
First, let me say that this articles starts discussing teams and ends up discussing "finding your happy". Stay tuned until the end. Secondly, we will directly continue the discussion from article 4 in our series and, specifically, our discussion about Team Performance. For expedience sake, here is the sub point from article 4 upon which we will expound. It is one of the answers to “what Happy creates in us”.
So, Happy “improves how well teams function which has a direct impact on profitability. According
to Kaufmann, a series of studies (Losada 1999) found that happy “played a primary role in how well the teams functioned.” The study measured “every statement” in team meetings and coded them on a scale between positive, “approving/supportive” to negative, “disapproving/critical”. “The results are remarkably strong and show that the positivity/negativity ratio was the key variable that differentiated team performance. High performance teams have a ratio of 3 to 1 (3 positive emotion or support statements to 1 negative emotion or disapproving/critical statement). The lower the positive [happy] ratio the lower the level of function and effectiveness of the team.”
That Being Said, Can You Be Too Positive?
Yes. Research from Losada and Fredrikson refutes the idea that we should be positive all the time. I should state and we should
note that this does not mean we should be inappropriately angry or abusive or demanding or even negative (as we might commonly think of it). Let’s call the opposite of positive in our context…healthy or constructive criticism, disagreement or challenge…real honest reaction and interaction.
Losada’s research describes that when “people get really positive team performance levels fall”. Perhaps, you are asking what is “really positive”. Research indicates that “there is an upper limit on being positive” that can be described in the ratio of 12 positive/supportive comments to 1 negative (11.6 to 1 to be exact). Beyond this upper limit of positive to negative, behavior is
unresponsive. What does this mean for most of us? Two things: One, the key to happiness is not being positive all the time and Two, it means that several positive interactions per day have the ability to create an environment that promotes our personal “happiness”. Psychologist Carol Kaufman commenting on Fredrikson’s data states, “what bears notice is that the difference between those who are flourishing and those who are languishing was very stable, but quite small…”
What Does This Have To Do With Hiring A Coach?
It means that a coach who properly understands the client can “coach” them to create a “positive” environment at work and at home that leads to a very different quality of life. A good coach will collaboratively find and then strike a balance with their clients
between positive emotion and grounded thinking and its subsequent behavior. Very few find this balance on their own and there is plenty of social and professional support in our world to accept that “the grind” is normal and there is nothing you can really do about it. At WindRiver Strategies we believe differently. We agree with the data that “provides [a] compelling, scientifically informed rationale with empirical support for why coaching, which clients describe as a joyful experience, might have a very positive impact.”
FIND YOUR HAPPY. Hire a coach from WindRiver Strategies. Register on the “About Us” page for a FREE coaching session.
Don't Miss Any Of This Series
Have You Ever Considered Hiring A Coach? (First in the Series)
Shifting Away From Pain (2)
Coaching Helps You Be Happy...So What? (3)
So What...Are The Advantages Of Being Happy? (4)