Keys to cultivating a positive workspace
SANTO DOMINGO- The positive psychology It is based on the experiences of individuals in a certain environment given by the "flourishing" in its different dimensions, including the personal, biological, relational and organizational, the latter being the central theme of the talk given by Silvia Majercakova, psychologist and professor at the Pan-European University of Bratislava, to students, teachers and graduates of the Psychology career of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).
The teacher who circulated around the campus during an exchange organized by the Erasmus+ program, through the Student Mobility Coordinator María Luisa Ferrand, explained in this interactive workshop on the characteristics of positive psychology and its importance to improve the effectiveness and quality of life in organizations, an event that was moderated by Rocío Hernández, professor with a tenured rank of the career, in which they gave cites more than 50 students.
A scientific study consulted by the expert evidenced the positive subjective traits that develop in the workplace when applying positive psychology, including work autonomy, social support and a reasonable level of work demands in relation to work resources.
"Creating an environment for employees to have positive experiences at work is a critical first step towards a thriving organization," said the expert. Among the effective techniques to implement this psychology, she listed the theories of growth mentality y the strengths of the collaborators the work space.
The teacher's talk was given in English and was translated by the students of the Degree in Languages mention English, who acted as moderators, translators and were supervised by their coordinator Sabine Mary.
Tools to promote positive psychology in organizations
The implicit theories, also known as mentalities, were defined by the teacher as "basic assumptions about personal qualities, which are formed based on individual explanations of everyday events."
The experience defined by the teacher compared that, instead of "believing that your qualities are carved in a specific way" and they will not change, the growth mindset has the belief that the basic qualities "are things that you can cultivate through of their efforts."
In the workplace, this mindset encourages assertive communication in different scenarios, seeking constant learning and improvement as a north.
In the academic realm, the teacher said that students with a growth mindset display behaviors that boost their ability: “asking the teacher to demonstrate a new way to solve a math problem; Voluntary responses in class even when he is not sure; Ask a question even if it may seem basic and look for issues that push them instead of issues that keep them safely within their comfort zone.
When referring to the strengths of collaborators at work, the psychologist suggests that the tasks be distributed based on the strength points of each team member, which will guarantee the health of the employees; welfare; job performance; productivity; staff turnover and job satisfaction.
As part of the activities to exercise strengths, Majercakova recommended choosing the three main ones and, based on them, answering the questions:
- How are you using them already? Think of an environment, home, work, study, personal life...
- Can you think of any new opportunities to use them? in a situation that is challenging for you?
- How can your strengths help you be more successful in your future or present job?
the meaning of work
Majercakova explained that working with purpose has important benefits for individual well-being. She defined the call orientation as the “commitment to work because it is satisfying and meaningful for the individual”. However, a study cited in his presentation revealed that only one in three of the freelancers in the sector consider their work meaningful.
Self-analysis questions for students:
- What aspects of your (future) job make it meaningful to you?
- What impact can you have with (your future) job?
- How does your (future) job make the world a better place?