Negative energy can spread like wildfire in the workplace, creating a general disconnect among employees while lowering productivity levels. A single employee might show up with a bad attitude, at which point other employees notice this negative and begin to exhibit similar behavior. But positive energy can also spread in the workplace, raising productivity levels and creating batter all-around environment for workers.
What Is Positive Psychology?
In the most basic terms positive psychology is form of psychology with the following purpose: “to find and nurture genius and talent and to make normal life more fulfilling.” Just as the name suggests, the key focus of positive psychology remains on good, happy, fulfilling or otherwise ‘positive’ elements a person’s life.
We live in age where many employers prefer to run their business with an iron fist, showing workers little-to-no appreciation and even making threats of demotion or being fired. This may yield some temporary boost in productivity, but it’s not a sustainable way to run a business. Eventually, workers will grow tired of this negative environment, seeking employment elsewhere.
Positive psychology consists of the following 5 elements:
- Positive emotion
- Engagement
- Relationship
- Meaning
- Achievement
Benefits of Positive Psychology In The Workplace
There are numerous benefits to using positive psychology in the workplace, one of the most notable being lower employee turnover rates. Did you know that it costs an employer 20% of a worker’s annual salary to find and hire a replacement? If a worker earning $50,000/year quits his or her job, the company will spend an estimated $10,000 for a replacement. And considering that some companies experience turnover rates as high as 70%, the heavy financial burden of replacing lost employees can be too much for them to handle.
Employers can encourage workers to stay at the company, however, through the use of positive psychology. By creating a positive, friendly environment, workers will naturally want to stay at the company, enjoying their time spent working. You can’t force an employee to stay at your company, but you can give them a good reason to with positivity.
Some of the many benefits of positive psychology in the workplace include:
- Higher productivity
- Lower employee turnover rates
- Stronger loyalty among employees
- Increased sales numbers
- More enjoyable workplace