Every leader cares about inclusivity, wellbeing and performance. For technical organizations these issues are especially acute: in the least diverse sectors, with every-increasing issues around mental health and resilience, companies need to realize continuous gains in performance and productivity to stay ahead,or even just to stay in the game,in a fiercely competitive space. How can leaders square the circle?This book will show you how to build a Strengths-Based Organization: an organization which is based on the scientific understanding of what helps individuals to flourish and organizations to reap the benefits.

Hutchinson and Brown describe the strengths-based approach as a ‘gold mine’. So too is this book, full of valuable insights, practical advice and powerful examples” Dr Jolyon Maddocks, author of Emotional Intelligence at Work

The world changes fast, but the core nature of people remains constant even in times of massive upheaval.

The challenge of how to work in a way that makes people feel included, well and able to perform at their best becomes ever more important, both for individuals and for organizations.

This approach is about working with business as usual and experimenting with small changes, which can result in big outcomes. Whether you work for yourself, a small company, or a large corporate organization, the strengths approach can be applied to everything you do.

Emily Hutchinson is the founder of Apply Psychology and a Chartered Occupational Psychologist. She holds academic positions, is Associate Editor (BOOKS) for The Psychologist and always combines theory with a firm emphasis on practice. She also has a love for all things technical.

Caroline Brown co-creates, delivers and coaches for Apply Psychology alongside a long-term position as an Associate Director with Atkins, a Member of the SNC-Lavalin Group. She is a Chartered Engineer and Coach Practitioner who has a strong and natural interest in psychology.

I really liked this book for its useful, easily applicable ideas. It’s presented in a way which will be good for people within businesses and external consultants alike. I would definitely recommend this book; it’s a nice, accessible, quick read which I know I will dip back into again and again.

Amazon

Such a great book! So refreshing to focus on looking at the strengths of individuals to maximise effectiveness, efficiency and hence success of your business. A great read with easy to understand (and implement) actions and strategies to take your business to a new level.

Amazon

I loved the way the authors related the impact of strengths to three major impacts; inclusivity, wellbeing and sustained performance.

HR Director

This is a book about culture, strategy and organisational values. It is bang up to date and highlights how the true nature of many cultures has come to light during the coronavirus pandemic

HR Director

I loved the way the authors related the impact of strengths to three major impacts; inclusivity, wellbeing and sustained performance

HR Director

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Part One: The Strengths-Based Organization Approach

1. Understanding the strengths approach

2. What does it look like in practice?

3. Why does it work?

4. How do you make it work?

Part two: Application

5. How to boost inclusivity: attract, recruit, retain

6. How to boost wellbeing: build resilience and career fulfilment

7. How to boost performance: engage, develop, connect

Part three: The business case

8. The problem statement (or opportunity)

9. Low investment solution (experiments)

Summary of tools

Questions and answers

About the authors

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Paperback / 9781788601542 / April 20, 2021 / £16.99

Ebook / 9781788601535 / April 19, 2021 / £9.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £19.49

Emily Hutchinson

Emily Hutchinson is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a registered Practitioner Psychologist. In 2004, she was featured as one of Britain’s 10 leading Occupational Psychologists by the Independent on Sunday.

Since 2006 she has had her own business and works in long-term partnerships with a number of technical organzsations, providing thought leadership and practical interventions. She was one of the early adopters of the Positive Psychology and strengths approach and has been applying that approach with organizations for many years. She was shortlisted as Champion of the Year for Women in Nuclear 2019, for founding the Corporate Women’s Coaching Club (based on a strengths approach).

Emily is an Associate Lecturer with the University of the West of England, and is working with Oxford Brookes University to support the development of an innovative and forward-looking undergraduate programme in the Business Psychology arena

She is also Associate Editor (books) for The Psychologist, the monthly magazine for Psychologists. She has had several book reviews and articles published.

Caroline Brown

Caroline Brown is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer who worked for Atkins since 1997, where her career evolved from an engineer, to a project manager and business head before becoming responsible for leading transformational change and developing culture. She has successfully implemented new approaches to engaging employees, and more recently to improving wellbeing. She’s also a trained business coach, a Mental Health First Aider and an independent non-executive director for HorseHeard (a registered charity working with horses to promote positive emotional health and resilience outcomes for children, young people and adults in need).