For this month’s Challenge the Prof, I interviewed Dr. Katie P. Desiderio, associate professor of management and Assistant Vice President for Corporate Educational Partnerships, Moravian University, and Principal of Proximal Development, a leadership development consultancy.
Our topic — positivity in the workplace. Katie P. Desiderio is by far the most authentically positive person I know. In this interview, we discuss positivity in the workplace and how to promote it.
TPP: How do you describe positivity?
Desiderio: It’s that I get to choose how I impact others — the way I mobilize my interactions, acknowledging my belief in the ripple effect and emotional contagion.
TPP: Emotional contagion?
Desiderio: Shawn Achor’s happiness studies demonstrate that we impact, directly or indirectly, 1,000 people per day. In other words, emotions are contagious.
TPP: Wow! That really tells us that we must be more thoughtful about how we impact people.
Desiderio: Yes, we have to be deliberate and intentional. That takes practice and habit formation. Often it means we have to unlearn bad habits that negatively impact us and those around us. But, behind this is the desire to show up authentically and want to be better. We have to model our own leadership brand, which we author. Optimism becomes the undertone of how we author our “brand”.
TPP: How do you do that?
Desiderio: I have a daily routine. When I wake up, I begin the day with three things I’m grateful for. Then, yoga.
TPP: Ugh… that discipline. I can hear the “haters” saying that’s just more of that touchy feel-good management stuff. What do you say to that?
Desiderio: It’s more than that, it’s science based.
TPP: It has roots in positive psychology (Martin Seligman, who was referenced in last week’s column).
Desiderio: Yes. For me, it’s in the business literature — specifically human resource development. It’s grounded on Swanson and Holton’s three-legged stool framework of performance through learning. They describe the stool in this way: the three legs are — economic, systems and psychological theory; the seat is performance optimization; and the stool sits on a carpet of ethics. It is within the psychological “leg” that positivity lies – mental, emotional and behavioral aspects of humans, how to create an environment that encourages positive performance outcomes by focusing on strengths.
TPP: What about those who challenge positivity because they see it as detached from reality?
Desiderio: It is just the opposite — a full awareness of reality. We are human, and that means we have bad days. But, we get to choose whether or not we want to live there — in the negative/bad — or merely experience the negative and learn from it. There’s a Disney movie, “Inside Out,” that helps make my point — it tells the story of a young girl who learns that experiencing negative feelings like sad moments can actually strengthen relationships and lead to authentic joy. That is, if we are willing to learn, grow and be better.
TPP: I know this can’t realistically happen over-night, especially if our go-to lens is less than optimistic. So what can people do to integrate positivity into their life?
Desiderio: Many people say, “I’ll be happy when I … get promoted, lose 10 pounds.” But, I don’t think that’s the right approach. It’s the choice to be positive along the journey, not when we arrive at our destination.
TPP: But, we can’t choose who we work with, what about that?
Desiderio: Right, but we can choose to be the energy in the room — the influencer. We can create safe spaces, listening to understand and support.
TPP: Don’t we have to be a leader or an employee with a title or position of authority?
Desiderio: Leadership is not about position or title, it is about influence. From the space of positivity, we can influence from any seat in the room.
TPP: Makes good sense. We’re doing our best to move past the pandemic. What advice do you have employees in a post-pandemic world?
Desiderio: We have to be aware of the positive implications we can have in giving people hope. That doesn’t mean ignoring the reality that times are tough. We can’t control everything but we can control what we are authoring, we hold the pen. We can help create hope that moves us forward.
TPP: Thank you for reminding us about hope. I am positive it is what will get us through.
For the full interview, check out my podcast on your favorite platform: Office Hours with The Practical Prof®… and Friends.
Next Month: Taking a Break (no, really, I’m taking a break —be back in October).
Dr. Santo D. Marabella, The Practical Prof, is professor of management at Moravian College and hosts the podcast “Office Hours with The Practical Prof … and Friends.” His latest book, “The Lessons of Caring” is written to inspire and support caregivers (available in paperback and eBook). Website: ThePracticalProf.com; Twitter: @PracticalProf; Facebook: ThePracticalProf.
