How to Build a Thriving Workplace: A Leader's
Guide
Course No. 9648
Professor Beth Cabrera, PhD
George Mason University
What Will You Learn?
Recent studies reveal that employee well-being is associated with higher productivity, higher
retention rates, and lower health-care costs. Multiple studies show a clear link between
businesses that attend to employee well-being and a profitable bottom line.
In fact, the profit of companies with the strongest focus on employee experience is about four
times higher than the average. And yes, you read that correctly—not customer experience, but
employee experience. Because if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your
customers—and your shareholders will do well, too.
In 12 half-hour lectures, How to Build a Thriving Workplace: A Leader’s Guide will show
you how to identify and implement relatively simple and inexpensive changes to improve your
employees’ work environment and positively impact your bottom line. Professor Beth Cabrera,
organizational psychologist and Senior Scholar at the George Mason University Center for the
Advancement of Well-Being, provides a step-by-step guide to creating the best possible work
environment for your employees.
Even though the steps Professor Cabrera provides are accessible, effective, and often low-cost,
you’ll discover that creating a truly employee-focused environment in your organization isn’t
something you can delegate to an isolated department or ad hoc committee. In this course,
you’ll learn why leading by example is your only way to develop a more engaged and thriving
workforce. The good news is that you, too, will benefit from a greater sense of well-being and
increased productivity. While created for the workplace, there are dozens of take-aways that
can help you find peace and well-being, and help you to thrive in any environment on a personal
level, as well.
What Doesn’t Work—You’ll Be Surprised
For a long time, there was a general concensus concerning what the most productive workforce
looks like. Employees arrive early and leave late. They are always at their stations when you
need them, not chatting in the break room or on vacation. If an employee’s child becomes ill
during the workday, arrangements are made for someone else to care for the child, so the
parent can stay at work. When leadership feels the need to praise employee effort, a plaque or
the occasional potluck lunch should do the trick.
But the results of recent workplace studies paint a radically different picture. In How to Build
a Thriving Workplace: A Leader’s Guide, you’ll be surprised to learn that these old
“absolutes” are simply not true and could be working against your best interest. Many of the
traditional ways of running a business and managing a workforce have been reassessed, and
much of what actually works is less about time and place, and more about employee
engagement and happiness. For example, studies have revealed that:
• More hours in the office do not necessarily result in greater productivity. In fact, working
too many hours without a break reduces productivity.
• Allowing employees to work at home does not actually lower productivity.
• Taking time off regularly doesn’t indicate an employee is less dedicated. Employees who
are able to strike a better balance between work and rest are often more efficient and
productive.
• Multi-tasking will most often result in lowered efficiency and higher stress levels.
Prioritizing and completing tasks one at a time is a much more effective method.
• Contrary to what people may believe about “distractions” at work, it has been shown that
healthy friendships and bonds with coworkers promote a better, more productive work
environment.
• Salary is not the sole determining factor of turnover. Many things—environment,
expectations, structure, etc.—can equally affect how you obtain and maintain talent.
What Does Work—The How and Why
If our old model for the most productive workforce is no longer valid, what’s the new model?
What are the parameters for a thriving, productive, and innovative workforce—and how do we
really know?
The old model was based on gut instinct and what seemed—at the time—to be common sense.
But the new model was developed using the scientific principles of positive psychology and the
results of dozens of studies conducted over the past two decades.
Positive psychology is not pop psychology—popular “how to’s” that have no basis in scientific
study. Positive psychology was born at the end of the 20th century when some psychologists
turned their scientific methods away from the study of pathologies to examine the other side of
the human experience—thriving. In the two decades since, there has been an explosion of
research on topics including happiness, gratitude, optimism, strengths, flow, meaning, and
relationships.
When the research of positive psychology is applied to the workplace, we learn what employees
really need to thrive and the steps leaders can take to bring that about—based not on gut
instinct, but on solid data.
Thriving and Well-Being
Thriving and well-being can feel like nebulous terms. While psychologists have many definitions
for these multi-dimensional concepts, well-being can generally be defined as a mental state
characterized by positive feelings and positive functioning. When we are thriving—when we
have a great “amount of” well-being—we are at our best. At work, we are more creative, more
productive, and more engaged.
This course examines a variety of factors that have been proven to increase employees’ well-
being and productivity—and your bottom line. They include:
• Mindfulness: While there’s a good chance you’ve heard of mindfulness to promote focus
or achievement, you may not be aware of how mindfulness training can also help you
create a thriving work environment in other ways. Mindfulness is about paying attention
to what is happening in your own mind, your thoughts and feelings, and what is going on
around you—intentionally and without judgment. With mindfulness training, you’ll be
able to not only better focus on your own work, but to pay better attention to your
employees’ verbal and non-verbal communication. You’ll have a much more accurate
picture of your workplace and your employees, and a better understanding of where
changes should and can be made.
• Attitudes: Positive Outlook, Optimism, Hope, Generosity, and Compassion. These
positive attitudes in the workplace have been proven to provide psychological, cognitive,
social, and physical health benefits, including resilience. But no one’s attitude is more
important than yours; the emotions and attitudes of leaders are contagious at work.
You’ll be surprised to learn the simple but powerful techniques you can use to create a
more positive attitude within yourself and among your employees.
• Employee Engagement, Autonomy, and the State of Flow. Engagement, autonomy,
and the state of flow significantly boost productivity in the workplace. You’ll learn what
employees need in order to experience these states for enhanced performance, and how
a few simple workplace changes can help create a supportive environment.
• Relationships. Humans have a biological need to feel connected to other people, to feel
understood, recognized, and affirmed. Our relationships with other people are at the
heart of thriving, contributing to our health and happiness at home and in the workplace.
Learn what you can do to create an environment that fosters positive relationships and
also improves productivity.
How to Build a Thriving Workplace: A Leader’s Guide will give you all the information you
need to transform your workplace into an attractive and thriving environment. In the process,
not only will your bottom line improve, but so will the lives of your employees—and your own
life, as well.
12 lectures | Average 30 minutes each
1. Workplace Well-Being: The New Frontier
What's the next competitive frontier in business? It's the relationship between employee
experience and company success. Learn about the exciting new research showing a clear
link between employee well-being and your company's bottom line.
2. Mindfulness at Work: The Power of Presence
While most of us believe multi-tasking increases our productivity, scientific studies reveal
the opposite. Explore why mindfulness has proven to be a better path to emotional well-
being and optimal work performance. Discover how to develop and implement the
practice of mindfulness in your life.
3. Positive Outlook, Positive Performance
Can starting your day off with a few smiles really make a difference in your work
performance? Yes! Discover how positive emotions can impact our brain structure and
chemistry, resulting in significant psychological, cognitive, social, and health benefits
that can improve work performance.
4. Fostering Employee Optimism and Hope
Optimism and hope are two powerful ingredients in the recipe for a thriving workplace,
and studies have confirmed their correlation to the bottom line. Explore the important
differences between these two concepts and the specific ways in which employees can
learn to shift from pessimistic or hopeless attitudes to more optimistic and hopeful ones.
5. The Advantage of Workplace Relationships
Our brains are wired for social interaction, and research has confirmed that our
relationships with others significantly impact both our ability to thrive and our work
performance. Find out how to foster high-quality social connections among employees
and how those connections can have a positive impact.
6. Encouraging Generosity and Compassion
Scientists now believe nature rewarded not only the fittest, but also the kindest. Explore
how to foster generosity and compassion in the workplace, and the many ways in which
these qualities lead to stronger relationships and greater productivity. Also, explore the
benefits of self-compassion.
7. Creating an Inspiring Learning Environment
We all want to learn and grow throughout our careers, yet some people are more open to
learning new concepts and skills than others. Find out how leadership can create an
environment of psychological safety, curiosity, and creativity, which will inspire all
employees to learn, grow, and thrive.
8. Engaging Your Workforce: The Power of Flow
We’re familiar with the concept of athletes and artists experiencing “flow” or being “in
the zone.” They report performing almost effortlessly while time goes by unnoticed when
they are fully engaged in their work. Discover how creating more opportunities for flow
at work and adopting a strengths-based leadership approach can benefit both your
employees and your organization.
9. The Need for Meaning: Making Work Matter
Many people look to their work for a sense of fulfillment and meaning. But meaning
doesn't come from the specific task performed; it is derived from an individual's
understanding of the task's purpose. Explore the many ways to help employees
understand how their work and the company's collective activities serve colleagues,
customers, and community.
10.Promoting Workplace Resilience
The modern workplace can be a stressful environment. But whether that stress is
harmful or helpful depends on an individual’s mindset—a mindset that can be changed.
Examine specific strategies that can help develop resilience. A more resilient workforce
can lead to increased performance and decreased employee turnover.
11.Strategies for Employee Health
The research is clear that a few well-planned front-end investments in employee health
can prevent significant costs later on. Explore the many ways in which workplace
environment and culture can promote better health through exercise, eating habits,
sleep, rest, and relaxation.
12.Autonomy: Empowering Employees to Succeed
Autonomy—the feeling of being in control and having the ability to accomplish your goals
—is one of the most powerful components of well-being, and companies where employees
have greater autonomy significantly outperform competitors. Learn the best ways to give
up a bit of control, even though it’s difficult for most of us. It will be well worth the effort.
About Your Professor
Beth Cabrera, PhD
George Mason University
Beth Cabrera is a Senior Scholar at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George
Mason University, where she conducts research on applying principles of positive psychology to
improve personal and professional well-being. She received her PhD in
Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. After earning
her PhD, Dr. Cabrera joined the faculty of the Universidad Carlos III deMadrid, one of Spain’s
top universities, and continued her career as a Professor of Management at Arizona State
University. She also became a senior research fellow at the Thunderbird School of Global
Management.
Dr. Cabrera is the president and founder of Cabrera Insights, a leadership development firm
that assists companies in creating and maintaining positive work environments. Her research
has been published in leading academic and professional journals, and she is the author of the
book, Beyond Happy: Women, Work, and Well-Being.
