula provides some suggestions on what leaders can do to positively impact their team’s stress level and try to decrease burnout.
• [33:19] - Paula completes the lightning round.

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• https://brenebrown.com/
• http://kellymcgonigal.com/

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Paula!

Jim Harter, Ph.D. is chief scientist for Gallup’s Workplace and Management and Well-Being Practises. Jim is the primary researcher and author of the first large-scale, multi-organization study to investigate the relationships between work-unit employee engagement and business results. This study currently includes 2.7 million employees across 54 industries in 96 countries.

In this week’s episode, Jim Harter shares his insights from the latest Gallup research to help us understand how to create a Net Thriving Culture at work.

Connect with Jim Harter:

• https://www.gallup.com

• [02:29] - Jim explains how thriving is defined in 'Wellbeing at Work'
• [03:54] - Jim explains the research that underpins this definition of thriving
• [06:45] - Jim unpacks a measure of thriving that all organizations can use
• [08:41] - Jim explains the five factors that can help us move from struggling to thriving
• [10:53] - Jim explains how the Gallup Net Thriving Score fills a gap in well-being measurement
• [13:39] - Jim shares the new findings from his research about thriving and employee engagement
• [18:38] - Jim explains how we can create net thriving at the team level
• [22:07] - Jim suggests how leaders can take a more holistic approach to creating well-being at work
• [26:46] - Jim Describes the experience of a net thriving culture
• [28:59] - Jim suggests practical ways we can help create a net thriving culture
• [31:03] - Jim Shares some cautions and caveats we need to be aware of
• [34:55] - Jim completes the lightning round

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook
• Dying For a Paycheck by Jeffrey Pfeffer

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Jim!

Peggy is an associate professor at the Centre for Wellbeing Science at the University of Melbourne. Her research is collaborative in nature and draws on a variety of methodologies to examine questions around who thrives in life and why and she has published 3 books and over 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters. Danielle is a registered psychologist, and the Co-Founder of The Wellbeing Lab, and the Co-Creator of The PERMAH Wellbeing Survey.

In this week's episode, we discover the practical steps communities are taking to care for people’s well-being, even in the face of significant struggles.

Connect with Dr. Peggy Kern:

• https://www.peggykern.org/

• [02:41] Peggy explains how people are managing to thrive even in the face of challenging circumstances.
• [07:32] Peggy shares the factors interpersonal, intrapersonal and external factors that appear to be supporting people’s wellbeing.
• [13:07] Peggy outlines how people can boost their levels of thriving across their communities, even in the face of struggle.
• [16:46] Peggy offers some insights into the greatest causes of struggles and how these can be reduced in communities.

• MPPW Podcast on Facebook

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.

Please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

You can also listen to all the episodes of Making Positive Psychology Work streamed directly to your smartphone or iPad through stitcher. No need for downloading or syncing.

Until next time, take care!  Thank you, Peggy!