Invited Symposium Group Summary International Positive Psychology Association 8th IPPA World Congress 2023

The PRISM Powers: Thriving at Work in Uncertainty (#29)

Gabriella Kellerman 1 , Martin Seligman 2
  1. BetterUp, San Francisco, CA, United States
  2. Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Background

 The modern world of work is plagued by uncertainty and an unprecedented rate of change. Amidst this turbulence, how can we not only survive but thrive as whole person professionals? 

Aims

Over the last five years, our labs have collaborated on original scientific research to define the core skills that modern professionals need to thrive at work. This talk will outline the five PRISM powers: Prospection, Resilience, Innovation, Rapid Rapport for Social Support, and Mattering. We will share our findings with an emphasis on the interventions that move the needle most in these areas.

Method

 Our methods of study with our collaborators differed by skill. They span psychometric assessment validation and development; coaching for skill development with pre- and post- assessment; head-to-head intervention comparison studies; large scale survey-based research; and more. See references for more details on the various methods, this talk will cover a large body of results.

Results

 People with higher degrees of resilience; with greater capacity for pragmatic prospection; who invest in quickly building trust with colleagues; and who feel their work matter see greater wellbeing and professional success. Organizations that invest in these capabilities see greater levels of firm-wide success. All of these capabilities, along with the capacity for innovation, can be developed, and we highlight the most effective ways to build each.

Conclusion

 This is the most comprehensive vision we have offered to date on what it takes to thrive at work in uncertainty. The PRISM powers can be developed by anyone and are essential for restoring agency in an environment that threatens to drown us.

  1. Reece, A., Yaden, D., Kellerman, G., Robichaux, A., Goldstein, R., Schwartz, B., ... & Baumeister, R. (2021). Mattering is an indicator of organizational health and employee success. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(2), 228-248.
  2. Black, H., Greenberg, S., Saulsgiver, K., Sinar, E., Reece, A., Carr, E., & Kellerman, G. (2019). Beyond Hedonia: 5 keys to enhancing workplace well-being at scale. American Journal of Health Promotion, 33(8), 1212-1217.
  3. Reece A, Carr EW, Baumeister RF, Kellerman GR (2021) Outcasts and saboteurs: Intervention strategies to reduce the negative effects of social exclusion on team outcomes. PLOS ONE 16(5): e0249851. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249851
  4. Achor, S., Reece, A., Kellerman, G. R., & Robichaux, A. (9). out of 10 people are willing to earn less money to do more-meaningful work. Harvard Business Review, 96(6), 82-89.
  5. Carr, E. W., Reece, A., Kellerman, G. R., & Robichaux, A. (2019). The value of belonging at work. Harvard business review, 16.
  6. Eubanks, A., Reece, A., Liebscher, A., Ruscio, A. M., Baumeister, R., & Seligman, M. (2022). Pragmatic Prospection is linked with positive life and workplace outcomes.
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