Behaviors in Organizations

Positive psychology refers to the study of the processes and conditions which contribute to the functioning and thriving of the people and communities. (Gable and Haidt, 2005). Positive Psychology Center in University of Pennsylvania state that there are three main concern of positive psychology. First is the positive emotion which include study on the contentment, happiness and hope of oneself. The other one is positive individual traits which entail the study of strengths and virtues.

And positive institutions involve the study of strengths that promote better communities. (Positive Psychology Center,2002) Positive psychology according to Mary can be used effectively within the executive coaching context by helping coaches in identifying the client’s vision of what they want and then they turn it into reality by focusing in positive emotions. Positive emotions can have significant impact on increasing intuition, creativity and widening of attention. In this context coaches focuses on what energizes and pull people forward. (Stober and Grant, 2006).

According to Foxhall (2002), coaching not only focus in helping executive identify his/her strengths and weakness, but also include other areas of focus such as serving as a sounding board for strategic decision-making, helping employees manage their stress, mediating conflicts between executives and coaching newly promoted employee with no background in supervising. It is very important for the coaches to identify the client’s visions and strengths in order to have a deeper understanding of what are the capabilities and limitation of one self.

It is also important because it can help the coach on how what way to approach their clients in order to improve their performance in the work area. Realizing the strengths can achieve levels of satisfaction and meaning in one self. Positive psychology is a great tool in the executive coaching context. It identifies the strengths of the client which is very beneficial in attaining the goals and in achieving levels of satisfaction. Focusing on the positive emotion can really help boost the creativity and intuition of the client. References: Foxhall, K. (2002). More psychologists are attracted to the executive coaching field.

Monitor on Psychology,. 33 (4). Retrieved October 3, 2007 from http://www. apa. org/monitor/apr02/executive. html Gable, S. & Haidt, J (2005). What (and Why) is Positive Psychology? Review of General Psychology, 9(2). Retrieved October 3,2007 from http://faculty. virginia. edu/haidtlab/articles/gable. haidt. what-is-positive-psychology. pdf Seligman, M. E. P (2007). Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved October 3, 2007 from http://www. ppc. sas. upenn. edu/aboutus. htm Stober, D. R. , & Grant, A. M. (2006). Evidence based coaching handbook. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.