Published in The Guardian on 20th June, 2018

AccessEAP is very proud to be supporting this groundbreaking helpline for the music industry. The Support Act Wellbeing Helpline, is specifically tailored to the unique challenges faced by artists and music workers. It will be staffed by AccessEAP's network of professional counsellors who will offer expertise in all areas related to mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal ideation) as well as issues which can be mental health related (such as loneliness, relationship breakdown, financial worries, illness and workplace conflict). Read more

We love to talk about it when our customers do something quite special. We will be using this space quarterly, to recognise achievements in workplace wellbeing. Often we will know about a particularly beneficial initiative undertaken by our customers as we are part of the project. However, if there is something you would like to share, please feel free to email with the subject line: Customer Shout Out.

Some recent examples are building the AccessEAP Ambassador Program, proactive Domestic Violence Policies, Workplace Wellbeing Challenges and more! Sharing these great initiatives is a wonderful way to recognise excellence and build on learnings.

In the 1970’s, when society was slower paced and all about flower power, Thich Nhat Hanh, famously said "There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way". Unfortunately, now this seems like a throw away sentiment that we may find emblazoned on a t-shirt, but the message it sends actually runs far deeper than that. What Buddhist monks, and psychological theory, has been trying to express to us, is that the way we understand and accept ourselves and our environment, is far more influential on our experience of happiness, than the material things which we accumulate. In other words, each and every one of us has the ability to" live happiness" if we allow ourselves the freedom to do so. This in turn allows us to appreciate more fully, our work, our home, and our hobbies.

Here are a few tips to promote self-acceptance, resilience, and psychological flexibility:

1. Stop the comparisons!

When we take the time to stop and appreciate the people around us, and all the things we have already achieved, we open ourselves up to experiencing something wonderful. All too often, this wonder can be rapidly eroded when we compare ourselves to others who appear to be richer, stronger, faster, more beautiful (and the list goes on and on and on). So stop comparing! There will always be people who appear to have more "things" than we do. Constantly trying to catch up to them prevents us from living our own life to its fullest.

2. Commit to seeing life in a positive way.

Focusing on developing an optimistic outlook not only helps to elevate mood by changing the way we feel – for the better - but when practiced often, cultivating an optimistic outlook protects against problems such as depression, anxiety and stress. Thinking optimistically is a skill that can be learnt, and this type of thinking helps to improve our experience of happiness.

3. Move that body.

The link between our mind and body is clear. When we exercise regularly the benefits become obvious, though please remember, training like an elite athlete is not required! To get the benefit that exercise brings we need to find what suits our lifestyle and daily routine. Walking, swimming and yoga are great when it comes to relieving stress.

4. Laugh in the face of stress.

Stress is inevitable and happiness does not mean we eliminate stress in our lives – in fact some stress is actually beneficial. Firstly, we need to take an inventory and identify the things that make us stress out. Then, we need to make plans which allow us to neutralise the impact of this stress.

Some ideas to manage stress include:

• getting the challenging stuff done first instead of putting it off and dragging out the pressure
• stimulating our senses with music, pleasurable scents (like aromatherapies), or getting a massage, on a regular basis
• spending time with people who make us laugh
• spending time in the outdoors
• reading great books
• enjoying time with pets.

5. Improve your relationship with sleep.

Some of our best growth and learning is done while we sleep – and it is important to note that it’s all about quality, not quantity. Understanding our sleep wake cycles and optimising our sleep environment can help us to get a better quality of sleep. When we feel well rested, we promote a state of openness that allows us to appreciate more fully, our work, our home, and our hobbies. So turn off screens before bed, minimise caffeine intake a few hours before sleep, and make your bedroom a warm and cosy place that entices rest.

6. Get an app to help boost happiness.

There are many apps which are designed to keep us calm, train ourselves to be mindful and help us to appreciate the life we have. Popular options are:

• Gratitude Journal 365
• The Mindfulness App
• Review of 4 popular apps so you can decide what's best for you.

The great thing about apps are that they are usually with you wherever you go, and there are so many to choose from that you can find the app that is perfect for you.

7. Pay it forward.

One of the easiest ways to "live happiness" rather than chase it, is to pay it forward. Ever noticed how a smile from a stranger can change your day? Or how helping someone in need helps you feel on top of the world? Acts of kindness and generosity can do so much more for the giver than the receiver, so if someone reminds you how kind people can be – pay it forward and spread it to someone else.

AccessEAP provides confidential counselling services and psychological related training for employees, managers, family and friends. For more information, please contact us on 1800 818 728.

No one wants to be told what to eat. It takes us back to our childhood, memories of “you can’t leave the table until you have eaten your greens” or “your hair will go curly if you eat your crusts”. Unfortunately the take home message with these statements can often lead to unhealthy relationships with food and body image.

When we talk about diet and nutrition at AccessEAP, our focus is on your mental health and wellbeing. We know that what we eat has direct impacts on people’s emotional resilience, and our intention is to help people achieve an optimal level of wellbeing. Australia’s Deakin University recently conducted pioneering research into this and found that diet has direct links to depression.

Eating a poor quality diet can increase the risk for common mental disorders like depression and anxiety. Eating highly processed food has been associated with a smaller hippocampus – a critical part of the brain that is responsible for learning and memory, as well as regulating mood.  It can also encourage a constant, low level of inflammation throughout the body. These are risk factors for mental illness, and gut bacteria may play a role in the regulation of mood. Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish, appear to be helpful for people suffering from quite serious depression. Similarly, there are studies starting to emerge to suggest that zinc or vitamin B supplementation may be helpful for some.¹ 

As employers and leaders more and more we find ourselves in the all encompassing workplace wellbeing space. There is an expectation that workplaces will provide healthy solutions in a number of areas not traditionally considered to be an employer's responsibility.

With Food and Mood as our theme this month, how do we incorporate healthy eating options into the workplace without becoming the “food police”?

There are some practical ways that organisations can encourage healthy eating in the workplace without becoming divisive or making employees feel bad about their food choices. Remember the intention is to help your employees bring their best selves to work. Consider what food options you offer at the workplace, including for catered work events. Look at reducing the foods that are known to offer little nutritional benefit and slowly swap them out for healthier choices. At AccessEAP for example, we started by simply adding celery, carrot sticks and grapes to the cheese and dip platter for after work social events. It was incredibly well received.

Also consider whether there is a place set aside for people to eat at your workplace. This is important for several reasons. Firstly it discourages employees from purchasing take-away food (which is usually the less healthy option). Secondly, in addition to what we eat, how we eat it can be very important. Here’s where leadership can play a role, modeling good lunchtime behaviours is crucial. We need an opportunity to take in our lunch and rest for a while before we start back to work. It’s not surprising to learn that a “proper” lunch break will leave you refreshed and much better positioned to be productive after lunch. For this reason, at AccessEAP, our leaders actively discourage people from eating at their desks and encourage designated lunch breaks for mindful eating.

Remember when I said slowly, there isn’t a need to rush and make sweeping changes. Know your people and gauge the right pace of change. We regularly have our Nutritional Consulting partner, Melinda Overall from Overall Nutrition in to help us dispel the myths around food and diet. Straight after her last presentation, which included how milk is processed to become “low fat”, a show of hands unanimously led to the milk order being changed the next day – full cream for AccessEAP!

1. Deakin University Food and Mood Centre http://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/diet-and-mental-health/

As of the 1st of July, 2018 Newport & Wildman will be proudly part of AccessEAP. This marks an expansion of our EAP and workplace wellbeing services into Tasmania.

For our Newport & Wildman customers this will mean business as usual, Tony Newport and the clinical team will continue to provide local clinical services. Tony will also work in the business to ensure the unique relationship you have with Newport & Wildman will be retained in order to best meet your needs.

Published in HRD Magazine on 14th June, 2018

Male dominated workplaces can hold a ‘macho’ culture, where opening up is perceived as a sign of weakness or vulnerability, according to Marcela Slepica, Director of Clinical Services at AccessEAP.

Read more

Harassment is defined by the Australian Human Rights Commission as unlawfully treating a person less favourably on the basis of particular protected attributes such as a person’s sex, race, disability or age. However, harassment can be so deeply engrained into workplace culture that it has become normal.

Signs of normalised harassment

The three most common forms of sexual harassment are subtle, being: suggestive comments or jokes (55%); intrusive questions about one’s private life or physical appearance (50%); and inappropriate staring or leering (31%). These less obvious acts can be played down or attributed to simple misunderstandings.

Classic examples of this include statements such as: “I was only joking”, “what happened to your sense of humour”, “I was only asking” or “no one else seems to mind”, which all minimise a victim’s concerns.

In the same vein, approximately one in five (18%)[1] people have experienced behaviour which would constitute sexual harassment, based on the legal definition, but did not label or identify it as harassment.

“The important thing to focus on here isn’t the intention of the act, but its effects. The person who feels impacted by the behaviour should not be made to question whether their response is valid. These attitudes are dangerous and can reinforce the very behaviour which makes the victim feel unsafe and uncomfortable in the workplace,” Marcela Slepica, Clinical Services Director here at AccessEAP.

Courageous conversations

“Highlighting harassment can create anxiety and fears that our colleagues and our career will be detrimentally affected. This can also be compounded by our imagination, which can blow our concerns out of proportion There may be a power imbalance The first step is to trust your feelings and take a calm collected approach,” Marcela. This is not always easy so take time to think, plan and then respond.

1. Be confident with your concerns

It can be easy to stop ourselves raising concerns by minimising their importance. For example, we may tell ourselves we are ‘just being silly’, we are ‘being too sensitive’ or ‘it’s not such a big deal’. These thoughts are counterproductive because the fear keeps you from being courageous. If the issue is impacting you or someone else negatively or if there are consequences to not raising the issue, then it’s important. Be clear about the reasons why you are initiating the conversation.

2. Focus on the behaviour

Let the person know that it is their behaviour that is upsetting or concerning you. Be careful not to label the person as this can result in them becoming defensive. Counter their defensiveness by distinguishing the problem from the person, and invite their input in how to address the issue. For example instead of saying ”you’re harassing me or you are a bully”, lead with an example such as ‘when you say X I feel uncomfortable, or I feel bullied.”’.

3. Be clear and specific

Anxiety about how someone might react can lead to messages being ‘watered-down’. We may give a lot of positive feedback in amongst the negative, or we might talk generally to a group about behaviour that bothers us without speaking directly to the person involved. The risk is that your message will not be heard by them. Say what you sincerely believe needs to be said, even if you know the person you are speaking to may not enjoy hearing it and be sure to phrase it in a way that is respectful towards that person.

4. Listen

This can sometimes be the hard part because people can be defensive or angry after hearing your concerns and feedback. They may deny that there’s an issue and even convince you it’s ‘all in your head’. Before you launch into your opinion of the situation, listen first, don’t interrupt, explain, justify or defend. There are always two sides to a story and there will be time to respond later.

5. Respond calmly

Depending on how the person has reacted to your concerns remaining calm can be tricky, however focus on clarifying the factual accuracies of what the person has said. Their feelings are subjective and you can’t change these. The person may be angry with you for some time. Confidently re-state your concerns, but remember if you start getting upset, call time out. You have to manage your own emotions first before you can respond well to others. You may need some time to think about what each other has said before you come to a resolution or compromise.

Advice for workplaces

Workplaces can also help by taking a unified approach to preventing and addressing instances of harassment in the workplace. Training entire teams to be vigilant for cases of harassment and educating them on how to deal with them will help change behaviours. In just over half (51%) of cases of sexual harassment, for example, the witness or ‘bystander’ reported having taken action to prevent and reduce the harm of workplace sexual harassment. Additionally, in 45% of cases the reporting of the incident resulted in the harassment stopping.

When dealing with a case of harassment it’s important to focus on the impact of behaviours, act quickly, clarify exactly what happened, create a safe environment and develop a strong action plan and preventative measures.

[1] The national 2012 Working Without Fear survey conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)

What you need:

375g dried white beans ( you can use whatever beans you like…haricot, cannellini, aduki beans..they all work)…soaked overnight and rinsed.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used big ones)
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 tin organic diced tomatoes
500ml stock (I used vegetable stock)…you may need a little extra later
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
Sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)
Goodly pinch of Celtic sea salt … don’t be shy
Good sprinkle of white pepper

Method:

In a large heavy based pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic and carrot until the onion is translucent. Whilst still on the heat add the beans, tomatoes and stock. As that bubbles away add all the other ingredients and stir well.

Take off the heat and cover the pot (oven-proof lid or foil) and bake in the oven (at about 150 degrees) for about 3 1/2 hours. Check on the beans each hour or so to ensure there is enough liquid in the pot. Add a little extra stock if needed. I added a little extra to mine about 45 minutes before the end. Do some chores or put up your feet and read a book while you do the important "work" of looking after your beans!

Overall Nutrition partner with AccessEAP to provide Nutrition Consultations for our customers. The initial consultation is part of you EAP session entitlement and can get you started in the right direction.

Thank you to all our customers who took the time to respond to our March 2018 Customer Satisfaction Survey. We are pleased to report that approximately 90% of respondents were very satisfied by the timeliness of responses to customer requests and needs.  As always the real benefit of the survey is in highlighting areas for improvement.

There have been a number of changes in our Relationship Management area with a focus on Customer Experience. Additional resources have been added to the structure and we are very excited about delivering some innovative new approaches to our customer support services. 

Your support and honest feedback is truly respected and appreciated. We at AccessEAP look forward to continuing to provide best practice EAP service to you and your employees.

Feel free to provide feedback at anytime via our website or email

The late, great Elvis Presley wasn’t singing about improving mental health support for men but it certainly sums up what many men are looking for, according to research conducted by Sydney University’s School of Psychology¹. 

The research found that men tend to want an idea of how treatment is going to work from the outset, a structured plan for working towards recovery, the power to gain skills that help them deal with depression and to feel in control of their lives.

Men account for two thirds of all suicides, have higher rates of substance abuse, and are the main perpetrators of violence against their partners. We see in our own data that men are also much less likely to seek support services such as counselling. This is often attributed to the stigma associated with seeking help. One of the most common findings from research to date is that men believe that showing any form of vulnerability equates to weakness. The reasons for this are likely to stem from the societal expectations that have been assigned to men. Traditional ideas of masculinity expect men to be stoic, invulnerable, and reject displays of emotion.

In my view these expectations are unrealistic as we are all human and humans have feelings, no one is immune. Some common myths about counselling are that you will talk for an entire session about emotion, it’s just a big ‘talk fest’ and how will talking help? Some believe that you have to talk about your childhood and not everyone wants to do that. It is important to help men understand that counselling is talking but there is a goal, there are objectives, strategies which are decided and counsellors do talk to help men understand feelings. In counselling, an individual only talks about what they want, they do not need to talk about their childhood. It is uncomfortable to talk about feelings but like anything new it gets easier with practice.

Our role at AccessEAP is to assist the men in our workplaces, and our personal lives, so that they do not continue to struggle with emotion in silence. We do this by providing skills and education and breaking down stigma. In subscribing to old ideas of masculinity as a society, men are taught to be uncomfortable with emotion so they lack confidence to manage emotion, and perhaps even fear it.

At AccessEAP we offer solution-focused, short term counselling support. Our counsellors understand the importance of helping clients to understand the counselling  process and set goals, while gaining skills to help deal with depression or anxiety. With a plan and skills, these can practiced outside the sessions. The good news here is that managing emotions (both your own and that of others) is a skill that can be learned and developed, much like riding a bike.

Our professionals are trained in approaches that offer practical steps that men can use to improve relationships, and stop the destructive pattern of harm to themselves and others. We want to be part of the solution in every sense of the word.

1.  https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/10/30/mental-health-providers-need-to-better-engage-men-with-depressio.html

In order to support parents in the workplace and people working in education, we are sharing some important information and resources made available by headspace, National Youth Mental Health Foundation. The Netflix series 13 Reasons Why caused a great deal of concern in the school and wider community about this time last year. Season 2 of the series was launched last Friday. The first series, based on the novel of the same name, revolves around the aftermath of a teenage girl’s suicide. This series is graphic, making real and distressing reference to suicide, self-harm and rape.

While some people believe the show allows for authentic conversations about suicide, others believe the series exposes viewers to harmful suicide messages. One disturbing possibility is that it portrays suicide as a way of exacting revenge, solving problems and conflict.

headspace has created a blog post on the headspace website, which is available now, and provides young people and parents with information to consider regarding the show.

The blog post includes:

- tips for discussing the show safely

- points to consider before watching the show

- questions to help start a conversation.

You can access the blog post here: headspace.org.au/news/the-launch-of-13-reasons-why-season-2

Now the series is officially launched, people can be directed to 13reasonswhy.info where the resources will be available, including the information that can be found on the headspaceblog.

Further to this, eheadspace will be holding group chat sessions for young people on Thursday May 24 from 7-8pm AEST and Sunday May 27 from 7-8pm AEST. You can access the group chat sessions here: https://eheadspace.org.au/get-help/eheadspace-group-chat-session/

Finally, we would like to inform you that a range of measures have been put in place with Netflix to assist with safely launching Season 2 of the series. This includes:

• A designated webpage 13reasonswhy.info where resources and help seeking information will be provided.

• Inclusion of warnings and help-seeking information before, and at the end, of each episode of the show. The end frame directs users back to 13reasonswhy.info

On the webpage you will find:

o Videos - One will feature the cast of the show (coming out of character) to address issues depicted in the show, and the other features Australian young people talking about the importance of reaching out to family and friends and seeking help on mental health issues.

o Resources – Tailored discussion guides for young people, parents and schools o Help seeking information - Detailed help seeking information for young people.

It is important to note that 13 Reasons Why, Season 2 is rated MA15+ in Australia, therefore the resources have been developed for secondary schools, parents and secondary school aged young people. The resources are designed to promote help seeking and support having conversations with an individual young person and are not intended to be used for large groups or for classroom lessons.

This information has been provided by Kristen Douglas, National Manager headspace in Schools – Kidsmatter, Mindmatters, & School Support headspace, National Youth Mental Health Foundation

For further information: • http://www.nasponline.org/about-school-psychology/media-room/press-releases/guidance-regarding-13-reasons-why-season-2 (National Association of School Psychologists)

Also, should you be concerned about your own wellbeing or the wellbeing of someone close to you, please do not hesitate to contact the following: Lifeline 131 114 Beyondblue 1300 224 636 SuicideLine 1300 651 251

Published in Telegraph on 1st May, 2018

Organisations need to prepare for how best to manage a diverse workforce and promote an inclusive inter-generational culture, explains Sally Kirkright, CEO AccessEAP.

Read more

We have been gradually putting together a list of some ways to save time in our everyday lives. Not all will suit everyone but you may find one or two that can make a difference.

1. Don’t procrastinate when it comes to tasks that can be done in under 5 minutes, just get up and do it. Putting it off can more than double the time spent.
2. Make important decisions early in the day when you are fresh rather than trying to do this at the end of the day. Things take a lot longer when you are tired.
3. Play an up tempo playlist to get you moving and up the pace when you are doing physical activities like showering, changing, brushing your teeth, cleaning the house or ironing. It can reduce boredom and add some fun.
4. Keep distractions at bay – if you need to focus on a task turn off your sound notifications and put your phone out of sight. You will be a lot more efficient.
5. Don't be available all the time. Check emails at intervals and attend to several, at a time, rather than responding to every message that pops up.
6. Use an app that blocks your access to time-wasting websites. These maybe online shopping sites, travel sites, you tube or linked in. There are apps you can download that will temporarily block the sites that you know waste your time.
7. Say no to invitations you don't actually want. Think about what you really want to do with your free time – don’t be rude but don’t say yes just to keep the peace.
8. Always have a 'to-do' list. Prioritise the most important and dedicate time to focus on these tasks first. Tasks can be rated in terms of whether they save or make money, whether they have a deadline or whether they are critical to other things happening.
9. Automate as many of your daily tasks as possible so you can focus on bigger things. Online grocery shopping can be time consuming until you have your regular lists set up. Save time and money as you are less likely to be tempted by impulse buys. Meal delivery services are free to join and can be suspended for lengthy periods. They aren’t cheap but may help you get through a particularly busy few weeks. Check out what bills and payments you can automate safely. Make sure you still reconcile at the end of a set period so you keep on top of expenses.
10. Consume your audio while you do activities that don't require a lot of concentration, like cooking or cleaning. Podcasts, ebooks, even making some phone calls where you know you will be on hold for a period of time.
11. Avoid sitting at the computer without a plan for what you are going to do there. Your free time can disappear very quickly. Try to put a time limit on how long you are going to spend on Facebook or researching a car, holiday, phone plan etc.

Let us know what works for you by emailing . We will share tips in upcoming newsletters.

Mindfulness, a practice based in Buddhist tradition, continues to be a hot topic and has gained increasing popularity as an effective technique for managing and reducing stress. Many of our counsellors at AccessEAP integrate mindfulness-based strategies, as the results can often be seen and experienced relatively quickly. I think it’s important to point out that mindfulness is very effective but only when used as one of a number of strategies in a holistic approach toward improved wellbeing.

At times, mindfulness is very helpful and at other times it’s just not. When miindfulness works for me, I am truly focussed on the task at hand, engaged in the process, listening attentively, feeling in sync both mind and body and achieving results. Recent research has told us that for mindfulness techniques to work, we must have a methodology around when and how to apply it. Let me share an example from my personal experience. As the CEO of an expanding organisation that deals with the complexities of human emotions and behaviour, I am faced with multiple and competing demands on a daily basis. My job often requires that I: apply critical thinking to make an assessment; think ahead to future strategy; consider past learnings; and put contingencies and plans into place. When involved in these tasks it would not necessarily serve me well to pause and “pay attention to the present moment without judgement’, as the widely accepted definition of mindfulness advises.

At times, however, there are moments when I need to stop, pause and be present in order to be productive. It may be that thinking about the past, or the future or too many things at once, has me in a physical state of stress in which focus and clarity is not achievable at a particular moment in time. For me to notice unproductive stress, I need to be mindful. I need to observe that I am not thinking clearly, that I am overtaken by emotion, or that my body feels like I have just run a marathon. Beyond that, I then need to take conscious steps to be present. It is in these moments where mindfulness is my ally.

My message here is simple. It’s important to recognise that mindfulness is one of several tools that you will need to have in your resilience kit. When, where and how you use it determines its effectiveness – that’s mindfulness my way. Think about what mindfulness your way looks like.

Sometimes I need help to become mindful. I may be so caught up in my thoughts and only notice I am in a state of stress when someone asks if I am okay. At AccessEAP we have many services in place to encourage self awareness and self care. Mindfulness training can be tailored to particular needs or provide a more general introduction to the concepts. Coaching is also available for managers who feel they could benefit from one on one sessions in mindfulness.

Management is one of the most important factors in developing an engaged, productive team, as maintaining and improving performance can often be complex and demanding task. However, positive psychology, and in particular strengths coaching, provides a way forward.

Here, AccessEAP’s Clinical Services Director, Marcela Slepica discusses Virtues in Action (VIA), a prominent approach to defining personal strengths.

“VIA has been developed by leading figures in Positive Psychology and charts 24 traits that fall within six categories. By defining and focusing on these abilities, businesses can provide employees with more fulfilling roles and empower them to achieve their best work.”

WISDOM

Seeing things from a different perspective, looking at the big picture and the how or why things are done, as well as finding inventive solutions to problems are all signs of what VIA defines as Wisdom. As a leader, it’s important to support these employees with opportunities to use their analytical mindset and creativity.

COURAGE

These employees say what’s on their mind, and value their authenticity, bravely sharing views that may be different to the majority if needed. Often determined and persistent, they are also often charismatic and hold sway with those around them. This character strength is interesting when it comes to workplaces as managers can often feel challenged by an employee with these traits. Consider thanking the employee for sharing their views and see if they can become involved in some collaborative solutions with other team members. 

HUMANITY

Emotionally attuned and compassionate, these employees are often recognised as being well liked amongst their teams. They are inclined to creating harmony and are often the first to offer assistance to their colleagues.Those with humanity traits demonstrate a double-edged side to character strengths. It is important to give roles working with people, however, they will need help keeping boundaries, as they are likely to give a lot, and care should be taken to prevent burnout.

JUSTICE

With a strong sense of right and wrong, these employees draw heavily on their personal values and are often inclined to offer guidance to the group, whether or not they are in a leadership role. They also work well in groups with a clear understanding of everyone’s roles.These employees do well in structured and process –oriented roles in team settings. When collaborating, this employee can create stability as a source of consistency and reliability for the team.

TRANSCENDENCE

Positivity is a great indicator of Transcendence traits. This employee will celebrate colleagues’ strengths, and take an optimistic view of people and the world around them. They interpret situations with good humour seeing challenges as opportunities.This employee’s strengths will be a great asset, particularly during difficult times, as you will find that they boost morale and can offer hope in even the most troubling circumstances.

TEMPERANCE

Balanced, calm and collected, these employees appear unperturbed by situations, good and bad. With a string control over their emotions, these employees take a measured and considered approach, weighing up all risks before taking action. Consideration takes time, so these employees are suited to slower paced roles that require thought and in-depth knowledge, rather than swift decisive action. They may require regular check ins to understand what they are thinking or feeling under their controlled exterior.

Positive psychology has the potential to equip managers and supervisors to better understand their team and help employees to work to their strengths. This creates greater team cohesion, drives productivity and allows for positive growth.

The concepts of positive psychology can have many benefits in the workplace. This powerful tool is used to focus on employees’ personal strengths skills, and capabilities, as a foundation for developing their performance.

Recently, a global study found that workgroups that received strength based interventions showed an average increase in employee engagement of up to 15[1] per cent, reductions in staff turnover of up to 721 per cent, and 591 per cent less safety incidents.

Eleni van Delft, Accredited Strengths Coach and Director of Relationship Management, at AccessEAP, a leading not-for-profit Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider in Australia, recently implemented a new positive psychology approach to team management. The results have driven team engagement, communication and productivity for the business.

Here, Eleni explains how using Positive Psychology during a period of impressive business growth, allowed her team to play to their strengths!

Defining the approach

A number of big wins in our organisation had made it imperative to grow our numbers. I quickly identified the need for a new approach to help shape our new team.

I am inspired and intrigued by Positive Psychology and in particular, exploring the key elements that make people flourish in life and at work. My management style has been influenced as an Accredited Strengths Coach, to lead by example and use positive reinforcement. So I knew early on that I wanted to help the team bond and define how they can best work together.

The recruitment of new staff was an ideal time for the entire team to identify and the individual strengths each person possessed and help each other grow to their potential. My intention was to cultivate our newly formed team of diverse, capable, and passionate individuals, from a range of industry backgrounds, into a cohesive unit who could appreciate what each other has to offer.

Introducing positive psychology

The idea of personal strengths was introduced to the team through ‘The Science of Character (8min "Cloud Film")’, a short film that excited and intrigued them. We then completed a couple of psychometric surveys and discussed the results amongst ourselves.

The first survey included value statements that individuals felt described them most, e.g. “Being able to come up with new and different ideas is one of my strong points”. The results provided each team member with an individual profile highlighting their strengths amongst 24 potential traits.

A natural discussion followed, with individuals commenting on when they had seen their colleagues use their strengths and how they seemed to be “in their element” when doing so. The effect of the program was immediate. The atmosphere in the room lifted and people became more energised. There was more comradery and a greater understanding and appreciation of the diversity of strengths within our new team.  Each individual also gained more self-awareness and came up with their own ideas for using their strengths more effectively.

Encouraged by this initial success, I was keen to push forward with the Positive Psychology approach to build on these insights.

I introduced a second questionnaire, which enabled us to identify 60 specific strengths that were directly relatable to work. The results were more detailed and provided individuals with their individual strength profile. The profiles and corresponding strengths were divided into 4 quadrants:

Creating positive results

Traditional approaches to motivating change in others, from parenting through to performance management, focus on people’s limitations and areas for improvement. Research shows however that these traditional approaches don’t have the intended effect and instead tend to lower individual confidence, performance, and team morale.

I could see the influence of these traditional approaches when we first began the exercise, with most team members wanting to focus on their weaknesses during the strengths debriefing. A major shift occurred when we turned attention to people’s strengths, and this has had lasting benefits. As a daily reminder of what they bring to the team personalised mugs were created for everyone.

Through appreciating and identifying one another’s perceived strengths, the team have formed strongly collaborative and cohesive working relationships. We’ve also seen improvements in productivity, individual performance and a reduction in days missed through sick leave.

This approach has given the team greater confidence, opened them up to learning and growing within their roles, and invigorated them to do their best work. For example, there has been an increase in the number of ideas put forward on how to create more effective processes, or do things in more innovative ways. Another outcome is that one of the team identified a strength for presenting to groups that was not being utilised in their role at the time, and so we created an opportunity for this to occur.

The benefits of using Positive Psychology through strengths coaching have been acknowledged at an organisational level too. There is a keen interest in how we can better utilise people’s potential across the business here at AccessEAP by creating opportunities that harness their strengths.

Having gone through this process, it’s become clear that focusing on strengths, rather than weaknesses, has and will continue to improve the performance of our colleagues, teams and even the entire organisation.

[1] Gallup: Strengths-Based Employee Development: The Business Results, 2016 http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/193499/strengths-based-employee-development-business-results.aspx