Let’s face it – negative feelings are a reality and are based on the brain’s attempt to protect us as well as some habitual patterns of behavior that do not necessarily give us the results that we want. In fact, negative feelings tend to drain us of energy and block our creative and problem-solving behaviors. We know from personal experience what it feels like to be drained of energy as we face the demands of a job and every day life. We also know what it feels like to be in a place where positive attitudes and behaviors energize us to stay strong even in those tough times. As professional and executive coaches with years of combined experience in this field, we at Results Coaching Global, LLC understand the importance of facing a problem or situation from the perspective of how to move through or around it and beyond it. What has influenced us toward this attitude and approach? Clearly, recent findings about leading with the brain in mind and specifically the work of positive psychology that began to find its place in science and leadership in 1998 when Dr. Martin Seligman chose the theme for his term as the president of the American Psychological Association. Seligman, who spent the first part of his career focused on ways to treat mental illness, now is dedicated to ways to promote mental health. He is often referred to as the father of positive psychology and has written multiple books on this topic. We highly recommend his latest book, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being (2011).

Positive psychology is rooted in scientific evidence and centers on developing states of well-being. Seligman explains that well-being is comprised of five elements working together. These five elements are positive emotion, engagement, meaning, positive relationships, and accomplishment. He gives specific examples of ways that organizations, our armed forces, and schools are intentionally using strategies focused on positive psychology to have a strong and positive impact on people’s lives and student’s academic performance.

While we understand that negative ways of thinking are a part of our DNA, let’s remember that groundbreaking work has been done in the area of reducing negative feelings and building greater states of well-being. Barbara Frederickson (Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive, 2009) has done much work on measuring the impact of negativity within organizations. She provided us with a ratio, meaning the frequency of positivity over a given time span, divided by the frequency of negativity over that same time span, and has come up with a 3:1 ratio for healthy and productive organizations. In other words, for every negative comment, healthy and high performing businesses offset it with three positive comments.

What is your own success story with using positive psychology in times when it might have been easy to go to the negative? At your work, what is the ratio of positive to negative comments and what impact is that ratio having on the results you desire?

Want to know more about positive psychology and the impact it has on coaching others to extraordinary results? Join us for one of our upcoming public seminars or contact us to find out how to bring us directly to your district, organization or business.