Download - Nelson Hart Content Catalog
Positive Psychology in the Workplace
When individuals flourish, organizations thrive.
Transforming Organizational Capability
Preface
This catalog presents a series of learning topics designed to help organizations optimize the performance of their people portfolio. This optimization is not sector dependent; people have same needs no matter where they work. Positive Workplace contemplates stronger strengths utilization, managing weaknesses, and creating a favorable emotional environment for people to do great work.
This is not a traditional course catalog. Our learning topics are developed based on the most current, well-substantiated university research. As Daniel Pink, author of Drive says, “there is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does” (TED, 2009).
Nelson Hart’s sweet spot is keeping a close eye on what science knows and making it accessible, understandable, and implementable by people in organizations. We incorporate knowledge from many fields (psychology, physiology, organizational studies, sociology, leadership, management, etc.), but focus primarily on bringing positive psychology research into organizations through practical applications.
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Table of Contents
Positive Psychology in the Workplace
Introduction 1
Managing the People Portfolio 3
Client Approach & Learning Strategy 4
Learning Strategy Details 5
Learning Topics
Learning Topics Delivery 1
Learning Topics 4
Positive Workplace Overview 5
Self-Awareness 6
Deploying Strengths 7
Emotions at Work 8
Psychological Capital 9
Stress Management 10
Meaningful Work 11
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Table of Contents
Learning Topics
Employee Engagement 12
Motivation 13
Feedback 14
High Performing Teams 15
Communication 16
Creativity & Innovation 17
Conflict 18
Leadership 19
Influence 20
Culture 21
Managing Change 22
Decision-Making 23
Ethical Action 24
Table of Contents
About Nelson Hart LLC.
Nelson Hart - Who We Are 1
Characteristics of Positive Workplace 2
Our Educational Model 3
Positive Psychology in the Workplace
Positive Psychology in the Workplace
Introduction Positive Psychology as a field is newly named, but is comprised of a body of knowledge
about human flourishing that is centuries old and as recent as yesterday. This is not old wine in new
bottles, however. Advances in empirical research into psychology, physiology, and neuroscience have
yielded actionable research.
Organizations are now working in rapidly changing global environments. The proliferation
of data and information and the complexity of strategic decision-making increases organizational
reliance on its people: their commitment, their knowledge and skills, their management and leadership
capabilities, and their resilience and adaptability.
Broad economic and demographic trends are rapidly and profoundly changing the needs
of organizations. The retirement of the Boomers, the multi-generational workforce, changing
immigration trends, the global recession and budgetary resets, the ever-increasing pace of change –
organizations must manage their people portfolio to be skillful, adaptable, constant learners, able
decision-makers in complex or ambiguous situations, committed, creative, collaborative, resilient,
motivated, and more.
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Positive Psychology in the Workplace
Organizations need to be flexible, adaptable, and service-oriented. Net financial results
depend on cultivating and growing resources regardless of sector. Costs must not simply be
managed or reduced; they must be more creatively deployed. Both of these require new ways of
thinking about the business of organizations. New issues and opportunities require new approaches.
We believe that one of the most important strategic focus areas is the people in your
organization. Whether you are in a capital-intensive or a service-intensive organization, it is the
people in your organization that execute strategy – people make the difference.
We know, however, that newest research, even well-tested practical research, is slow to
reach practitioners. And, when it does reach practitioners, it may be diluted to a few simple
applications taught for immediate use – the management idea of the month club entry.
Our organizational sweet spot is the space between the researchers and the
practitioners. We do not generate trendy new management techniques. We develop and deliver in
micro-lectures key research knowledge and work with your people to help them understand,
assimilate, and utilize this research knowledge through durable and creative new ways of thinking
about people at work.
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Positive Psychology in the Workplace
Positive Psychology in the Workplace (PPW) helps organizations to optimize their
people both individually, and collectively.
We strive not just to transfer knowledge.
We build durable new ways of thinking and acting to enhance organizational
performance in the long-term.
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Managing the People Portfolio
Collaboration People Portfolio as more than
the sum of its parts.
Innovation Timely & creative anticipation of
emerging stakeholder needs &
market opportunities.
Resilience Perseverance. Ability to
bounce back and generate
new paths around obstacles.
Commitment Highly engaged employees invest
discretionary effort in work.
Adaptation Anticipation, adjustment,
alignment, achievement.
Well Being @ Work Effective management of stress
and energy lead to flourishing
people & thriving organizations. 3
Client Approach & Learning Strategy
Consult and Assess
We work to understand your
organization, your mission, your
people, and your opportunities
Design and Collaborate
We combine our understanding of your needs with
our subject matter expertise and experience to
design a plan to optimize your
people portfolio.
Facilitate Learning
We deliver a facilitated learning
opportunity, multiplying client knowledge by our
experience.
Integrate into Practice
We support participants’
mastery through follow-up coaching and formation of
a learning community.
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Learning Strategy (next page)
DISCOVER LEARN & MASTER
Client A
pp
roa
ch
Learning Strategy Details
Discover
• Assessments
• Self Reflection
• Team Inquiry
• Structured Learning
• Team Discussions
• Individual Assignments
• Personal Development Planning
Learn Master
• Learning Networks
• Coaching
• Implementation & Accountability
We help your people understand
themselves individually and as team
members through structured inquiry
(interview and/or online surveys).
We select targeted, empirically
validated assessments to gather key
data about the people in your people
portfolio.
We provide time for self-reflection
to help your people develop from a
solid, realistic foundation.
We share thematic and team-level
reports as a foundation for learning
during the workshops.
Our workshops are facilitated
learning opportunities geared to
knowledgeable, adult learners. We use
micro lectures to convey new material.
We specially design cases for
experiential learning based on your
particular organization and development
needs so that action plans made in the
workshop can be implemented at work
immediately.
Workshops include forming action
plans and establishing accountability
processes post-workshop.
Just as no competitive sport is learned
listening to lectures and doing drills,
management and leadership skills need to
be practiced and coached in the real
game. Through learning networks following
workshops, through individual or team
coaching, through follow-up on personal
action plans, we support your people as
they move from novice to master
practitioners in our subject matter areas.
We know that this post-workshop
support assures real return on your
investment in your people portfolio.
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Learning Topics
Learning Topic Delivery
The learning topics which follow in this next section, represent part
of our body of knowledge about positive psychology in the workplace.
There are subject matter areas rather than individual workshops. This
means that we are able to offer the subject matter in a variety of formats
depending on the particular needs of your organization. These formats are
independent of one another and not a course progression. The formats
offered are:
Learner Practitioner Master Teacher Integrated Solutions
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Learning Topics Delivery
Learner
Each of these learning topics can be introduced or previewed in a two (2) hour format. In this format key elements of the subject are introduced and briefly explained, expected measurable organizational outcomes are defined, and a brief application example is provided. Time for Q&A is provided. Participants gain recognition of topic, its potential organizational benefits, and begin to see how it could be utilized in their organization.
Practitioner
Building on the structure of the Learner, the Practitioner provides a deeper, theoretical understanding of the subject (a mini-lecture designed for practitioners). It presents explicitly the translation from theory to practice, provides application examples, active learning cases for participants to explore these within their own organizational context, and yields a specific plan of action for implementation.
Master Teacher
The Master Teacher goes beyond the Practitioner so that participants engage the subject matter at a depth whereby they are able to generate new applications, which are empirically based and appropriate to their organization. Participants may be able to effectively transfer this knowledge to others in their organization.
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Learning Topics Delivery
Integrated Solutions
Another way to consider these learning topics is as building blocks for organizational
development or issue resolution for intact teams or operating units. For example, suppose an
operating unit in a large technology-based division is reporting significantly lower levels of
employee engagement than its peers. Unit management is concerned, but is uncertain how to
move forward to increase these scores.
We might offer a customized workshop/agenda to include an overview of the case
for positive psychology in the workplace, with sections on, employee engagement, motivation,
and performance feedback (all Practitioner level). Action planning would close the workshop.
In this situation, we would recommend follow-up team coaching to assist implementation of the
action plans.
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Learning Topics
Positive Workplace Overview
Self-awareness
Deploying Strengths
Emotions at Work
Psychological Capital
Stress Management
Meaningful Work (Shared Purpose)
Employee Engagement
Motivation
Feedback
High Performing Teams
Communication
Creativity & Innovation
Conflict
Leadership
Influence
Culture
Managing Change
Decision-making
Ethical Action
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Positive Workplace Overview
Making the
Case for the
Positive
Workplace:
Generating
and
Sustaining
Competitive
Advantage
Overview
Organizations in all sectors are looking for ways to improve performance in sustainable
ways. This module concisely presents the business case for incorporating the most current
research into everyday organizational practices to generate, enhance, and sustain
competitive performance.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Describe the business rationale for
focusing on the people part of leadership
and management to improve quantitative
and qualitative business outcomes
Generate ideas for implementing a
positive workplace
Make the case for key organizational
changes to create a Positive Workplace
Topics Covered Strengths-based management
Employee engagement
Motivation
Business value of positive emotions at
work: optimism, resilience, competence,
confidence; meaning and purpose; well-
being in performance
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Self-Awareness
You, the
Owner’s
Manual --
Introduction
Overview
In our current environment, your people are the key to sustainable competitive advantage.
They are each unique individuals with specific contributions to make to your organization.
Realizing each employee’s full contribution begins with the employee knowing and
understanding themselves, what they bring to the workplace, what motivates their best
work. Knowing themselves enhances their ability to know and understand others. This
workshop is an opportunity for your people to reflect on what they do best and how to do
more of it at work.
This learning topic is invaluable for people as they advance as managers and/or as a
prelude or support for developmental coaching.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to: Understand what they need at work to perform
at their best
Understand that other people may have
different needs
Know how to organize work to take advantage
of both what's the same and what's different
among available employees
Topics Covered Personal strengths
Strengths deployment at work
Personality type at work
Psychological capital at work
Conflict style
Stress & coping
Designing your ideal workplace
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Deploying Strengths
Working
from
Strengths
Overview
Research indicates that companies that organize work to take advantage of the particular
strengths of the people on hand tend to get better business results than those that focus on
fixing people’s weaknesses so that they fit rigid job descriptions. Participants will learn their
own strengths, ways to recognize strengths in others, and practical techniques for organizing
work to take advantage of strengths and to manage weaknesses.
High-Level Outcomes
Participants will be able to capitalize on
strengths for better performance because
they can:
Organize their own work to make better
use of their personal strengths
Identify strengths in others and help them
deploy their strengths effectively
Assign work in ways that takes advantage
of different strengths in different people
Use a language of strengths to make
performance feedback energizing
Constructively manage weaknesses
Topics Covered
The importance of being able to see and
talk about strengths in ourselves and others
Self assessment of personal strengths
The business impact of deploying strengths
at work
Practical steps that lead to effective
deployment of strengths at work
Managing weaknesses well
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Emotions at Work
Emotions at
Work:
The Other
Half of
Intelligence
Overview
People bring their emotions to work. Nobody is able to leave them at the door. Participants
who can recognize and effectively manage their emotions and the emotions of others can
raise the productivity of work teams, prevent the attrition that comes from bullying, and
encourage innovation in response to business challenges. Emotions are part of our human
intelligence systems. Work environments that have a net positive emotional ratio outperform
negative or neutral work environments. Emotional intelligence has greater impact on success in
life and work than IQ alone
High-Level Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
Recognize and manage their own emotions
Understand how to deal with other
people’s emotions effectively
Stimulate more positive emotions
Moderate the quantity and quality of
negative emotions
Achieve the high positive-to-negative ratio
associated with high-performance teams
Actively continue to develop their
emotional intelligence
Topics Covered
Emotions at work – how they are expressed
Losada ratio: positive to negative emotions
Value of positive emotions
What makes some negative emotions
constructive and others destructive
Ways to elicit more positive emotion
Emotional intelligence
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Psychological Capital
Psychological
Capital:
Bring Out the
Best in Your
People
Overview
Psychological Capital (PsyCap) comprises four states of mind that are measurable, open to
development, and have a proven impact on business outcomes. Participants will assess
their level of PsyCap, understand PsyCap and its elements, and learn how to use PsyCap
to build the human competitive edge in their workplaces.
High-Level Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
Plan and implement actions that raise
optimism, hope, self-efficacy, and
resilience in individuals and teams
Contribute to the growth of group
PsyCap
Link increases in individual and group
PsyCap to business outcomes
Topics Covered
PsyCap and its elements
Resilience, hope, optimism, and self-
efficacy
What is it and why does it make a
difference to performance?
How can it be measured?
What actions tend to make it grow?
What are the business outcomes when it is
improved?
What is your level of PsyCap?
How to build your PsyCap
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Stress Management
Managing
Stress for
High
Performance
Overview
Change is a constant. Good events, bad events, and uncertainty all result in change. And,
change is stressful. Stress poorly managed is a key contributor to poor workplace outcomes
including lower productivity, more absenteeism, reduced well-being, reduced creativity and
collaboration.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Differentiate between good and bad stress
Identify stressors affecting their
workplace/their colleagues/themselves
Manage their stress-levels both on and off
the job
Help their colleagues manage stress more
effectively
Manage workplace stress for optimal
outcomes
Topics Covered
Assessing stress
Assessing stress coping skills
Impact of stress on business outcomes
Identifying and responding to different
kinds of stressors
Coping successfully with stress
Optimizing performance under stress
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Meaningful Work (Shared Purpose)
Meaning
Motivates
Overview
Research shows that the most committed employees have a clear sense of the mission of
their organizations, believe that it contributes to the well-being of the world, and know how
their own jobs contribute to meeting the mission. Meaning or shared purpose is one of four
keys to durable individual motivation. Often, organizations assume that compensation and
benefits are sufficient to motivate employees. This learning topic explores meaning as a
motivator, a tool to attain better organizational outcomes.
High-Level Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
Align their own work with the mission
Increase motivation in others by helping
them understand how they contribute to
the mission
Topics Covered
The business value of a meaningful
mission
Qualities of a purpose statement that
reflect shared values and inspire
collective action
Ways to help individual employees align
their own work with the mission
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Employee Engagement
Commitment
Overview
The Gallup Organization estimates that the U.S. economy loses 10% of its productivity
annually to disengaged employees. Engaged employees are committed to their colleagues,
organization, and its stakeholders. Engagement boosts positive key performance indicators
and dampens negative ones. Employee engagement is the emotional commitment of
individuals at work. This learning topic breaks down the key elements of employee
engagement to help managers and leaders develop actionable plans to create and sustain
an engaging workplace.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Understand various methods of assessing
employee engagement
Explain the business impact of employee
engagement to their peers
Design a plan with specific action steps to build
engagement on this case team, and
Assess the level of authority needed for the
actions recommended and the financial cost of
such actions
Have a plan of action for increasing
engagement upon return to work
Topics Covered
Theory of employee engagement
Exploration of levers of employee
engagement
Business benefits of employee
engagement
How to increase employee
engagement in your organization.
Applications to build employee
engagement
Experiential learning case to
develop plan to increase employee
engagement in a real-life team
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Motivation
Designing
Highly
Motivating
Jobs
Overview
Did you know that contingent rewards, the old carrot-and-stick approach to management,
are not effective to motivate knowledge workers. Motivation of people in your organization
is key to sustaining performance. Create an environment where your people are able to
deliver their best – are motivated to do their best. This module helps participants
understand how motivation works so that they can create workplace conditions that support
high levels of motivation.
High-Level Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
Understand and utilize 4 keys to
establishing a motivational environment
Diagnose motivation needs of specific
employees and teams
Give recognition in ways that enhance
motivation
Link managerial action with the keys to
motivation: competence, autonomy,
relatedness, and meaning
Assist employees to unlock their
motivations at work
Topics Covered
The how of motivation
Creating a motivating environment at
work
Keys to motivation
Analyzing motivation gaps
Choosing the key to enhance motivational
environment
Specific techniques for supporting
motivation in self and others
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Feedback
Performance
Conversations
Overview
Good feedback makes people feel appreciated, recognizes and reinforces good
performance, and inspires them to make their performance even better. Poor feedback,
or even worse, the absence of feedback, causes people to feel invisible, diminishes good
performance, and de-motivates people at work. Effective feedback (appreciation or
constructive correction) is essential to employee engagement and high performance.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to :
Establish shared accountabilities
Give praise to reinforce excellent
performance and employee
engagement
Give constructive correction that leads to
better performance
Have performance conversations
naturally
Topics Covered Elements of great feedback
Feedback withheld
Feedback delivered
Collaborative feedback
Converting feedback to action
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High Performing Teams
Building High
Performance
Teams
Overview
This module introduces participants to innovative approaches to quickly and effectively
build high performing teams. Participants learn the fundamentals of positive team
formation and best practices for creating a positive climate, knowing and using team
strengths, defining shared purpose, and establishing strong connections on the team.
Individuals will create action plans for maximizing the performance of their own teams.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Guide teams through the stages of team
formation
Anticipate & prevent the derailers of high
performance teams
Using the Tuckman model, identify the
current stage for a particular team
Using awareness of the team stage, select
the most effective strategies for building
strong cohesion and collaboration
Develop and implement their action plan
for building high performance team
Topics Covered Introduction to the Tuckman model of
team formation
Research and theory around high
performance teams – what contributes,
what derails
Self-assessments of current team
performance
How to build a plan based on self-
assessment results to create a high
performance team
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Communication
Talking +
Listening =
Results
Overview
In an ever more diverse, global workforce, effective communication becomes more critical
and complex. Participants learn the significance of body language, verbal, and non-verbal
communication. They will learn how to suit the message to the audience, how to listen
effectively, and how to run meetings well, and how to optimize various communications
media.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Understand what other people are
conveying with body language and
nonverbal cues
Actively listen and constructively respond
Capitalize on communications opportunities
Have meetings that matter
Enhance virtual communications
Topics Covered
How we communicate
Elements of great communication
Derailers of communication
Active listening
Active responding
Using communications tools well
Meetings that matter
Virtual communications
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Creativity & Innovation
Creating a
Climate of
Innovation
Overview
Organizations must continually innovate to keep up with rapidly changing markets and
business conditions. Certain work environments are more conducive to creativity than
others, largely because people have the autonomy to experiment, failures are
anticipated, and failures accepted as part of the innovation process. This module
explores ways that participants can increase personal creativity and foster a culture of
innovation at work.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Establish an innovative environment
Set innovation goals
Brainstorm new ideas
Spur innovation through inquiry
Manage the innovation process
Topics Covered Creating innovative environments
Role of emotions
Creative inquiry
Mindset
Innovation toolkit
Managing innovation
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Conflict
Great
Conflict:
You &
Conflict
Overview Many of us believe the only good conflict is no conflict. However, poorly handled conflict or
conflict avoided all together reduces the effectiveness of the individuals and their
organizations. Each of us has a preferred way to have conflict. And, each conflict style has
its benefits in certain situations. This learning module focuses on understanding your own
conflict toolkit, how best to use it, how to define root causes of conflict for better resolution,
and processes for really great conflict. Win/win conflict!
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Understand and use their own preferred
conflict styles, strengths of each conflict
style, differing conflict styles in different
types of conflict
Diagnose and address the root causes of
conflicts
Plan and hold successful conflict
conversations
Draft a conflict action model for use at
work
Establish and monitor post conflict
accountabilities
Topics Covered
Your personal conflict style preferences
When to use different conflict styles
How to engage with others in conflict
Role of personality differences in conflict
Diagnosing the root cause(s) of conflict
Crucial conversations
Safe conflict
Conflict for better outcomes
Using personality to effect better conflict
Values and purpose in conflict
Setting and managing post conflict
accountabilities
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Leadership
Evolving as a
Leader
Overview
Great leaders create and communicate the strategic vision. They inspire followers to bring
the vision to reality. Leadership occurs at all levels of organizations. Leadership doesn’t
begin upon appointment to a leadership role.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Clearly define their goals as leaders
Clearly define and act upon their personal
values as leaders
Implement their personal leadership
capabilities with a variety of followers
Establish their personal leadership
development goals
Evolve as authentic leaders
Topics Covered
The practitioners guide to leadership
theory
You as a leader
Style
Strengths
Values
Inspiration
Vision
Evolving as a leaderc
Personal leadership development
goals
Action planning for intentional
evolution as a leader
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Influence
Leading and
Managing
through
Influence
Overview
Organizational structures increasingly are flat and often matrixed. Traditional
hierarchical organizations are morphing away from functions into projects and initiatives.
Leaders need to know how to accomplish the organization’s goals without the direct
authority provided in hierarchical organizations. They need to manage and lead through
influence.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Develop personal power and influence to
get things done
Use the basic motivators of behavior to
influence others
Develop their personal power within their
organization
Topics covered
Positional and personal power
Converting power to influence
Basic motivators: acquire, bond,
comprehend, defend
Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Influence
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Culture
The Way
We Do
Things
Around Here
Overview
Culture, or the way we do things around here, is the ground on which strategy is executed. Does
your culture optimally support strategic execution? A dysfunctional workplace culture can result
in lost productivity, poor quality, and a disengaged workforce. By addressing various elements
of organizational culture leaders can make a difference by transforming workplace cultures
into happy, healthy, and productive environments to work. This module will help participants
understand the dynamics of their workplace culture, facilitate them in building a positive
workplace culture that gives them competitive advantage, and help them transform their
workplace culture in pace with the changing needs of the business (globalization, diversity,
generational overlap, etc).
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Analyze their current workplace culture
Define a Positive Workplace culture
Understand elements and time dimension of
organizational change
Develop and implement a personal action
plan
Topics Covered
Identifying elements of workplace culture
Formal & informal culture
Consequences of culture
Describing your workplace culture
Creating a culture of connectedness
Transformational cultural change
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Managing Change
Embracing
and
Navigating
Change
Overview
To sustain your competitive edge and assure your employability as an individual or to stay an employer of
choice, you must commit to a continual process of reinventing yourself -- or suffer the consequences of
obsolescence and extinction. Change is the constant. Those who are adaptable and continuously evolving
will prevail. Change efforts depend on understanding and unpacking the emotional baggage that comes
with change, tipping the employee scorecard in favor of change, understanding the stages of change, and
developing leadership behaviors that encourage and sustain change. This module will help participants
understand the dynamics of change, how to analyze the need for and best respond to imminent change,
and teach thought leaders how to provide appropriate support as individuals and the organization moves
through change.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Understand how people change
Analyze need for change
Understand how leadership behaviors around change
are critical to change management success
Understand the “emotional” side to change
Create a conducive environment for change
Apply the learning to their current change initiatives (by
developing action plans)
Successfully manage personal and corporate change
Topics Covered
Stages of change model
Diagnosing change stages
Supportive actions & behaviors by stage of
change
Myths about change
Develop action plans to improve team
performance
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Decision-Making
Choosing the
Right Path…
Overview
The ability to make the right decisions in the face of rapid change, complex and often
incomplete data is every organization’s strategic challenge. This learning module focuses on
how we make decisions including how our brain may get in the way of making good decisions.
High-Level Outcomes Participants will be able to:
Identify and use appropriate decision-
making styles in various situations
Challenge theirs and others’ thinking to
avoid making poor decisions
Create a decision-making environment
conducive to generative thinking and better
solutions
Topics Covered
Cognitive biases
Thinking traps
Emotion and decision-making
Decision-making styles
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Ethical Action
The Moral Advantage(1)
(1) William Damon
Overview Ethical decision making or the lack of it has been at the roots of some fallen corporate
trees. Media coverage of these events encourages many to think that ethical decision-
making is passé in organizations. Expedience is the acceptable standard. This learning topic
provides participants with an opportunity to reflect on, confirm, and move to act upon their
core values and those of their organizations.
High-Level Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
State their core values
Integrate their core values with those of
their organization
Identify the values appropriate to the
organization
Think effectively about action in the face
of ethical dilemmas
Topics Covered
Values definition
Values: yours, mine, ours
Competing values framework
Examples of the moral advantage
Cases: ethical/moral dilemmas at work
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About Nelson Hart, LLC
Nelson Hart – Who We Are
Nelson Hart is a woman-owned firm that specializes in consulting.
Nelson Hart focuses on bringing best research to practitioners for daily use
in the areas of positive workplaces, board of governance, organizational
and individual development, executive coaching, and education.
Our principals bring substantial experience to our clients and their work. We
are able to deliver customized solutions to each client assignment.
We effectively transfer experience and knowledge to our clients by
combining clear concepts with practical applications, directly relevant to
your working environment.
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Characteristics of Positive Workplaces
We have come to view the Positive Workplace as one where individuals flourish and organizations thrive. As practitioners of positive psychology, over the last six years we have been working to make the Positive Workplace a reality for clients. To do this, we have learned from the academic research on positive psychology, and combined with our own consulting experience, to produce a blended approach to creating positive working environments that benefit both the individuals who work there and the organizations who employ them. For individuals, flourishing has come to mean being able to your best self; to know, understand, and be able to manage yourself; to appreciate and contribute your unique gifts and perspectives to work; to appreciate the unique contributions of colleagues; to building engagement (Gallup, 2004), flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, 1997, 2000, 2003), and challenge at work; to find meaning and purpose (Seligman, 2002); to pursue growth and development professionally; to enjoy a supportive working environment: physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially.1
2 1Davis, J.S., (2010). Building the Positive Workplace: A Preliminary Report from the Field. In Linley, P. A., Harrington, S., & , N., Oxford handbook of positive
psychology and work . (pp. 289). Oxford : Oxford University Press.
Our Educational Model
We call our model “FLO” for facilitated learning opportunity. This differs from traditional training in that we work with our clients to develop a desire for learning and then offer conceptual knowledge (the way it works), case-based learning (trying out how it works in a safe environment) and then, most importantly, continuing post-workshop with an intact group coaching to practice the concepts and applications in the real world, day-to-day environment (the how it is working in my day-to-day).
FLO has been immensely successful with our clients. They report that learning the concept as well as the techniques and being encouraged to adapt the applications to their personal style and the needs of their organization provides them with a flexible, adaptable toolkit for organizational development and leadership. The ongoing support following the workshops provides the group with a peer group supporting implementation of new ideas, tools, techniques, and behaviors in a supportive facilitated learning opportunity. FLO teaches our participants that there is no one right answer – it is not sufficient in this rapidly changing world of work to just say “do it this way: -- and provides them with the understanding to develop solutions as the need arises which are based on empirical research and practical applications.
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