The Five Essential Elements Needed in A Performance Wellbeing Culture
Imagine running an organization where leaders and teams have a common language, a shared understanding of priorities and able to grow from weaknesses. Unified teams not only have a more pleasurable work experiences, but they also succeed by leaps and bounds as compared to teams that struggle with fostering performance wellbeing.
The researchers and practitioners of positive psychology have studied a range of topics at individual, group and social levels such as character strengths and virtues, leadership, wisdom, values, psychological and social capital. The studies speak for themselves.
While the key positive psychology constructs like life satisfaction, gratitude, happiness, achievement, optimism and organizational citizenship fairness have attracted a majority of research (Rusk and Waters, 2013),16 Seligman and many scholars have focused on maximizing the benefits of PERMA, an acronym for a model of wellBEING that makes up five important building blocks of wellBEING and happiness:
Positive emotions*, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment. (Seligman, 2011)17
*Of which happiness and life satisfaction are all aspects.
These are the five essential elements that serve as the foundation for principles that can lead to a more positive environment and culture in any workplace. We see wellBEING as a ‘broad category’ that encompasses a number of workplace factors.
Positive emotions
As social psychologist Barbara Frederickson posits in her Broaden and Build Theory, positive emotions open hearts and minds to become more receptive, productive and creative (Fredrickson, 2009).18 Positive emotional intelligence can enhance team members’ ability to think creatively, help them cope with challenges, nurture their progress in their career, and aid them in getting along with others in the workplace.
Engagement
A good, productive life integrates the concept of deep and engaging involvement in naturally satisfying and motivating activities referred to as flow, a state in which people are so involved in an activity that time stops and self-consciousness is blocked. (Cskikszentmihalyi, 1990).19 (Seligman, 2002).20
“As work and life become more interconnected, health and well-BEING becomes more dependent on every aspect of work running smoothly…wellBEING drives productivity”21 – Virgin Pulse, 2016
