Positive Psychology at Work:

Introduction

In this chapter we shall review the key theme of the book: the power of positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry to create flourishing and inspiring places to work. We shall identify some of the key processes that support these outcomes: social capital and relational reserves; the beneficial effects of positive emotions; strengths; and understanding the organization as a complex adaptive system. We shall note that while few standard approaches to organizational change recognize or utilize the value of these themes, there are some new approaches to change that do. However, bringing them into an organization has some challenges which we shall explore. We shall go on to consider these approaches and why they are so effective, looking at the key features of organizational life through which they create possibilities for change. We shall outline a few of the key methods and include a few case studies that illuminate their effect.