The Power Of Mental Practice In developing Your Communication Skills

Updated 3rd August 2023

Want to hear something that I have always found intriguing?

You can grow your brain by simply imagining yourself practicing a skill, without ACTUALLY physically practicing that skill. Many studies have found mental practice to be nearly as effective as physical practice for skills from types of shots taken in basketball and golf, to movement accuracy and velocity in pianists, to technical skills in novice surgeons.

For example, Pascual-Leone et al (1995a) conducted transcranial magnetic stimulation study (TMS – used clinically to measure activity and function of specific brain circuits), which showed that imagined practice (in this case of a piano sequence) led to comparable expansion of cortical premotor areas responsible for controlling the fingers as actual physical practice.

So you don’t even have to actually move a finger to get the neurons communicating and neural pathways forming!

Athletes have known for years that visualization techniques (otherwise known as mental practice or mental imagery) improve performance, motivation and focus. Many athletes also use visualization to manage and reduce anxiety. This has now filtered into the business and the corporate world. Many highly successful people attribute their achievements to integrating this kind of neural influence with appropriate action. For example, research has shown that self-efficacy is significantly higher and communication skills improved in supervisors, when mental practice is used in combination with goal setting as a post-training intervention.

In case these terms are new to you, visualization refers to creating a picture in your mind of what you want to happen in reality. It can also be a ‘stepping into’ the feeling you would feel both during the unfolding of the goal and at its culmination. While imagining a scenario, you imagine the detail of the actions and the way it feels to perform in the desired way. This mental rehearsal helps minds and bodies to become trained to actually perform the skill imagined.

Beware though, the feeling throughout the process has to be as much as possible conducive to what is desired, otherwise it can hinder the likelihood of achieving the desired outcome. Focus on what you do want, rather than what you don’t want!

When It Comes To Leadership, Your Development Can Accelerate Through Curiosity

Updated August 2nd 2023

How Curious are you about things?

A conversation I often find myself having in my work with people and teams, is around questions and general curiosity. Have you ever noticed how you make assumptions about other people and about yourself and that you make statements when people come to you with problems, rather than asking questions?

When we were children we asked open-ended questions all the time. For example; ‘Why?’, ‘What’s that?’, ‘When are we going?’ As adults, we largely lose the ability to ask questions and to be truly curious. I used to wonder if this was because of the experiences the world provided us with, including the impact of being embedded in formal education! I also wondered if we used our curiosity less, because it is too important for our survival in the workplace and other areas to appear like we know more than we do.

I have since learned that there is more than meets the eye with curiosity!

When we consider how the brain works there is a very good reason why, as adults, we become less curious.

The area of the brain (prefrontal cortex: PFC), that is the most recent to evolve and is the area that is jutting out in our skull at our forehead, is the region of the brain that filters our actions. Cognitive processes – including reasoning, problem-solving, planning, carrying out new and goal-directed patterns of behaviour, inhibitory control, sustained attention and decision-making – takes place here. And it is the area of the brain that allows us to read and react to social cues in everyday interactions, to use language fluently and to regulate, or manage, our emotions (Siddiqui et al., 2008).

The PFC occupies one-third of the entire human cerebral cortex and is one of the final cortical regions to undergo full myelination (The myelin sheath is a protective membrane that wraps around part of certain nerve cells, and affects how fast signals travel through those nerve cells) during adolescence and young adulthood in the human (Fuster, 1997; Anderson, et al., 2001). The PFC also interacts with our limbic system. The limbic system is where our emotions and memories are housed. During adolescence significant changes occur in the limbic system, which may impact self-control, decision making, emotions, and risk-taking behaviours.

For those of us who were risk-takers when we were younger, or who currently have teenage children who are taking risks and making decisions that we don’t understand, the above piece of science will not be a surprise.

If the area of the brain that enables us to perform diverse cognitive processes, for example, to inhibit our behaviours is only fully developed late into adolescence/early adulthood, then it makes sense that we stop asking so many questions and being curious in adulthood compared to when we are children, because we are in ways more “rational” as adults and expected to be more “rational”.

But that doesn’t mean that it serves us well to be less curious as adults. Just because our brain is fully formed, does not mean that all the assumptions that we make about situations and people are useful, or that the decisions we make are the best ones for ourselves or others. The processing of the interaction between the PFC and the limbic system is happening unconsciously, and therefore we are not aware of how our memories and our emotions are ruling the assumptions we make, and how we make decisions and how we are problem-solving in situations and with other people.

As there is so much information coming towards us every second of the day, a brain must make shortcuts, and so it relies on what it already knows instead of expending energy and attempting to look at things in a different way. Our entire nervous system is focused on keeping us safe and so it will do whatever it needs to do to fulfil that job; to keep us safe is a better bet for the brain and body, than to be actively curious, which means taking risks.

Learning triggers neuronal changes in the brain that contribute to information acquisition and memory formation, including the activity and strength of existing synapses, the formation of new synapses, and possibly the birth of new neurons. Being curious, for example, asking ourselves and others questions gives us a moment of reflection time that enables learning.

What if we could start asking questions and getting curious again more regularly, like we did when we were children?

If we focus on asking a colleague more open-ended questions rather than providing them with the solution, we open the opportunity for them to reflect. While reflecting they will use more areas of their brain and they are more likely to have insight. In turn their brain becomes more focused and motivated to solve the problem, or to carry through on their own insight to the problem. By asking more open-ended questions we help that person’s brain to create more connections between neurons, and therefore we are influencing their learning just very simply through asking the question rather than providing the solution,

In becoming more curious and asking more open-ended questions, we engage the people we work with in a way that is conducive to high performance. They will likely come up with a better solution to the challenge than we had thought of. Through genuine curiosity, which is supported in our communication through open-ended questions, we can together become more creative in our approaches and make more effective decisions.

I don’t like to prescribe open-ended questions, as every situation and person is different. Just focus on questions that begin with words such as ‘What…?’, ‘How…?’, ‘Which…?, ‘When…?

Here are a few examples:

‘What do we already know about this?’
‘How does… affect…?’
‘What alternative ways of looking at this are there?’
‘Who benefits from this?’
‘What could we assume?’
‘How did you choose those assumptions?’
‘What do you think causes…?’
‘Which implications are important to consider…?’

In my experience with individuals, teams and organisations, one of the hallmarks of a true leader, is having the COURAGE to be CURIOUS! It takes practice for most of us. I have seen the fruits of it over and over again. See if you can ask more open-ended questions this week, and see where it takes you?

Changing Your Habits? Focus On The Gains, Visualise The Outcomes.

Updated August 2nd 2023

It’s difficult to change old ingrained habits, isn’t it? To create a hunger for change, we need to be clear on what the benefits of changing our behaviour will be.

Kahneman and Tversky, two of the most famous of modern psychologists are well known for the theory of “loss aversion”. This refers to people’s strong preference for minimising losses over acquiring gains. People in fact prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains. For example, it’s better to not lose 5 euro than to find 5 euro. We feel almost twice the emotion over a loss as opposed to a gain.

Changing how we do things in life and work can be challenging in three ways; firstly, the loss of the familiar is immediate and significant (this is usually experienced as a negative effect); secondly, the gain is distant in both time and in relation to self; and thirdly the so-called gain is really more abstract than real, meaning that incentive to pursue the change is not optimum.

This dynamic plays out in all changes we attempt to make and at all levels in a business setting. (e.g. reducing a behaviour that saves the business money in the long-term) because doing things a different way can often be associated with loss.

This means that to help us make change, we often need to be supported in thinking bigger or differently for ourselves. And as we know, in our busy lives, there isn’t always time to think about this.

Imagined outcomes are really important. It’s been shown that the brain makes connections between things that happen in real time and predictions of possible outcomes. The neural wiring blends together what is currently happening with the imagined predictions. In this way, the brain weaves its own explanation, or interpretation, of reality and this can be used as the basis of new habit and skills formation. Fundamentally, belief in the outcome significantly raises the likely hood of that outcome or behaviour associated occurring, be that outcome/behaviour positive or negative.

What are you afraid of losing? Could you practice visualising the outcomes you desire to get your brain focused on the wins? Hopefully just being more conscious of our brain and body’s strong preference for minimising losses over acquiring gains can help you to get back on the change train!

The Importance Of Sleep For Staff Development & Healthy Aging.

Updated August 2nd 2023

Many of us are bringing our work home with us, whether actively working at home or just thinking about it.

As mentioned in our piece last week, Norman Doidge’s book ‘The brain that changes itself’ (2007) is a truly inspiring collection of studies, real life examples and conclusions on the mould-ability of the brain.

It turns the traditional thinking that the capacity of the brain is fixed on its head and shows how the brain can reorganize itself and make new neural connections throughout life. Rather than being hardwired and wearing out with age, the brain is at your disposal to use and grow to YOUR benefit, and to promote mental longevity.

The only thing is, many of us are living lives that cause our brains to age quickly. For example, many people boast that they don’t need much sleep and many other people I know do not prioritize it because many work late into the evenings and therefore find it difficult to get the brain to shut off once they get into bed. Of course, having young children and many other things can get in the way of sleep, and often cannot be avoided. But long-term it’s imperative you don’t let the brief hours of sleep continue.

During sleep we discharge toxins from the brain include flushing out amyloid proteins in the brain (bad sleep increases levels of some proteins, such as amyloid that have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease). During sleep, we also regulate hormones that are responsible for satiety and hunger. Anyone who’s ever had a flu or a bad cold, knows how sleep helps recover our immune system, and this recovery is taking place either way, daily as our system is met with so many germs. Sleep also consolidates our memories and enhances our creativity. Are you getting enough sleep?

If you are not sleeping enough each night, which includes relaxing the brain well before you actually get into bed, then you are going to be less alert the next day, impacting your productivity, your relationships and your long-term health.

Are you getting enough sleep?

Over the coming weeks, we are releasing little snippets and tips from our upcoming Habit Change book and sending them out to you. We would love to hear your thoughts on these, if any of them resonate with you or make you think differently about your current actions, we would love to hear from you about it.

Want To Keep Your Brain Young?

Updated August 2nd 2023

Want to keep your Brain young?

In the book “The Brain That Changes Itself” Norman Doidge (2007) states that the way to stave off memory loss into old age and to keep your brain young, is to keep learning new things “learning new physical activities that require concentration, solving challenging puzzles, or making a career change that requires that you master new skills and materials.”

This is partly because the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is involved with memory, grows if it is being challenged. It also grows if you exercise regularly. Exercise is one of the items encouraged by Neuroscientists to stave off certain types of dementia.

As adults, learning and growing requires us to actively make an effort to do so. It means finding new things to learn and then focusing on these. As well as making life more fun and stimulating, it will help to hold off old-age memory loss. Worth a go, don’t you think?

New Year’s Resolutions- Help Yourself With Goal Setting By Understanding The Power Of Your Brain.

Updated August 2nd 2023

Every January, it seems the world at large, puts themselves under huge pressure to force habit change and adopt unrealistic RESOLUTIONS. By middle to late January, the feeling of disappointment is epidemic.

This series of short and simple blogs hopes to tap into a few key tips to help you understand how your brain actually works in creating habit change in your life.

Understanding the Power of your Brain.

The brain has been shaped by evolution to adapt and readapt to an ever-changing world. The ability to learn is dependent on modification of the brain’s chemistry and architecture, in a process called “neural plasticity”.

Neural plasticity is the ability of neurons to change their structure and relationships to one another in an experience-dependent manner according to environmental demands.

This means that everything you think you know and feel now can change for better or worse depending on what you focus on.

It’s easy to think of the brain as being responsible for processing information and problem solving but not always as obvious how much it controls our habits and behaviour too. In all areas of its capacity, it is not a static quantity. It can be grown and shaped deliberately.

How Can We Engage Our Minds to Make the Best Use of Our Brain?

Here are a few tips for you.

Concentrate on what is working and the motivation will naturally follow.

Set bite-sized goals (chunking down). When we break goals or jobs into bite-sized pieces, the memory of the ‘job’ is not so bad and we are happier to take on the task again and again.

Keep doing it until it becomes habit. If you are having fun and chunking things down, new habits (e.g. going to the gym) will become easier to repeat.

Keep self-judgement to a minimum. If you do fall off the wagon with a change or a new habit, don’t give yourself a hard time. Negative self-chat imprisons you in your own fear and makes it difficult to take action to get back on track again.

NEW Virtual Reality Product Announcement At Adaptas

Updated August 2nd 2023

“When you are taught about something, it feels distant. By experiencing it in Virtual Reality it suddenly feels real”

NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT

Over the last couple of years, a special branch of virtual reality content creation has developed, known as Cinematic VR. It is typically based on 360-degree video and offers an affordable alternative to 2D video. It can form the foundation of eLearning that will transport learners into compelling, immersive stories and environments.

Adaptas have just completed a first person perspective virtual reality experience to be used in training for one of our clients. With the immersive potential of this new medium, trainees and low performers are able to ‘sit in the perspective’ of an expert customer sales representative and get a sense of what they need to develop in their own behaviour, in order to be successful in their role. This is a confidence building piece that is a new tool as part of the progressive Learning & Development training suite for this financial services sector client.

Research has shown to date that pieces like this drive actual behavioural changes far more effectively than previous media sources. Stanford Professor, Jeremy Bailenson has discovered that users retain 33% more from VR than standard video. This is at least in part to the finding that VR has 27% higher emotional engagement and people stay 34% longer than in a 2D (video) environment. Another study has shown that fear of public speaking can be reduced by almost 20% with VR and another that almost 9 in 10 participants reduced their fear of heights with VR.

Have you seen the film ‘Being John Malkovich’, where the character literally sees and hears the world from John Malkovich’s perspective? For the purposes of a work environment, experiencing the scenario from the viewpoint of the expert has not been possible before with any other medium. The Adaptas team responsible for designing this innovative VR experience believe it will prove to enhance an employee’s success.

This client project consists of a stereoscopic 360 interactive video where the viewer can ‘be in the perspective’ of the sales star in a busy call centre environment. The piece was filmed on-site at the clients office, working with a genuine sales call and staff to ensure authenticity. It will be used to on-board new employees as part of their 3 week induction training. Our client is delighted with the progress of this project so far. We will keep you posted on further developments with this.

If you are interested in this idea or interested in discussing how this might look for your organisation, please do get in touch, give us a call and we can brainstorm some scripting and role-playing ideas. Every organisation is different, and we pride ourselves on our ability to tailor each project specifically for the objective at hand.

Only 1 In 10 Managers Have A Natural Ability To Manage.

Updated August 2nd 2023

Did you know that most people leave their jobs because of their manager?

Did you know that only 1 in 10 managers actually have the natural talent to manage a team of people? This blog is my thoughts on Authentic Leadership.

When neither managers nor leaders are perceived as effective, only 8% of employees are highly engaged. On top of this, 30% of employees report a lack of recognition and feedback, and managers not living up to their word as a cause of work-related stress.

In their study of 2.5 million manager-led teams in 195 countries, featuring analysis that measures the engagement of 27 million employees, Gallup has concluded that “Great managers have the talent to motivate employees and build genuine relationships with them. Those who are not well-suited for the job are usually uncomfortable with this “soft” aspect of management. But employees are people first, and they have an intrinsic need for bonding that does not automatically turn itself off between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The best managers can understand and relate to their team members’ inherently human motivations.”

More and more research shows that it is Authentic Leadership which improves job satisfaction and engagement in individuals and teams. It also develops resilience and fosters creativity and innovation.

What is Authentic Leadership?

There are many ingredients that go into becoming an authentic leader including:
• Self awareness – an awareness of one’s strengths, limitations, values and an understanding of how these impact others.
• Having an ethical core, or ‘doing the right thing even if it’s the hardest thing’.
• Being honest and straightforward in dealing with others.
• Fair-mindedness – soliciting opposing viewpoints and considering all options before choosing a course of action.

Authentic leadership is characterised by honesty, altruism, kindness, fairness, accountability, and optimism.

Organisations need more authentic leaders to cope with the new, turbulent and dynamically changing work environment via making a fundamental difference in organisations by helping employees find meaningfulness and connection at work.

Are you developing Authentic Leadership in your organisation?

If you like this blog please let us know, we would love to hear your thoughts. Please sign up to our newsletter where we can keep you informed on topics like this.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Celine Mullins.

Incorporating Mindfulness Into Your Everyday Brings Untold Benefits.

Updated August 2nd 2023

Are you feeling busy?

Are you living focused on the next meeting, the next meal, the next email that needs to be responded to?

Right now, are you focused on that holiday you booked six months ago and is finally happening in the next week or two?

Or are you living in the past, regretting what you have done or not done? Or are you feeling angry at how you were treated by someone or how you didn’t make it to the gym, or because you ate that second croissant when you promised yourself you would turn over a new leaf for the month?

Are you attempting to get 3 documents completed, respond to 5 separate emails and take 2 calls?

Or are you living presently and focusing in the moment?

Are you using one of the oldest practices in human history?

You are probably well aware that mindfulness, one of the oldest practices in human history has become one the newest ‘breakthroughs’ in managing thoughts and mental well-being in the workplace.

It is more important than you might think to start taking this seriously. Research consistently shows us that Multitasking is literally the enemy of productivity. Did you know, that when you divide your attention between tasks, it takes 50% longer to accomplish a task, and you are 50% more likely to make errors?

I started attempting to focus on living presently, using mindfulness and meditation a number of years ago, when approximately 20 years after being introduced to meditation and mindfulness, I finally was adult enough to start giving it a real go. The impetus was the realisation that if I didn’t focus on one thing and on the NOW, that life would pass me by and I’d have missed out on just experiencing rather than thinking about what was coming next.

We have been recommending Mindfulness to our clients for years. Many of the middle and senior managers we work with insist they don’t have time to be mindful. Yet those that take it on see the benefits very quickly. They feel more focused, more calm, and in control of their emotional reactions.

Can living presently help you to succeed in achieving your goals?

Sometimes you hear the message; ‘Focus on the goal’ and other times you hear the conflicting message; ‘Be more mindful’. The real story is that goals can help spark our initial interest, but then we must consistently focus on the process rather than being overly focused on the end goal.

Research shows that people who focus on being mindful rather than focusing on the end goal are more successful (e.g. Fishbach & Choi, 2012). It is much better for the outcome, if we focus on the experience rather than the benefits. As Dr. Christian Jarrett (author of ‘Great myths of the brain’) said ‘Once you are doing it (e.g. exercise, work-based project), let your long-term future-based mission fade into the background.’

Mindfulness is not an easy habit to adopt however! It involves being present in the here and now; when eating, when walking, when speaking, basically in every moment. And let me tell you, it’s a struggle. When I started this approach, I had to constantly remind myself to be in the present and to focus 100% on the conversation I was having, or the document I was working on and really just slow down to experience fully what was happening.

If it is so difficult to be mindful or present in this moment, then why bother?

There is empirical evidence that mindfulness:

· reduces the physiological and psychological effects of stress

· correlates with emotional intelligence

· improves well-being and happiness

· improves attention and emotional regulation

(see Keng, Smosku & Robins, 2011 for an extensive review of the empirical studies on the effect of mindfulness on psychological health)

Personally speaking, when I am being mindful, I feel more tuned in to the people I am with, the conversations we are having and the accompanying sensory information in the environment. I feel more grateful. You may be aware that there is tons of research showing that gratitude is associated with reduced depression, more positive relationships, greater competence, resilience, self-acceptance, less stress, better sleep and much more. All in all, being Mindful leads to a life that is much richer and much more enjoyable.

Creating A Learning Culture With Our Leadership Development Program Dublin

Update August 2nd 2023

As we run our Leadership Development Program in Dublin and around the world, we have witnessed a remarkable trend towards the emergence of ‘learning’ organisations. While some forward-thinking organisations took the lead and embraced this concept over a decade ago, many others are just embarking on their journey now. The shift towards becoming learning organisations signifies a transformative movement within the corporate landscape, with an increasing focus on continuous growth and development. As we engage with diverse organisations globally, it is evident that the pursuit of a learning culture has become a pivotal factor in fostering long-term success and adaptability in today’s ever-evolving business environment.

Is ‘Learning’ a part of your company’s culture or are you just hoping it will happen?

What is a learning organisation, you might ask?
A learning organisation is one where:

“Employees continually create, acquire and transfer knowledge-helping their company adapt to the unpredictable faster than rivals can e.g. tougher competition, technology and shifting customer preferences ” (Garvin et al., 2008)

There are 3 building blocks suggested by Garvin et al. that many organisations fail to put in place, making it very difficult to achieve the ideal. One of the most important building blocks according to many global learning leaders is having the type of leadership in place that reinforces learning.

Here, the organisations leaders (including managers of smaller departments and units):

Demonstrate willingness to entertain alternative viewpoints
Signal the importance of spending time on problem identification, knowledge transfer and reflection
Engage in active questioning and listening

(Garvin et al, 2008)

When leaders actively questions and listen to employees –and thereby prompt dialogue and debate- people feel encouraged to learn. If leaders signal the importance of spending time on problem identification, knowledge transfer and reflective post-audits, these activities are likely to flourish.

When people in power demonstrate through their own behavior and willingness to entertain alternative points of view, employees feel emboldened to offer new ideas and options.

What are you doing to create and maintain the type of leadership that reinforces learning?

National Well-Being DAY – Working Together For A Healthier Future!

Updated August 2nd 2023

What would I see if I walked into the reception of YOUR organisation between 8am and 9am this morning?

Would I notice an atmosphere of positivity and well-being.? Would I notice people who are well, happy and healthy, milling through reception? Or would I see over-tired, stressed, coffee-fueled zombies shuffling around the front doors?

As today is National Workplace Well-Being Day, it is more important than ever to reflect on the well-being of your workplace.

The Tagline is ‘Working together for a healthier future!’ What do you think of this statement?

Do YOU work together with YOUR colleagues to create a healthier future?

We’ve been talking about employee engagement, leadership, companionate love, ‘spirit of work’, communication, happiness, thinking, behaviour and all sorts in our recent blogs. Ultimately, we talk a lot about care for ourselves and for our colleagues.

Did you know that Gallup* found that Managers can greatly impact employee well-being, as well as engagement? Ultimately this all plays an important part in the performance of an organisation (Krueger and Killham, 2005).

*(Analytics and advice to help leaders and organisations solve their most pressing problems)

Improving employee engagement needs involvement and commitment from the leaders and manager (Mann & Harter, 2016). Of course it requires ownership and commitment outside of the workplace from the individual also. In my experience, work and home always impact on each other. What is important, is that to improve engagement, you need to improve well-being.

Did you ever consider that?

When I walk into an organisation that practices these things, I can feel it. From the moment I walk into reception, there’s a difference; a difference in how people greet me, and greet each other.

What are you going to do today to improve your well-being and the well-being of those around you?

International Day of Happiness!

Updated August 1st 2023

Today is International Day of Happiness.

“The International Day of Happiness recognises the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.” According to the United Nations website.

Did you know that Increased happiness leads to 12% increased productivity?

Did you know that it is possible to raise your levels of happiness above your genetic setpoint?

Did you realise that your level of happiness also impacts on your health?

What is Happiness?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes happiness as “a state of well-being and contentment” and “a pleasurable or satisfying experience”.

How are you doing with your own Happiness?

Personally I struggle with this during the winter months! I force myself to SMILE as soon as I wake up. This gets the endorphins, serotonin and dopamine going! Even a fake smile is useful!

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Ever noticed, how some people are able to remain happy even when faced with adverse circumstances? Whereas some people seem to always be unhappy even when things are going well!. So why are some people happier than others?

Lyubomirsky (2001) notes that happy people interpret events and situations in a way that strengthens, maintains or promotes their happiness. On the other hand, people who are unhappy, by nature interpret their experiences in a manner that reinforces their unhappiness and negative self-views.

Objective factors such as wealth and health etc. can have effects on people’s happiness levels. At the same time, there are several psychological processes that control the impact certain events and life circumstances have on a person’s well-being (Lyubomirsky, 2001).

Mainly, people who are happier tend to have more success in work, relationships and health when compared to those who are less happy. What many people don’t realise (and per over 200 studies with students and Fortune 500 companies) is that happiness encourages success rather than the other way around.

How Happy is your workplace?

Have you ever considered, how much the happiness of you and your colleagues impacts on each of your individual success? Every considered how happiness impact on the success of your team and the organisation? Or are you, by chance, a person of the opinion that work and happiness are not related? Or perhaps you have the opinion that happiness is a luxury that only the wealthy or famous have time for?

A study entitled “Happiness and Productivity” (Oswald et al, 2015) provides evidence of a link between human happiness and human productivity. Increased happiness, according to this research, leads to 12% increased productivity. Lower happiness is systematically associated with lower productivity. This finding is consistent with the existence of a causal link continuously seen in Positive Psychology between human well-being and human performance.

According to Happiness Advantage (2010) author and Harvard Researcher Shawn Achor:

Optimistic Sales people outsell their pessimistic counterparts by 56%

Doctors put in a positive state, make an accurate diagnosis 19% faster

Students primed to feel happy before taking a math achievement test, outperform their peers

Research shows that being happy before and during work makes us more resourceful and effective. Ultimately feeling happy improves our problem-solving skills!

We know that happy people have certain ‘adaptive characteristics’ and tend to engage in certain behaviours that helps someone thrive and succeed in life. Because of that, here at Adaptas, as part of our Leadership Development Program, and Executive Coaching, we support you to cultivate and manage your own happiness and the happiness of your teams!

Check out our Leadership Module; The Adaptas Happy Leader

And here is one of my favourite TedTalks, Shawn Achor, talks about the Happines Advantage; which is worth watching over and over just for the unicorn story.

The Power Of Mental Practice In developing Your Communication Skills