Later, working as a HR consultant building assessment and development centres, advising on leadership development and talent management strategies, I craved scientific evidence of what actually works, is sustainable and why.

In 2003, I retired from consulting to study psychology. It was synchronous that I chanced upon Martin Seligman’s invitation to a pioneer Master of Applied Positive Psychology programme at the University of Pennsylvania. It was destiny – it fitted exactly with what I was looking for. Unlike clinical and counseling psychology where one worked to move psychologically challenged people back to neutral, I wanted to help people excel, find life satisfaction, feel successful - move people north of neutral – to live well and to flourish. Our class of 31 was an amazing group of personalities already prominent in their respective fields - professional coaches, writers, a famous Russian comedian, an eminent surgeon, a leading lawyer, educationists, HR professionals, corporate leaders, a concert pianist, an ice skater, a yoga proponent, a software developer with 21 patents, and highly inspirational young psychology graduates. Marty’s vision was for the class to take positive psychology back into the world we each came from and to apply what we learn in as many settings as we can find. Being the ‘firstborn’, we were taught by the leading researchers in the field led by Martin Seligman himself.

Sulynn Choong with Martin Seligman Photograph courtesy : Sulynn Choong

So what is positive psychology? In 1998, Martin Seligman, President of the American Psychological Association, noted that traditional psychology since WWII had focused almost exclusively on what was wrong with and lacking in individuals, developing the assumption that human beings are inherently flawed and fragile. He proposed a new emphasis in the field of psychology, referred to as positive psychology, to correct this imbalance – to devote as much focus on strengths as on weaknesses, as much interest in building the best things in life as repairing the worst, and as much attention to fulfilling the lives of healthy people as to healing the wounds of the distressed - until a time when all of psychology embraces the study of what is good and what is bad equally.

Positive psychology (PP) provides an umbrella term for what had hitherto been isolated lines of theory and research and argues for a specific field of inquiry into the good life. Such focus on promoting human potential naturally calls for a change in perspectives including assumptions, measurements and questions that are radically different to those in the disease model. However, the study of positive traits, positive subjective experiences and positive institutions is not new. We find excellent examples of earlier psychological research such as the work on happiness and subjective wellbeing by Diener (1984), hope by Snyder (1994), flow by Csikszentmihalyi (1990), dispositional optimism by Scheier and Carver (1985), optimistic explanatory style by Seligman (1991), psychological wellbeing by Ryff (1989) and positive mental health by Jahoda (1958).

In 2003, Kim Cameron, Jane Sutton and Robert Quinn, professors at the University of Michigan, established a new field of study in organisational studies, known as positive organisational scholarship (POS), which examines the enablers, motivations, and effects associated with remarkably positive phenomena at work looking into how they are facilitated, why they work, how they can be identified, and how researchers and managers can capitalise on them. Like PP, it rigorously seeks to understand what represents the best of human conditions providing a lens that makes visible that which was invisible before.

Cameron, a professor of organisational behavior and HR management, studies how organisational virtuousness contributes to higher levels of performance even after downsizing, while other studies focus on how a positive perspective can explain the absence of ‘a million accidents waiting to happen’ at workplaces, the fact that resilience is a key attribute of flourishing organisations, and why building on strengths is the most efficient focus for individual and organisational improvements. We also learned that people who find personal meaning in their work have greater positive impact on their environment and performance while positive emotions at work can transform individuals and organisations, propelling them in upward spirals to higher levels of performance, and transcendent behavior at the workplace is evidenced when people effect extraordinary change by exceeding demands, eliminating or overcoming constraints, and creating or seizing opportunities.

What do I do with PP? I consult with CEOs who wish to effect sustainable positive change in their companies through harnessing the power of their people. HR consulting is a people business and both PP and POS present scientific evidence of what brings out the best in individuals and institutions. So I integrate applications of PP and POS into my work. I don’t specifically sell the science as much as I incorporate evidence-based elements into my work, educating as I go. Every organisation has its own vision, values and objectives and my role is to work within these boundaries - building the people, enabling the organisation while enriching lives in the process of transforming the way the organisation works.

While PP is fascinating and exciting, it is still a hard sell. Sometimes I do pro-bono work to prove that it works. For instance, the managing director of a new upmarket property development firm asked me to conduct training for his small team. Morale was low and the team was falling apart in the face of a slow market. I knew in my gut that the last thing these people needed was training. After asking about the company’s brief history, I suggested that he should have an office party instead. Being an absolute gentleman, he politely asked for a quotation for Board approval. ”Forget about that - there’s no time to waste. Just let me work with your people for the next 2-3 weeks”.

At our first ‘planning’ meeting, the team members were wary as I enthusiastically talked about a special tea party and cheerily invited them to work on individual special projects. They shadow-boxed with me for a while as I cajoled them for reports on their progress. Slowly the heavy mood of gloom and doom lightened as I celebrated each small step forward with them. Alas! Some still would not respond. On the big day, the members of the whole team laughed and cried, joked and teased, and chatted with each other excitedly for the first time in months. What happened?

It was a simple exercise of evoking positive emotions through shared savouring, appreciation and bonding. All the team members took turns in sharing their ‘best memories (in the company) during the last 12 months’ whether through a multimedia show of special moments in time, positive and uplifting anecdotes, or simple heartfelt reflections. Even the initially skeptical executive director told of his gratitude and pride in the team’s efforts and accomplishments. Feted with a sumptuous homemade English tea spread, regaled by a “guess who’s this colleague” test and awed by the artistic talent of their week-old new colleague who brought her giant oil painting as her achievement of the year, the fellowship and camaraderie experienced by the team was palpable. Me? I just had tea.

Three months later, the managing director and the executive director were excited and jubilant. The team spirit had returned strong that afternoon at tea. Through perseverance and holding on together, the team had hit the jackpot – they had sold all the tower blocks!

It was not surprising. PP has evidence to show that when people feel good, they become more relaxed, more creative and productive - Fredrickson’s ‘broaden and build’ theory at work. This team just needed a lift out of the despondency so typical of our human bias for negativism.

Nevertheless, PP may be considered ‘fluffy’. It is understandable that businesses are cautious and look for track records and performance ratings. There are far too many buzz words and new fads in the market. It does not help that the media portray the field of study as the science of happiness with associations of smiley faces and positive thinking. Also, you are more likely to read about PP in health and wellness and in women’s magazines or in feature articles from abroad than in The Edge or Malaysian Business Times. We need to emphasise that psychological research provides hard evidence of what seems to work, what is sustainable as well as how and why.

Further, most organisations are driven by the bottom line and their best assets (people) are often the least favoured in their development planning and budget allocation. Companies are more likely to spend more on a branding strategy or IT system upgrade than invest in building a strong employer brand, creating an inspiring workplace or simply developing a cadre of informed motivated employees. Changing people takes time but changing the mindset of leaders takes persistence and courage.

But the world in which we work is rapidly changing and so are our expectations from work and employment. Besides the economic considerations, what makes a qualified or skilled individual choose one job over another? What will cause an employee to pour heart and soul into his work and be steadfastly loyal to the company he works for? PP helps us to address of these issues without need for trial and error.

For instance, PP finds that an individual would be more satisfied in a job that allows him to put his strengths to work than in a job that does not (Seligman, 2001) and yet employers tend to pay more attention to a CGPA score as a criteria for recruitment, marginalising other potentially great employees because we mistakenly equate lesser academic prowess with lower competence in all other areas. Managers and superiors have productive and happy workers in their teams when they are aware of individual strengths and deploy these effectively.

Or, think of a time when you were totally engrossed in your work and enjoying it, you were likely to be doing something that gave you a sense of control, mastery and challenge. Csikszentmihalyi (1990, 1997) found that when an individual’s skills and abilities are matched or challenged by the task at hand, the person is more likely to work in a state of flow, an optimal psychological state characterised by positive effect and arousal including feelings of happiness, cheerfulness, alertness, excitement and concentration. So matching skills and job challenges is important especially in job-person match and managing for performance.

Going deeper, most organisations do performance appraisal. Goal and motivation theory tells us that SMART goals are empowering because they have built-in feedback systems, promote self-efficacy and self-direction thus creating hope and optimism of mastery and achievement. Yet many HR professionals, line managers and employees alike dread performance appraisal while corporate leaders lament that performance management systems are mere HR gimmicks. The fact is the efficacy of any system depends on form, content and context. The format, procedure and timing as well as the communication skills of all parties concerned are key considerations as are the working environment, management styles and workplace culture. All of these work together as a dynamic system. When we neglect the impact of any one part, we risk the effectiveness of the whole.

As a proponent of applying PP in the workplace, I ask: Do we look for reasons to celebrate more than watch out for problems and failures? How often do we connect sincerely with our colleagues and co-workers? Do our employees know and live the corporate values that are displayed on the front wall? Are employees clear on the organisation’s vision, direction and objectives? Are they able to tell if they are doing the right thing? Are our leaders modeling moral and authentic behaviours? Do we threaten more than we motivate? Do we control or empower? Do we conscientiously seek out our corporate strengths and virtues and build on them? Does the question ‘what’s in it for me’ hold an affirmative positive answer for every one of our employees? Do our employees feel good about working for us?

In short, how our employees experience the company will determine the customer experience or the value of the shareholder portfolio. It boils down to treating and valuing our people as the assets that we profess them to be. This is the premise of POS – the study of what motivates, enables, facilitates and sustains positive human endeavour and wellbeing that translates into outstanding organisational effectiveness and performance.

Generally, how does PP apply in everyday living? “Other people matter” quipped Professor Chris Peterson, my mentor, when asked to sum up what he has learnt in PP in the last decade. Indeed, PP reminds us to be grateful, allow ourselves to love and be loved, have hope and be optimistic, subscribe to something bigger than ourselves, and forgive. Chris constantly reminds his students to address the ‘so what’ question. For all that we know and espouse, what is the enduring value of what we do? And I would add ‘be mindful - find meaning and purpose in what you do, engage fully and live authentically’.