Published in Kingstown College Coaching Magazine 2017/2018
Qualifying as a Personal, Leadership and Executive Coach with Kingstown College was one of my better decisions. It brought together a successful career in the Financial Sector, a PG Diploma in constructivist psychotherapy and an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology to shape an effective and affirmative coaching approach for facilitating growth and change. The sequence of psychology theory first and the discipline of coaching second has had a big influence on the approach and methodology I have adopted as my own. Traditional coaching methods and Positive Psychology complement each other beautifully to create a distinctive style and brand of coaching which is proven to exact powerful results for individuals, groups and organisations.
Satisfaction with life or happiness, in Positive Psychology terms, is determined by our level of hedonic or subjective well-being and eudaimonic or psychological well-being. This means: to experience optimal functioning we need to feel positive and satisfied with the various domains of our life as well as feeling in control of our environment and finding purpose, meaning and personal growth in our life and work.
We see Positive Psychology coaching on this side of the Atlantic in the field of ‘Strengths-based’ coaching and development, particularly in business settings. Recognising and applying human strengths and values at work or in our personal lives, is the cornerstone of positive psychology. When we introduce the language of strengths into our vocabulary, we begin to understand ourselves and others constructively and with deeper compassion. Strengths-based development fulfils a eudemonic aspect of well-being, however, it is not the complete story.
Positive Psychology is also dedicated to increasing positive mood and frame of mind. Research has proven the benefits of subjectively experiencing positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, love, interest and humour. Studies tells us that we have a happiness set-point; an inborn capacity to be happy, however, this set-point accounts for just 50% of our actual capacity to be happy. Ten percent is determined by our circumstances and a significant 40% can be influenced by our experiences and our activities. You may have heard it said that happiness is a decision, well the research indicates that it can be a conscious and activity-led decision.
Barbara Fredrickson is the primary researcher in the US on happiness. Her main work relates to her ‘Broaden and Build’ theory of positive emotions. Extensive lab and survey research demonstrates how participants who experience positive emotions show heightened levels of creativity, inventiveness, and “big picture” perceptual focus. Her studies also show a correlation between positive emotions and stress reduction and a longitudinal relationship between positive emotions and resilience.
Fredrickson also introduced the concept of a ‘positivity ratio’ and her studies, together with Marcial Losada, suggested there exists a precise measure of positive to negative emotions which determines whether we maintain a state of flourishing or fail to flourish. Although the mathematical model has since been discredited, the theory of a positive to negative balance remains valid. It is suggested that to flourish in life we need to have broadly three positive experiences for every one negative experience. In our personal relationships the optimal ratio is five-to-one and interestingly for work-place coaches, the ratio which determines a high functioning team is a whopping six-to-one.
Positive Psychology methods and interventions are increasing entering into the world of coaching and organisational development and likewise Positive Psychology Coaching incorporates all of the structures and many of the tools and methodologies of traditional coaching. In my practice, like all coaches, I present a coaching contract but I also specify the discipline and methods I use. I work with clients to set goals and at each session we agree activities and actions to move the client towards these goals. We review progress and regroup on a regular basis and curiosity, questions and dialogue are the mainstay of each encounter, as it is with established coaching practices.
As a Positive Psychology Coach, I work on subjective well-being as well as psychological well-being in each session. When the goal or goals have been identified, always stated in the positive, we begin the strengths conversation. We examine strengths at play in different circumstances and the values each client lives by. The language of strengths contributes to powerful dialogue; when we connect with our strengths we begin to understand their positive impact but also how over-playing strengths in certain scenarios can be the source of our vulnerabilities. Examining life and work difficulties from a strengths perspective is empowering and avoids the self-critical mode we often fall into. Strengths, as an explanation for one’s own behaviour and the behaviour of others, introduces the positive into negative experiences and opens the door to the concept of positive intent.
As we work through challenges, striving and the goal journey on one side we also work to increase positive experiences on the other. Positive experiences, apart from fuelling a feel good factor, help open our minds and hearts to possibilities and broader perspectives. Sonja Lyubomirsky’s ‘Person Activity Test’ is a useful tool to help clients identify natural, enjoyable and effective positive activities to balance the negative. However, I find that simply presenting a list of positive and negative emotions and inviting the client to choose those he feels are over-prevalent in his life and others he would like to experience more of, is a fast and effective means of agreeing a positive action as part of the coaching journey.
This is a flavour of Positive Psychology Coaching as a methodology. At work, a positive and strengthsbased approach to coaching encourages engagement, trust, purpose and a sense ownership. Organisations that recognise and value individual strengths and the strength of the collective maintain a real competitive advantage by being resilient, optimistic and dependable.
By Jane Perry
