Bouncing Back: Myths and Characteristics of Resilience

I have taught resilience to business execs and Army sergeants.  And the same myths come up every time when I ask about their definition of resilience. Resilient people are almost always positive & upbeat. Resilient people know how to go it alone. Resilient people almost never give up. Resilient people tend to be perfectionists.   The reality is that resilient people experience most of the problems that non-resilient people experience. The major difference between a resilient and a non-resilient person is how quickly resilient people recover from failures and setbacks in their life. If physical fitness is the speed with which you can recover from physical stress, resilience is the speed with which you can bounce back from psychological stress. Resilient and truly happy people understand the meaning of “good enough”. They know when to stop and enjoy what they…

Positive Psychology in Practice in the DC Metro Area

Here at Positive Business DC we are always looking for organizations who are implementing positive psychology in the workplace.  As the nation’s capital we hope that we will set the trends for the entire nation.  We found one such company in the DC Metro area that needs a special mention. Freddie Mac has been implementing numerous projects in the area of positive psychology, from lectures by Shawn Achor that are available for internal viewing on their website, to more intimate workshops in resilience and strengths. I asked Michele Lockwood who is the Director of Talent Development what Freddie Mac interested in applying a specific approach to well-being that comes from research out the social sciences.  “We went to one company for change training and it wasn’t moving the needle.  To act as though change is a one-time thing is inaccurate.…