Coaching = Positive Psychology

You may be wondering what the title 'Coaching = Positive Psychology' is all about. Well, first let me ask you, what awareness do you have about Positive Psychology? Have you heard of it or experienced it? Positive psychology is a form of psychology that attempts to bring out the best things in life along with the strengths in humans to achieve their goals. It's all about human flourishing and includes positive emotion, the study of positive traits, and the study of positive institutions. Positive organizational scholarships is a field that explores aspects of Positive Psychology in the relation to organizations. This is a very useful tool both inside and outside the workplace.

I had the privilege to be introduced to this style of psychology years ago and continue to share it with my clients through coaching along with training and development programs and managing people. Coaching, to me, is about bringing out the greatness in others; that greatness being, discovering their positive traits. We are surrounded in endless, negative psychological programming that constantly focuses on the 'what's wrong with you' issues, rather than more of 'what's right about you'. So, what if you could take the 'what's right about me' approach everyday? It's a much more empowering way of being.

Dr. Martin Seligman is the author of Authentic Happiness, the Director of the Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of positive psychology http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx. His work entails numerous questionnaires that assist in self-discovery and have been a powerful tool that I have used personally and with clients in coaching. One of the greatest tools that is very useful in the work environment along with individually is the VIA (Value in Action) Signature Strengths Questionnaire
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/questionnaires.aspx. This survey provides you with feedback about your top five character strengths and 19 other character strengths that you have. The core strengths are wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. The other 18 strengths are categorized under these core strengths. This questionnaire will identify your core characteristics and moral strengths of who you are. You also have choice to develop and build on the strengths that you identify with.

Dr. Martin Seligman speaks to the impact of positive psychology and that we can make our selves happy. Check out this YouTube interview with him where he talks about positive psychology and the value of using the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire.

When I coach clients and use the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire my goal is to assist clients in making their strengths real and concrete, assist the client in recognizing the value of their specific strengths, use those strengths in correlation with achieving their goals, using their strengths in ways that contribute to their own authentic happiness, applying their strengths to their life purpose, and recognizing the value of their contribution in life.

My top five strengths include: gratitude; self-control and self-regulation; honesty, authenticity, and genuineness; industry, diligence, and perseverance; and  hope, optimism, and future mindedness. I invite you to fill out the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire and share your top five strengths and what you learned about your self.

By Angela MacDonald
ATC - Adler Trained Coach
Human Resource Manager (in training)