7 Ways to Grow your Positive Psychology Business or Practice
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Photo courtesy of the author.
About a month or so after Summit 2019, I connected by phone with a recent MAPP graduate as part of the MAPP Greeter program. This new imitative connects seasoned alumni with recent graduates to help them navigate their post-MAPP journeys.
I asked her, “How do you hope to apply what you learned about positive psychology?”
“I need to figure out my next steps,” she replied. “I see how I can apply what I learned in MAPP to myself and my profession, but I don’t see how I can integrate it into my current job.”
Over the years I have heard this lament from many MAPPsters. Part of being a pioneer in any field means there is no “how to” handbook. Instead, you have to figure it out as you go and be willing to experiment.
Putting the “A” in MAPP
Maybe you work inside an organization, like the recent graduate I spoke with, and you want to bring some tools from the science of positive psychology to your team or department. Or maybe you are an external coach or consultant and want to get your foot in the door at a large corporation. Alternatively, you may aspire to start your own practice. No matter your current or future role, we can all use some help putting the “A” – Applied – in MAPP into the real world.
Here are seven pieces of advice Senia Maymin, C’06 and I have accumulated over the last fourteen years since graduating from the inaugural MAPP program. We had an opportunity to share the following advice with the graduates of our Profit from the Positive Certificate Program. Now we would like to share these pearls of wisdom with you:
1. Think big but start small. Coaching engagements are a good way to introduce organizations to positive psychology concepts, frameworks and tools. Whether it’s using exercises like the Hope Letter, the Gratitude Letter, W.O.O.P., or the identification of strengths, coaching individual leaders is an effective way to acquire new corporate clients or introduce your organization to positive psychology.
2. Take a consultative approach. Help a business leader or your boss identify a pain point or solve a problem. Now that may not sound very positive psychology-ish, but it is how many business leaders think. Most see their role as solving problems, not necessarily envisioning something new and positive. Help leaders solve a pressing problem such as preparing employees for a large-scale change by introducing them to resilience and growth mindset training. Ask questions such as “What would happen over the next six months if you did nothing to address this issue?” or “Let’s start with then end in mind. Let’s imagine it is six-months from now. What would success look like?”
3. Partner, don’t compete. We have partnered with internal human resources departments to redesign their company’s 360-feedback process and performance review process. Now this may not sound very sexy, but solving problems is an effective way to bring positive psychology to an organization. When we demonstrate value in one successful engagement, clients are more likely to enlist our help in other areas.
4. Pilot a program and measure results. Although positive psychology is a rapidly growing field, many businesses are still unfamiliar with it and unfamiliarity breeds skepticism. If a leader or your boss is not ready to commit fully, suggest a pilot with a small team before introducing positive psychology to the whole organization. People love pilots!
5. Be persistent. It takes, on average, twelve to fifteen touch points before a client (internal or external) makes a “buying” decision. Rather than thinking you are being a pest, remember that people are busy and need to be reminded of how you can help them achieve results. Send emails with articles or fun ideas that are relevant to their business. Share employee engagement data that captures the bottom-line impact. Business leaders love data! Think content marketing and become a thought leader in this space.
6. Work with an intact team. You may want to start at the top and cascade what you have learned about positive psychology throughout a large organization, but starting with a sales or technology team, or a specific ERG (Employee Resource Group) such as female professionals can be a highly effective way get your foot in the door. Better yet, start with your own team. `
7. Do a freebie. Introduce your ideas or content to the learning & development or human resources department or a professional organization such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF). You will expand your network and expand their appetite to hire you. This requires cultivating a robust network by being an active member in both virtual groups --think LinkedIn Groups such as SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) – and local chapters of associations such as ICF. Applying to speak at relevant conferences is another way to build your positive psychology practice.
Experiment with these seven approaches. Discover which one(s) work for you and the population you want to serve. Lastly, as positive as positive psychology may be, new ideas are often met with resistance and skepticism (remember negativity bias?). Apply what you know about resilience to yourself and you will indeed succeed at putting the “A” in MAPP to your business, practice or job.
Margaret H. Greenberg (MAPP 1 - 2006) is an executive coach, keynote speaker, positive psychology pioneer, digital nomad, and co-author with Senia Maymin, Ph.D. of the bestseller Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business (McGraw-Hill). A shorter version of this article, written by both Senia and Margaret first appeared in Positive Psychology News.
