2 nd World Congress on Positive Psychology July 2011 This is not a WORKSHOP This is a PLAYSHOP !

Mads Bab 10 years of experience in consulting and executive coaching MAPP from University of East London (2010) Founder of Play Your Strengths and Gnist (Gnist = the Danish word for spark) Fusion between Design Thinking, Positive Psychology and Management Signature strengths: Creativity, Curiosity, Zest, Perspective and Hope & Optimism

FROM Lack of variation in strength orientated interventions and tools Often very cognitive / reflective exercises Difficult to remember Group dynamics with same people always talking TO Using other successful methodologies More experiential Tangible, narrative and visual to make bigger imprint and impression Contribution from everyone

The Stories We Live By If you want to know me, then you must know my story, for my story defines who I am. And if I want to know myself, to gain insight into the meaning of my own life, then I, too, must come to know my own story. I must come to see in all its particulars the narrative of the self – the personal myth – that I have tacitly, even unconsciously, composed over the course of my life. It is a story I continue to revise, and tell to myself (and sometimes to other) as I go on living McAdams in “The stories we live by”, 1996

What if we played with McAdams’ words and strength-tweeked this passage?

Strengths as stories If you want to know me when I am strong and authentic, then you must know the story of my character strengths, for it is this story defines who I am when I am at my best. And if I want to know my authentic self, to gain insight into the meaning of my own life, then I, too, must come to know the story of my own strengths. I must come to see in all its particulars the narrative of the strong and authentic self – the personal myth – that I have tacitly, even unconsciously, composed over the course of my life. It is a story of my strengths I continue to revise, and tell to myself (and sometimes to other) as I go on living

Metaphors In all aspects of life…we define our reality in terms of metaphors and then proceed to act on the basis of the metaphors. We draw inferences, set goals, make commitments, and execute plans, all on the basis of how we in part structure our experience, consciously and unconsciously, by means of metaphor. Lakoff & Johnson in “Metaphors We Live By”, 1980

STRENGTH NARRATIVES + STRENGTH METAPHORS = VISUAL STORIES OF OURSELVES AT OUR BEST

Is this any different with adults?

A combination of five methodologies

CURIOSITYANDCREATIVITY

DETAILANDPERSPECTIVE

Skills building Using the bricks available In your bag, build a construction that is as tall as possible You have 3 minutes

Discover Think of a time, recently or a while back, when you were at your best. A time when your thoughts, feelings and actions were more energising than usual. You felt like you were your authentic self – who you really are at your core. Build a model that shows one part – one strength that you displayed at that moment in time. If you know your VIA character strengths you can choose one of them as starting point for your model. Be prepared to share the story to a person next to you. Using your model as a guide and reference You have 8 minutes before you share stories

CO-CREATION INITIATIVE