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About Shawn Achor
Recently, Shawn sat down with Oprah at her house to discuss the science of happiness, defining success and how we can bring the powerful research-based techniques of positive psychology to the world. To share the message that happiness is a choice, Shawn and The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) created an in-depth, two-part Happiness Course to help individuals impact their own lives and the lives of those around them with the Happiness Advantage.
Shawn's research on happiness made the cover of Harvard Business Review, his research and work on stress in partnership with Yale University at UBS was published in the The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology [http://happierforlife.com/rethink-stress-study/], and his PBS special has been seen by millions. Shawn has worked with over a third of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as the NFL, the NBA, the Pentagon and the White House. His talks have taken him to more than 50 countries, where he has spoken to CEOs in China, doctors in Dubai, schoolchildren in South Africa, and farmers in Zimbabwe.
Find out more about Shawn and his science of happiness research at ShawnAchor.com.
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Blog postI had the distinct privilege of hearing you speak at my company's leadership meeting! Your blog post above made me think of John F. Kennedy's quote, "Ask not what can your country do for you; ask what you can do for your country." or in this instance what you can do for your company, your circle, you committee, etc. The days that I leave the happiest from my office are when I've had the opportunity to help someone else find their way, or praised someone for their contribution8 years ago Read more
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Blog postAs I just tweeted - I am in mad passionate love with Shawn Achor's brain. So much of what he provides not only explains to me the actions we take (and why our little company seems to be so connected to each other and churn out great things and continuous innovation for our customers) but also the principles which seem to underpin those actions. I find that we are continually striving to improve what we deliver because we spend a large modicum of time collaborating - not because we9 years ago Read more
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Blog postThanks for this interesting research and article- just bought the book. I'm interested to read on!
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postI've worked in many corporate environments as well as smaller businesses. My recollection of each environment was that social support never happens at work. When someone feigned a supportive role, they turned around and spoke poorly or gossiped about the person they supposedly "helped" to others. It seemed as if negativity was so deeply ingrained in the system, they would never authentically change, only on the surface after team build9 years ago Read more
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Blog postInteresting
results, Shawn. I resonated with Protheros’s comment about creating
conversation that flows and expands. I work with professionals whose first
language is not English. Some have difficulty initiating and sustaining a
social conversation. Their yes/no questions, or their yes/no answers to others’
initial questions, usually lead nowhere. Instead, communication openers, those “who,
what, where, when, why, or how” interrogative words, signal a desir9 years ago Read more -
Blog postThese are fantastic questions, many of which are exactly what we are hoping to research next. Here are a couple answers: this study was correlational, not causal, but we want to try an intervention next. We will test the connection between social support provision and extraversion, but I hypothesize there will not be a strong link. Yes, this research was cross-industry and cross-position, and involved over a thousand respondents. We call it altruism, but altruism need9 years ago Read more
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Blog postI really like your connection of this research to Appreciative Inquiry. What we focus upon becomes our reality, so if we are focusing upon assigning blame, we are not focusing upon providing the support necessary to make the positive changes we desire. Great point, and I will think about how we could combine the two research questions.
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postGreat post. This study was correlational. I think the next logical step is to provide an intervention at companies where you teach how to increase work altruism, and then evaluate the effect upon job satisfaction and engagement. We have been discussing trying this at Adobe as well as some other smaller organizations.
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postHow do you get promoted at work? is it that when you pry in your colleagues personal life or gossip that you get promoted faster.i am in a fix here.when you work in a sensitive position as a PA to an executive how do you draw the line
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postI own a business and I have a question. How do I develop a culture that encourages social
support and work altruism? Also how can
select work altruists? What are some
interview questions or other methods that will help me find these people?
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postI have been a virtual office worker for some time. Here is what has helped me to make it
work. I use the communication tools that
are given to me. The group does meet
regularly. I have lunched with
co-workers when they are in the same city.
If out of town I use social networking…it is not just for fun and
marketing.
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postVery nice article, thanks! Reinforces what I'm trying to promote in organisations, that you need to actually create environments in offices that ENCOURAGES socialising and networking amongst your employees, and not consider them as a waste of productive time!!
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postI would think that the virtual world enables, encourages sharing better. so, despite the cubicles and the physical barriers and the work from anywhere culture - if i am a giver, i should be able to derive the same sense of satisfaction by sharing! and now it is even easier to share to large groups that are not co-located.
what virtual working and physical barriers probably do is limit casual or incidental 'giving'. but then the persons probably never intended to give isnt it?
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postInsightful. It's always been about giving, not getting. Life is full of paradoxes. Who would think that by giving to others you are giving yourself peace of mind, satisfaction and growth. The challenge then becomes how to give others what they need, not just what they want.
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postGenerally, to work in social environment, its social connection is caused mostly from every individual habits and different characters and principles. In its analogy, its like a foot ball team players. A coach will select & choose best players to play for team's good and success. Thus, every individual should try at best to show of best characters playing field to team's success. So team works and driving overly each skills and tough experiences, easiness, faster moveability, fl9 years ago Read more
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Blog postGosh! I never thought of it. With all the efficiencies of the virtual office it deprives people of one of their most powerful tools of effectiveness: giving and socialization. If the world is built through acts of giving, (the Talmud,) then the vacuousness of virtuality might be the most destructive way to build.
David Lapin
Author: Lead By Greatness
http:// LeadByGreatness.com
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postIt could imply those things, but the questions in the metric revolve around whether you are initiaing social contact within the organization. I wouldn't necessarily say having lunch with a co-worker has to be construed as networking. Also some people who have high visibility could also still be work isolaters in the sense that they are not fostering greater community and connection. These are the "horrible bosses" that people make movies about.
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postThat's a great approach. I think the concept of giving we will find will expand beyond this study to other domains like yours with employee feedback loops, and eventually to even corporate altruism. I have heard of some new initial research findings linking the altruistic nature of a mission statement to employee engagement. Great work
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postYou're right. I think the problem is even more pernicious. You say to look around your office, but the problem is starting to be...there is no office. The office is a coffee shop and a laptop, so for telecommuters, the problem of providing effective social support is elevated. Thank you for the link!
9 years ago Read more -
Blog postThat's a great point. I saw the same when I was in the Navy. Officers who could not maintain professionalism while creating social bonds were the worst leaders. Social support does not mean we should become best friends and drinking buddies with all of our employees. Social support merely infers that there are high quality relationships, and accountability and professionalism can make some relationships, especially work relationships, result in greater social support.9 years ago Read more
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Blog postA good way to support your colleagues is to use a coaching approach. A simple way to do this is to ask a lot of broad what and how questions. This type of questioning creates a flow of information and conversation, builds rapport, safety and trust, shares control, eliminates disagreement and increases choice and options. Typically the response to these questions allows your colleagues to answer the question, add new information, creates the opportunity for you to add your perspective an9 years ago Read more
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Blog postThis is an intriguing piece of research, however the following questions occur:
1. Might it be that giving social support is just part of a set of personality traits that get you ahead? And “isolationism” is a part of a set of traits that are inimical to job advancement? People with high EQ are likely to get ahead at work, and also likely to provide support to others. Similarly, loners and people with lower EQ are less likely to provide social support - and less likely to forge a9 years ago Read more
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“Thoughtfully lays out the steps to increasing workplace positivity.”—Forbes
In the book that inspired one of the most popular TED Talks of all time, New York Times bestselling author Shawn Achor reveals how rewiring our brain for happiness helps us achieve more in our careers and our relationships and as students, leaders, and parents.
Conventional wisdom holds that once we succeed, we’ll be happy; that once we get that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But the science reveals this formula to be backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around.
Research shows that happy employees are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers than their unhappy peers. And positive people are significantly healthier and less stressed and enjoy deeper social interaction than the less positive people around them.
Drawing on his original research—including one of the largest studies of happiness ever conducted—and work in boardrooms and classrooms across forty-two countries, Achor shows us how to rewire our brains for positivity and optimism to reap the happiness advantage in our lives, our careers, and even our health. His strategies include:
• The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility so we can see and seize opportunities all around us
• Social Investment: how to earn the dividends of a strong social support network
• The Ripple Effect: how to spread positive change within our teams, companies, and families
By turns fascinating, hopeful, and timely, The Happiness Advantage reveals how small shifts in our mind-set and habits can produce big gains at work, at home, and elsewhere.
In a world that thrives on competition and individual achievement, we are measuring and pursuing potential all wrong. By pursuing success in isolation - pushing others away as we push ourselves too hard - we are not just limiting our potential, we are becoming more stressed and disconnected than ever.
In his highly anticipated follow-up to The Happiness Advantage, Achor reveals a better approach. Drawing on his work in 50 countries, he shows that success and happiness are not competitive sports. Rather, they depend almost entirely on how well we connect with, relate to, and learn from each other.
Just as happiness is contagious, every dimension of human potential - performance, intelligence, creativity, leadership ability and health - is influenced by those around us. So when we help others become better, we reach new levels of potential, as well. Rather than fighting over scraps of the pie, we can expand the pie instead.
Small Potential is the limited success we can attain alone. BIG Potential is what we can achieve together. Here, Achor offers five strategies - the SEEDS of Big Potential--for lifting the ceiling on what we can achieve while returning happiness and meaning to our lives.
The dramatic shifts in how we approach work today demand an equally dramatic shift in our approach to success. Big Potential offers a new path to thriving in the modern world.
In his international bestseller, The Happiness Advantage, Harvard trained researcher Shawn Achor described why happiness is the precursor to greater success. This book is about what comes before both. Because before we can be happy or successful, we need to first develop the ability to see that positive change is possible. Only once we learn to see the world through a more positive lens can we summon all our motivation, emotion, and intelligence to achieve our personal and professional goals.
In Before Happiness, Achor reveals five actionable, proven strategies for changing our lens to positive:
- The Most Valuable Reality: See a broader range of ideas and solutions by changing the details on which your brain chooses to focus
- Success Mapping: Set goals oriented around the things in life that matter to you most, whether career advancement or family or making a difference in the world
- The X-spot: Use success accelerants to propel you more quickly towards those goals, whether finishing a marathon, reaching a sales target, learning a language, or losing 10 pounds
- Noise-Canceling: Boost the signal pointing you to opportunities and possibilities that others miss
- Positive Inception: Transfer these skills to your team, your employees, and everyone around you
By mastering these strategies, you’ll create an renewable source of positivity, motivation, and engagement that will allow you to reach your fullest potential in everything you do.
"[How to Make a Shark Smile] teaches that a gesture as simple as a smile can have a profound effect on others."—Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Happier at Home
A story about choosing happiness and the ripple effect of a positive mindset. Includes seven happiness exercises at the back of the book to encourage kids to fit them in every single day!
Ripple the dolphin just moved to a new aquarium and is excited to make some friends! But as she swims around, she notices the water is still and quiet. The eels have no zing. The neon fishes don't glow. The seahorses aren't horsing around. Everyone's too afraid of a mean shark named Snark!
Ripple is determined to show her new friends that they shouldn't be afraid—it's all about mindset. They can choose to be happy!
But just as the aquarium begins to liven up, Snark the shark shows up ready to prove Ripple wrong. Can Ripple get Snark to smile too?
Bestselling authors and happiness experts Shawn Achor and Amy Blankson invite you to dive in and learn how you can spread joy to those around you with Ripple and her friends.
Perfect for:"Shawn Achor ist lustig, selbstironisch und stellt die etablierten Vorstellungen von Glück auf den Kopf … Man wird zu Wachs in seinen Händen."
— THE BOSTON GLOBE
Eine Alltagsweisheit besagt, dass wir glücklich werden, sobald wir Erfolg haben – wir müssen nur noch diesen großartigen Job bekommen, die schöne Wohnung ergattern oder zwei weitere Kilo abnehmen. Die neuesten Untersuchungen der Positiven Psychologie zeigen, dass dieses Prinzip längst überholt ist, denn Glück fördert Erfolg, nicht umgekehrt.
In DAS HAPPINESS-PRINZIP stellt der New-York-Times-Bestseller-Autor sein bahnbrechendes Konzept vor. Er zeigt auf, wie kleine Veränderungen in unserer Denkweise und unseren Gewohnheiten Großes bewirken können. Dazu hat er sieben Bausteine für ein erfolgreiches Leben erarbeitet, beispielsweise:
DER ANGELPUNKT UND DER HEBEL: Wie eine Veränderung der Mentalität die eigene Leistungsfähigkeit steigert
DER TETRIS-EFFEKT: Wie Sie Ihre Möglichkeiten voll ausschöpfen, indem Sie das Gehirn trainieren
DIE 20-SEKUNDEN-REGEL: Wie durch den Abbau von Hindernissen aus schlechten Angewohnheiten gute werden
SHAWN ACHOR beweist, dass glückliche Menschen bessere Problemlöser sind, bedeutend gesünder leben, tiefere soziale Bindungen haben und resistenter gegen Stress sind. Dieses Buch ist für alle gedacht, die ihr volles Leistungspotenzial in allen Lebensbereichen ausschöpfen wollen!