Reflections on the Strength of Love

Reflections on the Strength of Love

by | Nov 17, 2023 | Coaching, Compassion, Employee Engagement, Employee Voice, Integrity, Leadership, Psychological safety, Strengths, Wellbeing

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Reflections on the Strength of Love

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Love is one of the three character strengths that comprise the Virtue of Humanity.

Humanity describes strengths that manifest in caring relationships with others. These strengths are interpersonal and are mostly relevant in one-on-one relationships.

What is love?

Love as a character strength, rather than as an emotion, refers to the degree to which you value close relationships with people, and contribute to that closeness in a warm and genuine way. 

Where kindness can be a behavioural pattern applied in any relationship, love as a character strength really refers to the way you approach your closest and warmest relationships. 

Love is reciprocal, referring to both loving others and the willingness to accept love from others. 

There are four types of love, each with a biological and evolutionary base:

  • Attachment love: parent for child; child for parent
  • Compassionate/altruistic love: kindness
  • Companionate love: friendship
  • Romantic love: spouse/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend

Why is love of value?

  • Love tends to facilitate tolerance, empathy and forgiveness in relationships which contribute to the health and longevity of those relationships.
  • Loving and secure relationships can provide a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
  • Love is associated with healthy patterns of communication such as compromise and the ability to engage effectively in conflict with others.

A couple of questions to consider

  • What are the ways in which you express love to others and how is it received?
  • How well do you receive love? It is often harder to give than to receive but good relationships are a two-way street. Do signs of love make you uncomfortable or afraid of what others may expect from you

Some things that you can do to practise love

  • Journal about loving relationships in general, reflecting on what is most valued in a healthy, loving relationship. Put one of your insights into action.
  • Carve out some time each week to experience uninterrupted quality time in your closest relationship.
  • Go out of your way to offer support to co-workers when you see they are stressed or having a bad day. Give them the gift of supportive words and your honest concern. 

For more information on the strength of hope, go to https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths/love

If you are interested in exploring how the practice of Character Strengths might be of benefit to your business and culture, contact Peter Maguire on 0438 533 311 or at info@poswork.com.au.

Acknowledgement: the primary reference for this post is “The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate And Ignite Your Positive Personality” by Ryan M. Niemiec & Robert E. McGrath (An Official Guide From The VIA Institute on Character)

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Pondering the Strength of Spirituality

Pondering the Strength of Spirituality

by | Nov 3, 2023 | Coaching, Employee Engagement, Integrity, PERMAH, Psychological safety, Purpose, Strategic Narrative, Strengths, Wellbeing

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Pondering the Strength of Spirituality

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Spirituality is one of the five character strengths that comprise the Virtue of Transcendence.

Transcendence describes strengths that help you connect to the larger universe and provide meaning.

What is spirituality?

As a character strength, spirituality involves the belief that there is a dimension to life that is beyond human understanding. Some people don’t connect this belief with the concept of a divinity and prefer to think of it in terms of a sense of meaning rather than spirituality, but in the VIA Classification the terms are considered closely related. 

Spirituality is believed to describe both the private, intimate relationship between humans and the divine, and the range of virtues that result from the relationships. Spirituality is universal. 

Although the specific content of spiritual beliefs varies, all cultures have a concept of an ultimate, transcendent, sacred force.

Some of these include meaning, purpose, life calling, beliefs about the universe, the expression of virtue/goodness, and practices that connect with the transcendent. Some of these include meaning, purpose, life calling, beliefs about the universe, the expression of virtue/goodness, and practices that connect with the transcendent. 

Why is spirituality of value?

  • Spirituality, through the expression of religiousness or sense of meaning, provides a sense of being grounded, increases optimism and helps to provide a sense of purpose in life.
  • People who are spiritual often experience benefits in their physical and psychological health and are resilient in the face of challenges.
  • Spirituality is connected to compassion, altruism, volunteering and philanthropy.

A couple of questions to consider

  • How do you define spirituality for yourself?
  • How does spirituality affect your relationships with others?

Some things that you can do to practise spirituality

  • Think of a spiritual role model in your community. Even if there are important differences between their beliefs and yours, consider their best qualities and one way that you might learn from them.
  • Find meaning at work – consider what matters most in the work that you do and the impact it has upon others. Pause to appreciate this.
  • Pause to connect with your inner spirit. Return to this solitude that resides within throughout the day. Breathe deeply and be at peace with yourself. 

For more information on the strength of hope, go to https://www.viacharacter.org/character…/spirituality

If you are interested in exploring how the practice of Character Strengths might be of benefit to your business and culture, contact Peter Maguire on 0438 533 311 or at info@poswork.com.au.

Acknowledgement: the primary reference for this post is “The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate And Ignite Your Positive Personality” by Ryan M. Niemiec & Robert E. McGrath (An Official Guide From The VIA Institute on Character)

CONTACT US

PosWork

A Division of Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

info@poswork.com.au

0438 533 311

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Why tiny is mighty

Why tiny is mighty

by | Oct 4, 2023 | Change, Coaching, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Psychological safety, Wellbeing

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Why tiny is mighty

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Are you one of those people who makes big New Year’s resolutions and then struggles to make them work?

If you are, don’t worry – you are far from own your own and there are good reasons why these big resolutions fail to materialise in changed behaviours for many of us.

Because change is hard and we need a process that works.

In his celebrated book, “Tiny Habits”, Professor BJ Fogg proposed that change is made a lot easier if you implement it incrementally and a number of essential elements are present – the equation is:

B = M A P 

Behaviour happens when Motivation, Ability and Prompt converge at the same moment.

If you think about it, the same elements are necessary to implement positive changes in business or any aspect of life.

The above diagram (from the Michelle McQuaid Group) provides a template for introducing a “Tiny Habit” to improve wellbeing in your life.

This could be something like:

  •  After I get up in the morning, I will go for a walk to my local cafe and I will celebrate with a coffee or
  • Before I go to bed, I will reflect on my day and identify three things that I am grateful for and celebrate with a self-hug or
  • At dinner time, I am going to ask my family to share something that they learned today or something good that happened today and we will celebrate it with Hi 5s or
  • Any activity that is positive for your wellbeing (or your team/family/other group), that you are motivated to do, that is  within your abilities to achieve and where you can tie it to a prompt.

If this is a wellbeing practice that you would like to look at for your business and your employees, we can help with that. It is also an engaging way to help employees to work on improvements in their performance through incremental steps and regular positive feedback on progressive achievements.

Our PosWork suite of services has been built to help businesses and their people to “flourish by design”. If you are looking for someone to help you to develop a better workplace, why don’t you give us a call on 0438 533 311 or email info@poswork.com.au to arrange a first free consultation.

 

CONTACT US

PosWork

A Division of Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

info@poswork.com.au

0438 533 311

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Thinking about the Strength of Gratitude

Thinking about the Strength of Gratitude

by | Oct 3, 2023 | Coaching, Integrity, Leadership, Psychological safety, Strengths

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Thinking about the Strength of Gratitude

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Gratitude is one of the five character strengths that comprise the Virtue of Transcendence.

Transcendence describes strengths that help you connect to the larger universe and provide meaning.

What is gratitude?

The character strength of gratitude involves feeling and expressing a deep sense of thankfulness in life, and more specifically, taking the time to genuinely express thankfulness to others. 

We can be grateful for deliberate acts by others, such as a piece of art from a child, or for spontaneous treasures, such as a cool breeze on your face on a hot day. What marks gratitude is the psychological response: the transcendent feeling of thankfulness, the sense of having been given a gift by that person or event. 

There are two types of gratitude:

  • Benefit-triggered gratitude = the state that follows when a desired benefit is received from a benefactor.
  • Generalized gratitude = the state resulting from awareness and appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to yourself. There are two stages of gratitude:
    • Acknowledging the goodness in your life.
    • Recognizing the source of this goodness is outside yourself.

Why is gratitude of value?

  • Grateful people experience a variety of positive emotions, and those emotions inspire them to act in more virtuous ways – humbler, more persistent, or kinder.
  • Gratitude has spiritual benefits such as a feeling of interconnectedness with life, a general sense of responsibility toward others and reduced emphasis on material goods.
  • Gratitude activities have been widely successful in boosting wellbeing and managing depression.

A couple of questions to consider

  • What is most rewarding to you about expressing gratitude?
  • What concerns do you have, if any, in expressing gratitude to certain people?

Some things that you can do to practise gratitude

  • Download the ShareTree app (https://sharetree.org) and express gratitude to someone by sending them a leaf or record something or someone you are grateful for in the gratitude journal.
  • Make a point of going out of your way at work to express thanks to someone who is not typically recognised, explaining why you are grateful to them. Then observe their reaction.
  • Select one small aspect of yourself that you have taken for granted. Bring your mindful awareness to it and feel the emotion of gratitude for this part of yourself. 

For more information on the strength of gratitude, go to https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths/gratitude

If you are interested in exploring how the practice of Character Strengths might be of benefit to your business and culture, contact Peter Maguire on 0438 533 311 or at info@poswork.com.au.

Acknowledgement: the primary reference for this post is “The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate And Ignite Your Positive Personality” by Ryan M. Niemiec & Robert E. McGrath (An Official Guide From The VIA Institute on Character)

CONTACT US

PosWork

A Division of Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

info@poswork.com.au

0438 533 311

QUICK RESOURCE LINKS

Ridgeline HR

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Appreciative Inquiry

PERMAH

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Reviewing the Strength of Forgiveness

Reviewing the Strength of Forgiveness

by | Sep 26, 2023 | Coaching, Strengths

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Reviewing the Strength of Forgiveness

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Forgiveness is one of the four character strengths that comprise the Virtue of Temperance.

Temperance describes strengths that help you manage habits and protect against excess.

What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness means to extend understanding towards those who have wronged or hurt us. It means to let go. In many cases this is the letting go of some or all of the frustration, disappointment, resentment, or other painful feelings associated with an offense. 

Forgiveness, and the related quality of mercy, involve accepting the shortcomings, flaws, and imperfections of others and giving them a second (or third) chance. As the expression goes, it is letting bygones be bygones, rather than being vengeful. It is a process of humanizing those who have led us to feel dehumanized.

It is important to distinguish forgiveness from:

  • condoning (removes the offense)
  • forgetting (removes the awareness)
  • reconciliation (restores the relationship)

Why is forgiveness of value?

  • Partners who characterise their relationship as highly satisfying, committed and close are more likely to forgive when transgressions occur.
  • Forgiveness contributes to productive interpersonal relationships, thriving teamwork, job satisfaction, personal morale, innovative problem-solving, a sense of flexibility when facing changes and productivity.
  • More forgiving people experience less of the negative emotions of anger, anxiety, depression and hostility than do less forgiving people.

A couple of questions to consider

  • How do you reconcile forgiving someone with holding the belief that people should be held accountable for transgressions?
  • As you think about past situations, has it been more challenging to forgive someone at work or at home? Why?

Some things that you can do to practise forgiveness

  • Choose a person against whom you hold a grudge and visualise a conversation in which you practise forgiveness and letting go. 
  • Practise letting go of minor irritants in your life such as someone cutting you off in traffic or feeling slighted because someone ignored you or didn’t consider your feelings.
  • Practise self-forgiveness. Consider a minor wrongdoing and give yourself permission to have made the mistake while committing yourself to doing better in future.

For more information on the strength of forgiveness, go to https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths/forgiveness

If you are interested in exploring how the practice of Character Strengths might be of benefit to your business and culture, contact Peter Maguire on 0438 533 311 or at info@poswork.com.au.

Acknowledgement: the primary reference for this post is “The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate And Ignite Your Positive Personality” by Ryan M. Niemiec & Robert E. McGrath (An Official Guide From The VIA Institute on Character)

CONTACT US

PosWork

A Division of Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

info@poswork.com.au

0438 533 311

QUICK RESOURCE LINKS

Ridgeline HR

Engage for Success

Appreciative Inquiry

PERMAH

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The Business Case for Strengths

The Business Case for Strengths

by | Aug 18, 2023 | Coaching, Leadership, Purpose, Strengths, Wellbeing

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The Business Case for Strengths

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I have recently been exploring research on why it is worthwhile for people to understand and use their character strengths. In the process, I came across an excellent publication by The Strengths Lab, a Michelle McQuaid Program which sets out a Business Case for Strengths citing 10 reasons overwhelmingly supported by authoritative research.   

Those 10 reasons are:

  1.  People who use their strengths more are more likely to be happy and flourishing with research indicating lower levels of depression, higher levels of vitality and good mental health.
  2. People who use their strengths more experience less stress with higher levels of positivity reported.
  3. People who use their strengths more feel healthier and have more energy associated with a number of healthy behaviours and lower likelihood of absenteeism reported.
  4. People who use their strengths more feel more satisfied with their lives with reportedly good problem solving skills and better work performance, resistance to stress and physical health.
  5. People who use their strengths more are more confident with studies showing that strengths knowledge and strengths use are associated with self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-acceptance and self-confidence.
  6. People who use their strengths more experience faster growth and development especially when learning something new or difficult.
  7. People who use their strengths more are more creative and agile at work being able to better adapt to change, engage in more creative and proactive behaviours, pay more attention to detail and work harder.
  8. People who use their strengths more feel more satisfied and experience more meaning in their work with studies showing that those using their signature strengths are more likely to experience job satisfaction, pleasure, engagement and meaning in their work.
  9. People who use their strengths more are more engaged in their work with studies showing that people regularly using their strengths are up to 6 times more engaged in what they’re doing.
  10. Managers who focus on people’s strengths experience improved team performance and greater success with lower levels of staff turnover and higher levels of productivity, customer satisfaction and profitability.

So, in summary, investing in strengths delivers massive paybacks through increases in employee engagement, staff health wellbeing and happiness, productivity, profitability and customer satisfaction and reductions in absenteeism, depression and staff turnover.

That sounds like a pretty good business case to me.

Acknowledgement: content on the 10 reasons is drawn from “Introduction to strengths – The Business Case for Strengths published by The Strengths Lab, a Michelle McQuaid Program” . Refer https://www.michellemcquaid.com/.

Interested in learning more about PosWork’s strengths coaching services? Call us on 0438 533 311 or email info@poswork.com.au.

 

 

CONTACT US

PosWork

A Division of Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

info@poswork.com.au

0438 533 311

QUICK RESOURCE LINKS

Ridgeline HR

Engage for Success

Appreciative Inquiry

PERMAH

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LET'S HAVE A CHAT