Making Positive Psychology Work

Nearly 1 in 2 American workers are quietly fatiguing, cracking, or burning out right now — but the data reveals that these aren't just different degrees of the same thing. In this episode of Season 7 — The Change Fatigue Remedy Series — Katie Beresford interviews Dr Michelle McQuaid about the findings of the most recent US Change Lab study, and what the data tells us about where people are on the change fatigue continuum, why leaders keep missing the early warning signs, and what individuals, teams, and organizations can actually do about it. 01:37 Michelle outlines the four groups on the change fatigue continuum — and explains why the grouped percentages are smaller than the true reach of each experience, and what the ungrouped picture actually shows. 04:33 Michelle explains why the first signs of doubt in fatiguing workers turn inward — toward self-doubt — rather than toward the strategy, the team, or the change itself, and why that makes them so hard for leaders to spot. 06:51 Michelle shares why fatiguing workers are almost 13 times more likely to later find themselves quietly cracking — and why this is the critical intervention window leaders need to know about. 08:03 Michelle unpacks the scale of change US workers are currently navigating: 83% experiencing significant change in the past year, with leadership changes, policy shifts, and AI technology among the most common — and rarely arriving one at a time. 09:27 Michelle describes why high-performance makes the fatiguing-to-cracking window so easy for leaders to miss — and what they should be watching for instead. 14:27 Michelle reveals why individual behaviors hold up better under pressure than team or organizational support — and the three things people can do for themselves when change gets hard. 16:38 Michelle explains why teams are the life raft in uncertainty — and the three things leaders can do to keep people from quietly cracking, including the difference between communicating and connecting. 18:07 Michelle shares why ordinary questions produce ordinary conversations — and what one leader did differently that changed everything about how his team talked about change. 24:22 Michelle identifies the organizational level as where support most visibly fails — and the three things organizations need to build into change processes before people fatigue, not after. 27:25 Michelle explains how C-suite leaders can role model help-seeking by taking extraordinary questions into team meetings rather than arriving with all the answers. Take our free five-minute change survey to see how you're navigating change right now at thechangelabs.com. Want to go deeper? Explore evidence-based tools for navigating change — including our self-paced certificate in leading the heart of change — at thechangelabs.com.

When change keeps coming, research suggests the way we talk to ourselves is making it harder. In this first episode of Season 7 — The Change Fatigue Remedy Series — Michelle explores with Dr Kristin Neff what it practically looks like to be a wiser, kinder friend to yourself when things get hard: why "I should be handling this better" is your threat system talking, not the truth, and what to do instead. With more than two decades of research behind her, Dr Neff explains why the three elements of self-compassion — mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity — shape not just how you cope, but how your team talks about mistakes, how psychological safety takes root, and what becomes possible when a whole workplace builds the practice together. 01:38 Kristin explains when the ground keeps shifting, how might being a wiser, kinder friend to yourself actually help — and why does it matter for the people around you? 04:37 Kristin outlines how the three elements of self-compassion — mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity can practically help us navigate change. 09:09 Kristin shares why bumping up against your limits and making mistakes isn't failure — it's precisely how we learn and grow. 11:26 Kristin provides a simple brain hack to help us break free from our tendency to criticize, ruminate, and isolate ourselves when we're under pressure. 16:44 Kristin explains how soothing the body helps us our nervous system to navigate change when words alone aren't cutting through. 22:03 Kristin shares how self-compassion spreads through teams and shares how a hospital has used this to build a culture of care that is reducing fatigue. 28:46 Kristin shares how workplaces can design changes to support more self-compassion. 30:39 Kristin outlines how self-compassion can be fierce and help us to set boundaries, say no, and motivate change when needed. Take our free five-minute change survey to see how you're navigating change right now at thechangelabs.com. Want to go deeper? Explore evidence-based tools for navigating change — including our self-paced certificate in leading the heart of change — at thechangelabs.com.

Discover the importance of admitting mistakes and asking for help in a safe environment. Explore the mantra "stay with me" to navigate challenges without losing self-compassion. Learn how self-criticism often hurts more than helps and dive into three steps of self-compassion from Dr. Kristin Neff. The podcast also introduces Internal Family Systems psychology, encouraging curiosity towards our protective parts instead of shame. Join the hosts as they promote resilience and accountability through understanding our inner conflicts.

Our bodies have to calm down before our thoughts can follow — and this is the step most of us skip. In this second episode of our special bonus season, hosts Dr Michelle McQuaid and Evie Wright share practical body-based tools you can use anywhere, anytime: in meetings, during difficult conversations, or mid-presentation (without anyone noticing). With guest insights from somatic expert Nahid de Belgeonne, author of Soothed, learn how to think of your nervous system as an inner toddler that needs our compassion and care — not criticism. 00:03 Michelle and Evie welcome listeners back and recap last episode's core insight: our brain is constantly asking "am I safe enough?" — and our nervous system responds accordingly. 05:36 Why trying to "think your way calm" doesn't work — when we're in our protection circuit, we have less blood and oxygen in the thinking part of our brain, so we need to soothe our body first. 09:53 Nahid de Belgeonne introduces the powerful reframe: think of your nervous system as an inner toddler that needs to be soothed, not told to "get a grip." 11:47 Tool one: breath awareness — Nahid explains how breathe can act like "a remote control to the brain" and Evie guides listeners through a simple breath practice. 18:57 Tool two: oscillation — Michelle shares Nahid's jiggling techniques, from subtle toe and finger movements you can do in meetings to full arm oscillations that release shoulder tension. 24:48 Tool three: shaking it out — Evie leads a full-body shake, explaining how it releases the stuck energy our body holds when we're primed for action but don't actually need to fight or flee. 29:48 Nahid on why "ambition has no place in this practice" — learning by getting things wrong, staying curious rather than performative, and giving your nervous system new possibilities. 32:42 Building proactive practice — why practising these tools when you're already in the green zone helps them feel more natural when you tip off the wobble board. Want to go deeper? Grab your free somatic nudge playsheets and videos and check out our Nervous System Advantage mini-masterclass at www.michellemcquaid.com.

In this engaging conversation, therapist and author Sue Marriott sheds light on our tangled nervous systems and the disconnect between how we feel and what we say. She dives into the concepts of connection and protection circuits, revealing how stress impacts our responses. The hosts explore the idea of 'quiet cracking' in the workplace and why traditional resilience tools might fail us today. Understanding the green, blue, and red zones offers a crucial framework for navigating our emotions and responses amidst the chaotic super cycle of change.

While new data suggests 58% of changes fail, organizations using human-centered methods achieve 93% success rates. What's the difference? This final episode reveals how the HEART framework helps teams thrive through today's supercycle of change by helping people feel 'safe enough' to embrace not having all the answers, self-organize around actions they care enough to own, and measure success by growing their capabilities to navigate uncertainty together. We bring together all five HEART factors into one simple practice you can do anywhere, anytime. 02:00 Michelle shares how she talks with leaders about the supercycle of change they are currently experiencing and the emotional and social impact it is having on their people. 06:35 Michelle explains how she helps leaders understand how to prioritize a more human-centered approach to change. 13.25 Michelle outlines why and how she gets leaders to embrace "I don't know" when it comes to navigating complex changes. 16:25 Michelle shares why and how she helps leaders to understand the power of self-organization when it comes to navigating change. 20:27 Michelle explains why and how she encourages leaders to accept that their most important goal is growing their people's capabilities to navigate complex change together, rather than making change stick. 27:15 Michelle shares how she helps leaders use the five HEART factors to practically support a human-centered approach to change. 32.19 Michelle summarizes how we can break down human-centered change in a way leaders can understand and action. 33.54 Michelle walks through the HEART Check tool to help you choose how you will navigate change. 43:52 Michelle shares her final post-it note takeaway for leading human-centered change.

Change initiatives often start with such confidence - neat timelines, clear milestones, everyone aligned - yet within weeks things feel messy and unpredictable. What makes the reality so different from the plan? This episode explores why "tiny is mighty" when it comes to navigating complex change. We share the T in our HEART framework with practical tools for embracing polarities rather than false choices, starting where you are, sensing when to adapt, and celebrating small wins that build the resilience needed to thrive in ongoing uncertainty. 01:04 Chelle explains the benefits of Taking Tiny Steps when it comes to navigating change. 09:30 Chelle shares the four elements that make it easier to take tiny steps together from polarities to celebrations. 16:44 Chelle offers a metaphor from Peter Senge to understand why we need to sense, learn, and adapt when it comes to navigating complex change. 20:52 Chelle provides two personal tools to embrace "both/and" thinking as we navigate the polarities of change. 25:58 Chelle shares two team tools to leverage The Progress Principle practices to celebrate small wins together. 32:49 Chelle offers two organizational tools to embed adaptative learning across organizational cultures. 39:24 Chelle shares an example of how her team apply these tools for The Michelle McQuaid Group. 48:13 Chelle explains where workplaces tend to struggle when it comes to taking tiny steps. 50:50 Chelle shares the post-it note a-ha for taking tiny steps.

Why do some teams emerge from uncertainty stronger and more connected, while others splinter into silos where everyone's fending for themselves? The difference lies in whether people feel safe enough to admit they're struggling and ask for help. This episode reveals why reaching out is often the one simple act standing between you and success during change. We share the R in our HEART framework with practical tools for normalizing struggle, making it easier to ask for and offer help, and ensuring no one burns out from caring. 01:12 Chelle explains why Reaching Out helps us to navigate the uncertainty, fear, and doubt that comes with change. 09:15 Chelle shares the three elements make it easier to ask for help when we're feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed 11:46 Chelle provides two individual tools we can reach for help to ensure we are asking cleanly and clearly for help rather than manipulating others 17:38 Chelle offers two organizational tools we can use to create a help-seeking culture. 23:49 Chelle shares two team team tools we can use to set healthy boundaries around our help giving so we don't burn each other out. 29:03 Chelle explains how IDEO have built helping into the norms, processes, and practices and the impact it has had in their workplace. 36:18 Chelle exploers how workplaces can ensure people are available to help each other. 38:33 Chelle provides the post-it note a-ha takeaway for Reaching Out.

Ever notice how some changes leave people feeling energized and capable while others leave them exhausted and overwhelmed? What creates this difference? Why do some uncertainties feel like exciting challenges while others trigger that familiar "Oh FUD!" spiral of fear, uncertainty and doubt? This episode explores how to fuel people's confidence, make the most of their capabilities, and help them stay curious about how they can navigate change more effectively together. We share the A in our HEART framework with evidence-based approaches to help you build on people's strengths while also dealing with their challenges and struggles. 01.09 Michelle explains how our brains are wired to help us thrive through change - even when its challenging. 06:36 Michelle shares the 80/20 rule of change that helps to energize rather than exhaust people. 10:33 Michelle offers two organizational tools that can help workplaces embed a strengths-based approach change. 13:39 Mchelle outlines how leaders can map and support the strengths of their teams to navigate change together. 18.54 Michelle shares her favorite ways to develop her strengths during changes - even when her bosses haven't been supportive in the past. 26.19 Michelle explains why many leaders struggle to appreciate strengths even when it consistently improves the return on investment of their change efforts. 29.14 Michelle shares how a small health service have appreciated strengths at an organizational, team, and individual level across their workplace. 35.01 Michelle confesses to overplaying her appreciation of strengths at times and how she adjusts this now when needed. 37.55 Michelle offers a post-it note a-ha to help appreciate strengths through change.

Have you ever been in a meeting where someone shares a "big announcement" and you can practically hear everyone's minds turning off? Compare that to times when you're figuring out a problem together with people you trust - same amount of work, totally different feeling. What makes some complex changes feel safe enough to lean into while others feel dead on arrival? This episode explores how to turn grudging compliance into willing commitment during change. We share the E in our HEART framework with practical tools for meaningful conversations that support self-organization. 01.09 Michelle shares how we can engage people more purposefully around change - even when the change is not something they want. 05.00 Michelle explains why compliance rarely lasts more than three months, and how we can win people's ongoing commitment to change 08:50 Michelle outlines the three basic human needs we all share when it comes to engaging purposefully in change. 13:30 Michelle provides two organizational tools to help workplaces be values-led around their changes. 17.53 Michelle shares how leaders can ask extraordinary questions and practice extraordinary listening to support their teams through change. 23.47 Michelle explains how each of us can use five simple change-crafting questions to make any change more personally meaningful. 29.54 Michelle shares an example of how two organizations that were merging engaged people purposefully to co-create a new set of values. 36.39 Michelle dives into why leaders often struggle to engage their people purposefully around change. 40.51 Michelle offers two post-it notes takeaways for this HEART of Change factor.