So...what is Positive Intelligence, and why is it so important for schools?

 In my last post I discussed the concept of toxic positivity, and how sometimes our best efforts to promote positive culture in schools can backfire and actually make things worse.  Now that you know what Positive Intelligence is NOT, I want to help you understand more about what it is and why I think it's going to be crucial to strengthening school systems.

Positive Intelligence was founded by Stanford neuroscientist and Fortune 500 executive coach Shirzad Chamine.  After creating and leading CTI, one of the world's foremost executive and leadership coach training schools, Shirzad wanted to investigate why the insights people gained in coaching often did not lead to a lasting change in habits.  Research indicated that insight is only a small factor in changing behavior: instead, we need to build "mental muscle".  Just as analyzing how to make a layup in basketball is not the same as practicing it every day, gaining insight is limited in its application if the brain is not "rewired" to support those insights.

From positiveintelligence.com:

The breakthrough contribution of Positive Intelligence research is through factor analysis to discover the core factors that impact both performance and wellbeing. This research revealed that there are only 10 negative response factors (10 Saboteurs) and only 5 positive response factors (5 Sage powers).
Discovering these root-level factors of performance and wellbeing dramatically simplifies personal and professional development. Intercepting one’s Saboteur and activating one’s Sage automatically results in a wide array of impacts including stress management, relationship improvement, performance, selling and persuasion, creativity, leadership, resilience, and happiness.

This is because we are rewiring the brain at the root level rather than just treating symptoms.  

This breakthrough has been clinically proven to change the brain; you can read more about the research here.   In other words, Postive Intelligence (PQ) is a scientifically proven way to improve performance and wellbeing - two key metrics that are frequently noted as lacking in schools right now.  An unprecedented teacher shortage, a youth mental health crisis declared by the US Surgeon General, an ongoing pandemic, political upheaval and climate change have created a perfect storm of challenges for our already overworked, underfunded school systems.   There is not only a tremendous opportunity but an urgent need for educators and students alike to acquire the mental fitness needed to overcome these challenges and collaborate on creative solutions.

First, the teacher shortage:  while many states have addressed the current teacher shortage by relaxing certification requirements and other methods to attract new teachers, policy makers and administrators should focus more on teacher retention.  Experienced teachers are an invaluable asset; most educators agree that it takes around five years for one to really become an effective teacher.  Preventing burnout is vital to teacher retention.  Teachers need to reclaim the joy in their workday, and PQ teaches us how to manage stress with exercises that can be done in the moment - no meditation cushion, quiet room or yoga mat required.  Although PQ alone cannot change the circumstances that are stressful to educators, it can equip them with increased resilience, improved relationships and performance needed to address and eventually change the stressful circumstances.  Plus, research has demonstrated that being in a positive (or negative) mindset is contagious:  teachers' improved mental wellbeing will increase the wellbeing of their students, and in turn, student behavior and performance will improve.  This will reduce stress for the teachers.  See how a positive vs. negative mindset can become either a positive feedback loop or a vicious cycle?  

Once educators have learned PQ, they can in turn teach it to students.  Recent studies indicate that coaching programs such as PQ are at least as effective as traditional therapy.  As schools and communities face a shortage of mental health workers, PQ has the potential to be a viable solution.  In addition, PQ can help students build the emotional core competencies needed as part of their Social Emotional Learning (SEL).  

This graphic is an example of the growing acknowledment that schools need to do more to equip students with the mental fitness they will need to succeed after high school. Do you agree that PQ has the potential to solve multiple crises in education right now?  Whether you're an administrator, teacher or student, check out pqeducator.com to learn how Jenny can help you build the mental fitness you need to reclaim the joy in your school day!