Positive psychology and the power of ‘energising strengths’

Discovering and maximising the use of our strengths as adults isn’t easy; we’ve had years and years of being told by others what ‘they’ perceive our strengths are through ‘their’ eyes and ‘their’ experience of us. We’ve also been conditioned to adjust our behaviours in order to be accepted within our cultures at work, and our social settings. Letting go of these learned behaviours, and instead taking the time to fully understand what gives us energy, rather than takes energy away from us, is a worthwhile moment in any coaching programme. Yet another form of self-awareness, this time through the eyes of ourselves only; for only we really know what our energising strengths are.

A strengths-based approach falls under the banner of Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology is a relatively new field of human psychology, and was initiated by contemporary thought leaders such as Martin Seligman who transitioned Psychology from being a model based on ‘deficit’ to a model based on ‘opportunity’.

‘Positive Psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover
and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive’

(Martin Seligman 2003)

The history of Psychology in simple terms looks like this:

1. During the late 19th/early 20th centuries Psychology was focussed primarily on the curing of mental health conditions – ‘problems’ that needed fixing. This is often referred to as the ‘disease model’
2. Following on from this ‘behaviouralist Psychology’ was developed – the idea that human beings could be conditioned to manage their behaviour through a balance of reward and punishment
3. Next came the ‘humanist’ approach based on the belief that human beings ultimately desire one thing – self actualisation through a deep understanding of their individual self-awareness and sense of purpose
4. And finally, for now, Positive Psychology was born. The focus through this evolved approach to Psychology is on the fundamental human pursuit of happiness

For further information please refer to https://positivepsychology.com/founding-fathers/

Positive Psychology has a direct connection to combating the brain’s natural negativity bias, which is innate across the human race and designed to keep us safe from threat and danger. We evolved by looking at what was going wrong around us, fixing problems, staying safe, and continuing to develop successfully. So it’s no surprise we can’t help but call out all of the things we aren’t great at and can easily list the negative feedback we receive, but struggle to talk to confidently about all the things that make us successful and find it even harder to talk about ourselves in the positive frame for fear of being seen as having an excessive ego!

The power of Positive Psychology is to align it to the growth mindset, the work of Carol Dweck. If as humans we believe in the value of support combined with challenge; in development needs combined with innate strengths; and in fixing whilst also looking for opportunity, then and only then do we truly grow into what is possible for us – a balanced, purposeful and happy life where we thrive (rather than survive).

Taking some time to reflect on the questions below is a great starting point for exploring your self-awareness through the lens of Positive Psychology:

• Describe a very high energy version of yourself……what are you doing in the specific moment where your energy is at its highest?
• What are your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in this moment?
• How do your personal values show up at their absolute best?
• How would you describe your sense of purpose aligned to this activity?
• What is the positive impact you have on others when you are in this state?

At MRA we also use our own tool to engage clients in conversations aimed at increasing levels of personal confidence through developing their self-awareness aligned to what we call their ‘Energising Strengths’ https://mraexecutivecoaching.com/shop

Through a comprehensive and insightful discussion and coaching exercise we are able to build a picture of the above four categories for our clients. This allows conversations to build that focus on their Excel Strengths – the activities which bring them a combination of both high energy-giving behaviours & high standards of execution (capability/performance).

Energy and Execution = Energising Strengths

Please do touch base with any of our Professional Coaches if you are interested in learning more about the value of Positive Psychology and exploring your own levels of self-awareness through the Energising Strengths profiling tool. Or just to chat about what makes you THRIVE! It’s energising for us as much as it is for you!

HOWEVER supporting a client’s understanding of their own strengths is not enough to be a capable coach. At MRA we have a clear set of competencies that frame the requirements for excellent coaching. One of these is ‘Championing the client’. Championing the client is so much more than talking about positive psychology. Championing is a proactive behaviour from the coach whereby the coach notices and calls out major strengths, and positively celebrates client behaviours and actions. The coach is able to acknowledge where they have seen these strengths playing out in real life (outside of the coaching space) and celebrating the positive impact had on the coach and others. Championing is more than being ‘nice’ and building rapport. Think how good you feel when someone goes out of their way to celebrate, really celebrate something you have done or an impact you have had; what goes through your head and your heart when someone really shines a light on what you are capable of bringing to the world? As a coach, our role is to be the person who shines the light, really shining the light for maximum effect!

So, combining positive psychology, the power of energising strengths AND championing the client, can make a significant difference to levels of self-awareness, self-acceptance and personal confidence. Who in the world wouldn’t want that! Let’s all go and proactively shine a light on someone today…just imagine.