Conceived and developed by Essentic, The Positive Method™ is a way of working and living that uses positive psychology to address some of the limitations of the modern workplace. Many organisations’ HR processes are a product of the industrial revolution, when leaders needed employees to perform prescribed tasks efficiently, without engaging in innovation or information sharing. It is logical that the result was a culture of fear, greed and envy.
Today, because of the increasing need for organisational change, most leaders don’t want narrow-focused, transactional employees. The Positive Method is a process designed to help organisations move beyond a vision of employment that simply exploits people for their effectiveness in a prescribed role.
The Positive Method helps individuals realise their potential by reflecting on who they are at their best and enables organisations to offer truly personalised fulfillment in the workplace.
The Positive Method helps organisations create a culture of strengths based leadership - a culture that fosters employee retention, collaboration, creative problem solving, resilience under pressure and a positive emotional connection with customers.
There are three stages in The Positive Method: assessment, debrief and transformation.
Assessment
We use Essentic tools grounded in the science of positive psychology. Each participant receives feedback from their personal and professional network about the times they were at their best. The stories highlight moments when the participant made distinct and extraordinary contributions, by using their unique strengths. In addition to helping identify their strengths, receiving this series of stories is an ‘appreciation jolt’ that allows them to see the impact they are having on others.
Debrief
Integral to The Positive Method is the debrief, featuring tools and methodologies that are rooted in positive leadership. The debrief process facilitates the participant’s transition from the very emotional experience of the appreciation jolt to the cognitive evaluation and analysis of their unique strengths and ‘best self’ stories. The debrief prepares them to embark on the journey of transformation.
Transformation
The Positive Method is focused on helping individuals transform their work and personal lives. We offer a guided journey, using Essentic tools, to help recipients experience positive emotions in the short term and then make sustained changes in behaviours that encourage the use of their personal strengths on a daily basis.
PROVEN BENEFITS OF THE POSITIVE METHOD
1Increase leadership impact
The Positive Method can offer leaders an insight into the strengths and behaviours that have a distinct and extraordinary impact on others. Along with job sculpting, our reports can help individuals to create work environments and activities that increase their ability to play to their strengths each day.
2Help onboard new hires
Used during onboarding, The Positive Method encourages newcomers to express their unique perspectives and strengths on the job – from the very beginning. The benefits of this approach extend beyond employee engagement and can lead to better business-unit outcomes, thanks to reduced quitting and greater customer satisfaction. The Positive Method invites new hires to establish their work as a platform for doing what they do best.
3
Raise staff retention levels beyond the industry average
As the foundation for strengths-based performance appraisals, our Positive Method assessments can dramatically reduce employee turnover, increase motivation, facilitate staff development and improve employee engagement.
4
Improve team dynamics
The Positive Method can raise team cohesion, creativity and productivity. When other team members complete the profile, the participant has direct insights into what they value, as well as highlighting the unique strengths each one brings to the team. With appropriate debriefing, our assessments can help team members get to know each other better and feel more authentic whilst working together.
5Encourage innovative thinking
The Positive Method can boost innovation by fostering positive emotions and increasing an individual’s creativity. Our assessments can promote greater self-confidence and self-expression. This translates into proactive behaviour, higher cognitive functioning and enhanced creative problem solving performance in the workplace.
6Promote positive work culture
The Positive Method can help organisations create a workplace environment where employees are encouraged to recognise who they are when they’re at their best and then play to those strengths. Staff feel more comfortable being and investing more of themselves. Work feels like an opportunity for authentic self expression.
7
Improve staff wellbeing
Empirical evidence has shown that The Positive Method affects a participant’s physiology: it strengthens the immune system, improves vagal tone and increases stress resilience.
For more on The Positive Method, call +44 (0) 2080 179300 or email contact@essentic.com
VERSION 2 - copy from October 2022 version is below
Now more than ever, organisations need employees’ engagement, creativity and innovation. Organisations are facing the highest levels of change and competition ever and the pace of change is increasing each year. At a time when organisations need engaged employees in order to survive, adapt, and grow, research has found that an alarming majority of the workforce is disengaged and unmotivated.
Conceived and developed by Essentic, The Positive Method™ is a process developed to help organisations build a work culture that promotes strengths-based leadership and personal fulfilment - where staff can be their best selves and flourish; where inspired creatitivy, improved resilience under pressure and increased employee engagement and retention are common place.
Simply put, we help your organisation release uptapped potential by giving your people the evidence and confidence to use their impact strengths, every day.
Our aim is 'Powerful people delivered.'
There are four stages in The Positive Method:
The Positive Method can be run as a unique programme or enhance an organisational development initiative.
Through The Positive Method, business leaders gain a better understanding of their valued impact strengths. Leveraging those strengths, and helping others to do so, unleashes untapped potential and enables organisations to offer truly personalised fulfillment in the workplace.
Point Positive
Point Positive helps participants realise their potential by activating their best selves. Grounded in positive psychology, participants receive feedback from their personal and professional networks about their valued impact strengths at times when they were at their best. The stories highlight moments when the participant made distinct and extraordinary contributions, by using their unique strengths. In addition to helping identify their strengths, receiving this series of stories gives an ‘appreciation jolt’ that allows them to see the impact they are having on others.
Integral to The Positive Method are group and individual debriefs. The debriefs facilitate the participant’s transition from the very emotional experience of the appreciation jolt to the cognitive evaluation and analysis of their impact strengths and ‘best self’ stories.
Group workshop
The group debrief is highly interactive and features tools and methodologies that are rooted in positive leadership. Participants gain insights into their valued strengths and impact on others, and learn how to activate their seeking systems, leading to greater engagement and sense of purpose.
1-to-1 report debrief
Participants explore their Point Positive report with a coach certified in The Positive Method and Point Positive. The session focuses on unpacking their stories, drilling down to reveal and understand their impact strengths, resulting in the development an Impact Strengths Inventory and Statement.
Completion of the debrief prepares participants to embark on the journey of transformation.
Transformation
The Positive Method is focused on helping individuals transform their work and personal lives. We offer a guided journey, using Essentic tools, to help recipients experience positive emotions in the short term and then make sustained changes in behaviours that encourage the use of their impact strengths on a daily basis.
Essentic founding partner Professor Dan Cable’s research shows that organisations can activate what neuroscientists call our ‘seeking system’ using The Positive Method and create a more powerful, collaborative and engaged workforce.
