Build Workplaces With Thriving People + Extraordinary Outcomes
Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. The Serenity Prayer, Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971) is the real title… Being frustrated with bureaucracy is part of the deal we make in working for a large, complex organizations. Even with the best … Read moreThe Change Agents’ Prayer
The purpose of the Center for Positive Organizations is very inclusive. I do not know anyone who doesn’t want to have a high-performing workplace with thriving people! Sadly, many people experience workplaces that are anything but positive. Indeed, a meta study by Christine Porath found that 98% of us have experienced incivility in the workplace. … Read moreThe First Step in Turning Around Organizational Culture
You had a work project you were passionate about once. Do you remember? You should do. You spent all your waking hours thinking about it. Developing the idea. Asking advice and help from others. Improving it, advocating for it. And then your idea was shot down. Not a hard no from a final decision maker. … Read moreStrategies to Sustain Yourself as a Change Agent
Picture a fast flowing, deep river winding through a steep bank in a forest. There are many twists and turns. The water is raging and churning, yet it stays within the confines of the river banks. How do you get the water to flow where you want it to go? Think about the behavioral dynamics … Read moreLeadership in Turbulent Times
“It is hard to be that nice all the time” complained a friend as we discussed the pros and cons of positive leadership. “And besides, people don’t want things sugar-coated. Sometimes they need tough love.” Quite a few people I meet have the same concerns about positive leadership, even if they do not say them … Read moreThe Simplest Explanation of Positive Leadership
Creating organizational culture change can be hard. We may not initially have the skills we need. We have to sustain our energy and commitment to the change process, while continuing to fulfill our other job responsibilities well. We have to persist even through skepticism and resistance along the way. Oftentimes, we believe such change efforts … Read more4 Efficient Steps To a Positive Culture
Creating workplaces conducive to human flourishing is one of the most important challenges facing the world today. Rising to this challenge will not be easy. One can paint a gloomy picture of the human experience in organizations today. Just 30% of the American workforce is actively engaged in their work. 99% have experienced or witnessed incivility in … Read moreWhy Positive Organizations Matter
When was the last time you made a proposal at work that was rejected? Was it quickly out of hand? Or was it “death by a thousand cuts”? This experience has happened to almost everyone at work. Depending on how it is handled, rejection of ideas can feel like incivility or even discrimination. It can … Read morePlease Reject My Idea
There are sessions taught in some companies these days on “Executive Presence.” Such courses help high-potential employees to walk, talk, and look like a leader is meant to look. Whatever that is. Ugh. All too often, programs like these emphasize techniques people can employ to create a certain impression, rather than their underlying leadership principles … Read moreHow to Avoid Being a Fake Positive Leader
It drives me nuts. Few things make me crazier than when people misunderstand what it means to be “positive” in the workplace, and then project that misunderstanding onto others. Many people interpret positive leaders as being “nice” or “happy” all the time. While this may be true, being nice and happy all the time is … Read moreWhat Positive Leadership is Not