There's been a lot of energy put into promoting health and wellbeing at work recently, driven not only by HR managers but also by government who have picked up on the "new science" of happiness. Indeed, since 1972 Bhutan has prioritised GNH (Gross National Happiness) instead of GDP as a measure of their country's success. So is the UK coming to this philosophy a bit late or is it just a passing fad?
"A happy worker is a productive worker". Successful businesses have known for many years that if their employees enjoy their job, are satisfied, know they are valued, they are more motivated, committed and therefore productive. Unpicking an individual's motivation, values and matching that to the job required leading to a more satisfied workforce is easily determined using NLP. That is one area where positive psychology is an evident benefit.
The concern raised by some commentators however is the shift in priorities within government linked to the "happiness factor". Positive psychology is being actively promoted by leading psychologists and educators who have the major political parties' ear. The fear is that ensuring a happy workforce may, in time, become a duty and obligation for both private and public sector organisations.
Does it need to go that far? There is no doubt that health services are struggling with the increased incidence of mental ill-health. Mental health workers are now to be placed in job centres. The knock-on effect on business as an employee copes with anxiety, depression or more profound mental ill-health is well known.
But what about boredom, lack of motivation, disgruntlement, restlessness, pessimism? Isn't that just life? It's always been around. Does the modern emphasis on being "happy" unbalance the psychological profile within an individual to their detriment?
The NLP community understands that a variety of experiences is essential to expand learning. It is normal for everyone to feel sad, bored or restless at times and feeling this way spurs us on to do other things. There is no need to medicalise such feelings. A, "Cheer up!" may be all that is needed to kick start us. Where, however, these feelings prevent us from achieving what we want to achieve, upsets our inner sense of congruity and ecology; that is when they need to be addressed in a more structured way to restore the balance. Again, using NLP techniques this can be done quickly and effectively promoting the harmony required of positive psychology.
So, is it a fad? Well positive psychology has been around for centuries. Like many things we've just given it a label. That doesn't lessen its importance but let's ensure we keep the balance.
"A happy worker is a productive worker"
Laura Murphy
