http://www.langleygroup.com.au/ Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:36:16 The Langley Group Articles http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Goal-setting-activity:-How-to-set-strategies-to-achieve-your-goals.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Goal-setting-activity:-How-to-set-strategies-to-achieve-your-goals.html You have a goal in mind, perhaps many, and aren’t sure exactly how to achieve it. It might be a habit you want to change, a new skill you want to incorporate into how you do business or a personal or professional objective. Studies show that focussing on one goal at a time and setting a concrete plan in motion will help ensure you reach your target. Goal-setting activity Here’s a simple exercise I recommend to... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/The-neuroscience-of-change:-why-it's-difficult-and-what-makes-it-easier.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/The-neuroscience-of-change:-why-it's-difficult-and-what-makes-it-easier.html Why do people find it so hard to change when they know it’s good for them? Even when faced with a life-threatening situation, people tend to resist change despite knowing the repercussions. Studies reveal that when heart disease patients who had undergone traumatic bypass surgery were told if they did not adjust their lifestyle they would die, or at best undergo the life-saving procedure again, only 9% modified their... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Reshaping-leadership-habits-that-get-in-the-way-of-high-performance.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Reshaping-leadership-habits-that-get-in-the-way-of-high-performance.html The higher an executive is promoted in an organisation, the more vital their strategic and interpersonal behaviours are to the success of their organisations and teams. Often success strategies that worked well on their way up need reinvention to achieve and sustain optimal performance in their new positions. To become a different kind of leader they often need to change ingrained habits and learn techniques to foster greater flexibility... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Willpower:-Five-strategies-for-building-new-habits-and-resisting-temptation.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Willpower:-Five-strategies-for-building-new-habits-and-resisting-temptation.html Exerting willpower to build new habits or resist temptation often seems like too much hard work. You’ve had a stressful day at work, navigating a dozen complex decisions to juggle the project budget and reallocate team resources, and you’re still not sure there is enough money or people to deliver on time. Tempers were frayed and several people disagreed with your approach. You’d started the day off well... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Positive-2012:-updates-from-the-forefront-of-positive-psychology.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Positive-2012:-updates-from-the-forefront-of-positive-psychology.html Positive psychology was in the spotlight last month at the 3rd Australian Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Conference. At the March 22-25 conference, hosted by The Australian Institute of Business WellBeing, at Sydney Business School, University of Wollongong, some of the world’s leading experts shared positive psychology research and perspectives on health, organisational development, education and public policy. ... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Curiosity:-a-vital-ingredient-for-fulfilment-and-positive-growth.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Curiosity:-a-vital-ingredient-for-fulfilment-and-positive-growth.html “You can’t always be happy but nearly always profoundly aware and curious”, asserts Todd Kashdan, Senior Scientist at the Center for Consciousness and Transformation at George Mason University and author of Curious? Discovering the missing ingredient to a fulfilling life [1].  His extensive research suggests that curiosity can be applied to encourage growth, replenishment and creativity, as... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/What's-one-thing-you-do-every-day-to-practice-your-EI-skills?.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/What's-one-thing-you-do-every-day-to-practice-your-EI-skills?.html Using emotions effectively enhances my decision making daily. Different emotions help with different types of problem solving. Positive moods help with creative tasks. They are likely to be more original, generate a greater number of arguments/options and make people more receptive and able to think ‘big picture’. Neutral or slightly negative moods make people more closed, detail oriented and... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Strengths:-How-to-build-wellbeing-through-the-application-of-strengths.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Strengths:-How-to-build-wellbeing-through-the-application-of-strengths.html Positive psychology—and common sense—tells us that using our strengths every day leads to higher performance and greater productivity in the workplace, as well as greater individual wellbeing and satisfaction.  Focusing on strengths does not mean we ignore weaknesses. We all have weaknesses and it is important to be aware of them.  However, concentrating our attention on weaknesses tends to lead to... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Six-quick-wins-to-engage-your-team.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Six-quick-wins-to-engage-your-team.html How can you engage team members during times of transformation and change? The daily interactions that build positive connections and show you care can make the most difference. Here are six quick wins you can start intergrating into your teams today.   Catch people doing something well and offer recognition. Be specific so they know you noticed and care. Praise effort and behaviour you want team members to do more... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/How-emotionally-intelligent-is-your-financial-adviser?.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/How-emotionally-intelligent-is-your-financial-adviser?.html Financial advisers by definition are numerate, logical and rational. Some might say, they have little need for a high degree of emotional intelligence.  They are paid to analyse their client’s financial situation and construct a technical strategy that optimises the client’s ultimate outcomes in life, taking into account risk and return probabilities. But how do they react in times of stress and... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Gratitude:-How-to-add-to-your-happiness-quota-with-this-simple-practice.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Gratitude:-How-to-add-to-your-happiness-quota-with-this-simple-practice.html Affirming our gratitude increases our positive emotions, which helps to banish the negatives. The more we practice reflecting on the things we are grateful for, the more we broaden our thinking and build our emotional resources. Acknowledging—and sharing—moments of gratitude is a powerful practice for staying positive, energised and resilient. Martin Seligman, a leader in the field of positive psychology, defines... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Top-trends-in-people-development-for-2012.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Top-trends-in-people-development-for-2012.html The year ahead is shaping up to be one of unparalleled growth, opportunity and challenge. At work—and in our personal lives—we will increasingly need tactics and tools to stay focused, positive, flexible and creative and help others do the same.  Here are the key people development trends I feel we can expect to see this year. More focus on wellbeing in organisations as leaders increasingly... http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Does-being-positive-mean-I-have-to-be-happy-all-the-time?.html http://www.langleygroup.com.au/articles/Does-being-positive-mean-I-have-to-be-happy-all-the-time?.html The focus on positive psychology in the media and society sometimes gives the impression that people are now expected to be happy all the time. This can lead people to feel under pressure to achieve the impossible or wronged for feeling negative emotions and moods. This of course decreases their levels of positive emotion and increases stress. Positive psychology doesn’t proscribe specific levels of happiness. It...