The Positive Organization

1. Positive Organizations Flourish Through People

IN A POSITIVE ORGANIZATION, THE PEOPLE ARE FLOURISHING AS THEY WORK. IN TERMS OF OUTCOMES, THEY ARE EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS.

Defining a Positive Culture. Positive organizations are characterized by a culture where individuals thrive and consistently surpass expectations. This involves creating an environment that supports growth, engagement, and a sense of purpose, leading to both individual well-being and collective success. Hospital 1, with its welcoming atmosphere and unified staff, exemplifies this, contrasting sharply with the rigid, policy-driven environment of Hospital 2.

The Impact of Culture. The culture of an organization significantly influences its performance. A positive culture fosters commitment, compassion, and collaboration, while a negative culture breeds withdrawal and underperformance. Unit 5, within the conventional Hospital 2, demonstrates that even in challenging environments, a pocket of excellence can emerge through a unique and positive approach.

Shifting Mental Maps. Recognizing that organizations are dynamic, not static, is crucial. They are continually becoming more positive or negative, and leaders must be aware of the assumptions that shape their mental maps. By expanding these maps to include both conventional and positive perspectives, leaders can create environments where people flourish and exceed expectations.

2. Bilingual Leaders Bridge Conventional and Positive Mindsets

If you are an imperial CEO, or if you think too much of yourself, then it doesn’t work.

Transcending Conventional Assumptions. Effective leaders, like Alberto Weisser, often begin with conventional mindsets focused on hierarchy and control. However, they evolve by recognizing the limitations of these assumptions and embracing a more positive mental map that values purpose, authenticity, and possibility. This transformation involves learning to see the organization as a network of relationships rather than just a pyramid of authority.

The Power of Bilingualism. Bilingual leaders can navigate both the conventional world of stability and productivity and the positive world of unity and change. They understand and value the tensions between opposing characteristics, such as growth focus and cost control, and can integrate these tensions to create a balanced and thriving organization. This ability allows them to communicate effectively with diverse groups and drive meaningful change.

Embracing the Positive Mental Map. The positive mental map recognizes the potential in people and the power of intrinsic motivation. It values collaboration, growth, and the expression of authentic voices. By adopting this map, leaders can create cultures where people are not only productive but also engaged, fulfilled, and committed to the common good.

3. Purpose Unifies and Energizes Organizations

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF A LEADER IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THEIR PURPOSE.

The Transformative Power of Purpose. Leaders like Gerry Anderson discovered that connecting people to a meaningful purpose is essential for unlocking their discretionary energy and driving organizational excellence. This involves moving beyond a focus on profit and problem-solving to create a shared vision that inspires commitment and collaboration. DTE Energy's aspiration to be "a force for growth and prosperity in the communities where we live and serve" exemplifies this.

Listening and Embodying Purpose. Discovering and clarifying purpose requires deep listening and a genuine commitment to the collective good. Leaders must embody the purpose in their actions and reinforce it in every interaction. This authenticity is crucial for building trust and inspiring people to willingly contribute their discretionary energy.

Overcoming the "Culture of Explanation." Many organizations suffer from a "culture of explanation," where problems are attributed to the culture, excusing leaders from taking responsibility. To create a positive organization, leaders must challenge this mindset and actively work to clarify and revivify the purpose, ensuring it drives all decisions and actions.

4. Authentic Conversations Drive Engagement and Change

Real change comes from our willingness to own our vulnerability, confess our failures, and acknowledge that many of our stories do not have a happy ending.

Breaking Down Barriers. Conventional cultures often stifle authentic communication due to fear and political posturing. However, creating a positive organization requires fostering an environment where people can express their true feelings and engage in genuine, mutual inquiry. This involves challenging the assumption that leaders must be experts with all the answers.

The Power of Vulnerability. Sharing personal experiences, owning shortcomings, and expressing gratitude can transform relationships and create a climate of trust. The story of the consultant who helped a senior management team open up illustrates the power of authenticity in breaking down barriers and fostering honest communication.

From Posturing to Authenticity. Authentic communication requires self-purification and a focus on identifying one's own self-deceptions and hypocrisy. It means finding and expressing one's best self and doing the same for others. By prioritizing authenticity, leaders can create cultures where people are more engaged, collaborative, and open to learning.

5. Seeing Possibility Over Constraint Sparks Transformation

Creating organizations of excellence and energy is the most real thing you can do.

Challenging Conventional Assumptions. Many people operate from assumptions of constraint, believing that a better future is impossible. However, leaders can spark transformation by exposing their people to excellence and nurturing a belief in possibility. This involves challenging the conventional mental map and inviting people to discover their way into a more positive perspective.

The Power of Encountering Excellence. Telling is less persuasive than seeing and doing. The CEO who took his executives to Zingerman's, a positive organization, witnessed a rapid shift in their beliefs. Similarly, exposing people to positive deviations within their own system can challenge their assumptions and open their minds to new possibilities.

From Constraint to Possibility. By focusing on excellence and inviting people to engage in new behaviors, leaders can shift their organizations from a focus on constraint to a focus on possibility. This involves creating a culture where people are empowered to try new things, learn from their experiences, and contribute to a more positive future.

6. Embracing the Common Good Builds Moral Power

Action from principle, the perception and the performance of right, changes things and relations; it is essentially revolutionary, and does not consist wholly with anything that was.

Beyond Self-Interest. While the conventional mental map assumes that people are self-interested, the positive mental map recognizes the power of prosocial motivation and the pursuit of the common good. When people are oriented to a higher purpose, they tend to unify, transcend self-interest, and sacrifice for the whole, leading to a healthier organization. The story of Jackie Robinson illustrates this.

The Shift from Ego to Eco. Leaders who embrace the common good shift from an ego-system perspective to an eco-system perspective, caring about the well-being of all, including themselves. This involves suspending judgment, refocusing attention, and embracing the emerging future. By acting with purpose and integrity, leaders can attract others to the collective good.

Moral Power and Cultural Change. Cultural change occurs when people transcend their fears of conventional pressures and orient to a higher good. This requires courage, integrity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. By modeling moral power, leaders can invite others to join them in creating a more positive and virtuous organization.

7. Trusting Emergence Fosters Self-Organization

It is not only generals who can plan campaigns.

Beyond Top-Down Control. The conventional mental map assumes that change derives from a formal plan implemented in a linear, top-down fashion. However, positive organizations recognize the power of self-organization and the emergent process. This involves trusting that a more positive culture can emerge from the bottom up, without centralized direction.

Facilitating Emergence. Leaders can foster emergence by creating conditions that allow people to connect, communicate, and collaborate. This involves letting go of the expert role, empowering people to take initiative, and trusting that they will learn and adapt as they move forward. The story of Kurt Wright, who asked a simple question and sparked a $45 million turnaround, exemplifies this.

Recognizing and Nurturing Emergence. Learning to understand and trust the emergent process is not easy. It requires a shift in mindset and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. By recognizing and nurturing emergence, leaders can create organizations that are more adaptive, innovative, and resilient.

8. The Positive Organization Generator Catalyzes Change

WE REALLY CAN MAKE CHANGE!

A Tool for Transformation. The Positive Organization Generator is designed to help people create practices that they believe in and desire to implement within their own zone of control. It provides a structured process for assessing the current culture, envisioning a desired future, and reinventing positive practices to fit specific situations.

From Inspiration to Action. The tool includes a list of 100 positive practices from real organizations, serving as inspiration for the creation of new, customized practices. The key is the reinvention process, which ensures that the practices are relevant, exciting, and implementable without asking permission.

Empowering Leaders at All Levels. By using the Positive Organization Generator, leaders at all levels can initiate culture change within their units. This bottom-up approach, when supported from above, can create a ripple effect throughout the organization, leading to a more positive and thriving culture.

Last updated: May 30, 2025