Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business, with a foreword by Tom Rath DIGITAL AUDIO

by Margaret H. Greenberg, Senia Maymin

You're constantly challenged to grow your business, increase productivity, and improve quality--all while reducing or keeping budgets flat. So what's a managerto do.

You've streamlined processes. You've restructured. You’ve sought customer and employee feedback. You've tried everything. Now, try something that works. Profit from the Positive is a practical, groundbreaking guide for business leaders, managers, executive coaches, and human resource professionals. Whether you lead three employees or 3,000, this book shows you how to increase productivity, collaboration, and profitability using the simple yet powerful tools from the new field of Positive Psychology.

Featuring case studies of some of the most forward-thinking and successful companies today--Google, Zappos, and Amazon, to name a few--Profit from the Positive provides over two dozen evidence-based tools you can apply immediately. Learn how habits, not just goalsRecognize the Achoo! effectStop asking the wrong questionsHire for what's not on the resumeTurn strengths into a team sportPreview, don't just review, performanceThe best part--These strategies don't cost a dime to implement! Trained by Dr. Martin Seligman, known as the father of Positive Psychology, Margaret Greenberg and Senia Maymin translate the scientific research and make it accessible to the business world.

PRAISE FOR PROFIT FROM THE POSITIVE:"Put it on your nightstand, bring it on the plane with you--however you do it--read this book. Profit from the Positive gives actionable steps for managers' biggest burning questions. As a twenty-first-century leader, you cannot do without it." -- Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times bestselling author of MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

"Profit from the Positive gives the busy executive ways to improve performance immediately--in some cases by up to 50 percent--without restructuring the organization or bringing in any consultants. Finally, a leadership book that bridges the chasm between what science knows and what business needs!" -- Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels and New York Times bestselling author of PEAK and Emotional Equations

"Profit from the Positive is a thought-provoking and practical guide . . . an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to be an exceptional manager and contributor at work." -- Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project

"Greenberg and Maymin--pioneers in the application of Positive Psychology to organizations--have built an exciting and important bridge between compelling evidence and actionable practice. Profit from the Positive is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to boost organizational productivity and the quality of work life." -- Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take

"Profit from the Positive is a straightforward business book that offers tools, backed by solid research, which can help any manager and their team." -- Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, Inc., andNew York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness

Genres: Business, Productivity, Nonfiction

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Nabil Babache · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read and great book for anyone looking to boost engagement and productivity at work.

[Armando Ferreira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is OK if you haven't read anything similar. But you have read a few books in management, productivity, motivation, etc. you probably won't find much new.
It can help you as a good summary of many concepts.

[Steve Goulet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of good points, but like many leadership books some of the scenarios are way overly idealized.

[Nancy Gilreath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not typically a fan of business-oriented books, but I took away some valuable pointers from this book. Positive psychology resonates with me, and the book reinforced some of my reading on adolescent girls as well as my own instinct. I will be moderating a discussion of Profit from the Positive for some of the leaders of my company and look forward to their thoughts. I chose this book prior to reading it, based on reading a few reviews. All of the other books we’ve discussed have been by male authors, and I wanted to select one that was written by women but targeted toward everyone. This fulfilled that promise. I do wonder if on some level I connected with this book more than the other books because it was written by women or simply because I found it the most practical of the bunch.

[Shawn Fields · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the Positive Psychology movement, whose founding is generally credited to Martin Seligman. The work is written by two of his students. It is easy enough to read for lay people, and has enough meat to be a gateway into the subject matter for professionals. I do not know that I agree with their results in terms of applying their theories, but they seem to have well-vetted research to back up their ideas.

[Seth Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, quick read focused on practical advice, not just management theory.

I was a little thrown off by the word "positive" as I feel it's overused and is often mistaken for blindly bulldozing through life and career.

Instead, this book gave a series of real world examples from the authors' real world coaching and consulting experience, distilling down their recommendations into easy, bite – sized chunks that you can start thinking through and applying immediately.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading the recently published "Profit from the Positive." (www.profitfromthepositive.com) It is a very worthwhile read for basically anyone in business. It covers productivity, leadership, reviews, meetings, and other areas, applying principles from the relatively new field of positive psychology.

[Teri Temme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas, quick read. Of course these books always depress me somewhat because, although the ideas are fantastic, the reality…at least mine... isn't always so easy! I wish more companies cared this much and were willing to make some effort to create a better workplace environment. Of course, we always have the choice to start our own :)

[Robert Malowany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice compilation of strategies based on proven and scientific research related to positive psychology. The authors do a nice job of presenting seemingly easy strategies. A good read for those looking to improve their management style and improve team productivity.

[Rochelle Melander · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy-to-access intro to positive psychology and its use in the workplace. The clear format allows readers to easily digest and use the ideas in this book in their work and home life. A great addition to anyone's shelf of leadership books!

[Elizabeth Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What? Motivate people by setting them up for success, making sure they have what they need to achieve it, and then praising them when they do? Whacky! Or, in my view, not.

[Tommi Pajala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a mix of positive psychology and some structured advice for management practices. It's a decent intro for positive psychology, but was too introductory to my taste.

[Sharon Danzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book. I enjoyed the anecdotes and how the authors connected positive psychology concepts to the workplace.

[Alla Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became interested in reading this book from the moment I saw its title which made a compelling statement. I focused on the word “positive” which sparked many endeavors to which this term might apply. The further I read, the more I discovered the power of positivity.

The exceptional value of Margaret and Senia’s book is that it opens new perspectives in many areas other than business. The benefit of a positive approach could cause you to change your behavior, make you overcome challenging situations, and eventually help you to create the life you desire.

I learned from this book the power of positivity in both business, and to everyday life, regardless of your career choices.

[Rodrigo Zubiria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found this book boring and didn’t personally find anything worthy.

[Anna Wildman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to positive psychology in the workplace, with useful tools and guidance.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

استمعت الي ملخص ، واعتقد اني سأقرأه يوما 👍🏻

[T. Laane · Rating 4 out of 5]

STRENGTHS, ATTITUDE, AND ENGAGEMENT. The book borrows a lot from "Strengths Finder 2.0" and is adamant that people shine brightest when they can use their strengths at work - if you’re hunting for low turnover and high activity, that’s the predictor to ask about, not job satisfaction. When hiring, take someone with a positive attitude over higher skills, since a bad attitude costs you big time down the road. Interview questions like “what do you like/dislike about your office environment” are way more revealing than generic ones. Don’t focus on weaknesses - build jobs and feedback around strengths. When giving praise, don’t compliment the person (“you’re so talented”), but highlight process and effort (“you analyzed the data thoroughly and put in the work”).
POSITIVITY, FLOW & PERFORMANCE. Leave loose ends every evening on purpose so you have a hook to get going the next day. Swap your “to-do” list for a “tadaa” list: start by listing things already done, and enjoy the progress.
TEAM DYNAMICS AND CULTURE. The mood of the boss rubs off on everyone else - if you’re smiling and in a good mood, others pick up on it. Micromanaging bosses kill initiative, creativity, and risk-taking - give people autonomy if you want them to grow, take action, and keep things moving when you’re gone.
RECOGNITION & FEEDBACK. Frequent recognition and encouragement (FRE) is a mega-multiplier for productivity: a 42% productivity gap between those who get enough praise and those who don’t. But don’t just hand out gold stars - make it specific to actions and processes. Most companies focus on what’s wrong in reviews, but it’s better to “preview” the future and build on strengths. In meetings, aim for a positivity-to-negativity ratio of 3:1 - any lower and you’re a downer, any higher and you risk fake harmony with no real feedback. Don’t just ask if your people are happy; ask if they’re engaged. Measure not just who talks in meetings, but for how long, so you can spot and correct imbalances later. And remember: people almost always remember the last thing you say (“peak-end effect”), so wrap every meeting with a punchy, positive ending.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some practical methodologies for team and self management. The key takeaways sections are helpful if you cant make time to read every chapters in detail