Positive Psychology at Work – How Positive Leadership and Appreciative Inquiry Create Inspiring Organizations

<p>About the Author xi<br /><br />Book Contributors xiii<br /><br />Preface xvii<br /><br />Acknowledgements xxi<br /><br />The Short Version of This Book xxiii<br /><br />1 Introduction to Positive Psychology 1<br /><br />Positive Psychology is Not Positive Thinking 2<br /><br />How Positive Psychology Differs from Positive Thinking 3<br /><br />The Ethical Bias of This Book 6<br /><br />Key Themes of the Book 8<br /><br />2 Positive Workplaces 11<br /><br />Introduction 13<br /><br />What is a Positive Workplace? 13<br /><br />How Does Positive Organizational Behaviour<br /><br />Turn into Positive Organizational Performance? 20<br /><br />Organizational Culture 23<br /><br />The Organization as a Complex Adaptive System 26<br /><br />Why is Culture so Hard to Change? 31<br /><br />How to Create Positive Workplaces 34<br /><br />Summary 37<br /><br />Further Reading 38<br /><br />3 Positive Engagement and Performance 39<br /><br />Introduction 40<br /><br />Active Engagement at Work 42<br /><br />Strengths and Talents 42<br /><br />Flow 51<br /><br />Mindfulness 52<br /><br />Management Influence on Engagement and Productivity at Work 53<br /><br />Goal Seeking 54<br /><br />Goal Setting 56<br /><br />Goal Setting and Environment Contingencies 58<br /><br />The Meaningfulness of Work 63<br /><br />Strategies for Increasing the Meaningfulness of Work 64<br /><br />Summary 67<br /><br />Recommended Reading 69<br /><br />4 Positive Communication and Decision–Making 71<br /><br />Introduction 71<br /><br />Communication 72<br /><br />Connectivity 74<br /><br />Dynamic Patterns of Communication 76<br /><br />How to Build Positive Communication and<br /><br />Increase Performance 78<br /><br />Leadership and Positive Communication 78<br /><br />Best Self–Feedback 79<br /><br />Decision–Making 83<br /><br />Emotions in Decision–Making 86<br /><br />Micro–Decision–Making 91<br /><br />Other Factors that Enhance Decision–Making 92<br /><br />Moving from Decision–Making to Sense–Making 96<br /><br />Summary 99<br /><br />Further Reading 100<br /><br />5 Positive Leadership and Change 101<br /><br />Introduction 101<br /><br />Leadership 102<br /><br />Psychopathic Leaders 107<br /><br />Organizational Change 124<br /><br />Approaches to Change 125<br /><br />Leadership Change Behaviour 130<br /><br />Effective Leadership Behaviour 131<br /><br />Developing Strategy 134<br /><br />Summary 136<br /><br />Further Reading 137<br /><br />6 Positive Sustainable Growth 139<br /><br />Introduction 139<br /><br />Psychological Capital 142<br /><br />Appreciative Inquiry 158<br /><br />Positive Profusion Theory of Growth of the Positive Organization 166<br /><br />The Three–Circle Strengths Revolution 168<br /><br />Summary 170<br /><br />Further Reading 170<br /><br />7 Positive Relationships at Work 171<br /><br />Introduction 172<br /><br />Positive Team Working 174<br /><br />High Quality Working Relationships 184<br /><br />Summary 192<br /><br />Further Reading 193<br /><br />8 Positive Transformation 195<br /><br />Introduction 197<br /><br />Key Processes of Flourishing and Inspiring Workplaces 197<br /><br />Why Organizations Ignore the Transformative Collaboration Approach to Change 199<br /><br />Transformative Collaboration 204<br /><br />Patterns of Organizational Life 204<br /><br />Transformative Collaboration Approaches 213<br /><br />Summary 221<br /><br />Further Reading 227<br /><br />Other Things You Need to Know 229<br /><br />How to Live a Happy and Meaningful Life 229<br /><br />How to Have a Better Quality Old Age 229<br /><br />References 231<br /><br />Index 239</p>