11.10.2017 Interview with Itai Ivtzan
Who or what inspires you most?
Personal and organisational transformation inspires me most. Seeing groups and individuals willing to ask the questions and go through the required change to achieve increased psychological and physiological health fills me with pride and joy.
Why do you think it is important to integrate positive psychology in more businesses and organisations?
Positive psychology offers businesses and organisations practical tools to increase employee well-being, reducing stress and burn-out, and increasing engagement and productivity. In other words, positive psychology offers organisations an important transformation that would enable them to flourish. The important thing to remember is that those tools are research-based: everything we offer has been tested scientifically, shown to be effective, and only then integrated as part of the tools, exercises, training, and coaching we offer.
Why do audiences typically gain from your keynote presentations?
I love my work. I love the positive change I inspire in people. This passion is contagious, motivating my audience to use the practical tools i offer so that they increase their psychological well-being and resilience. Combined with my 20 years of research and teaching in the area of positive psychology, mindfulness, and resilience, I offer a unique combination of knowledge, experience, and passion.
Do you have a favorite experience from your speaking career?
My favorite speaking engagements are those in large private companies with “traditional” corporate and business approach, in which topics such as mindfulness, psychological resilience, and well-being are not easily accepted. I love seeing how the audience gradually shifts from its original suspicious approach into acceptance and enthusiastic application of my ideas.
What would your three best tips for creating a more positive mindset?
- Be present in your current activity – it makes you happier and more productive.
- Play to your strengths – in positive psychology we show, through research, that using our personal strengths makes us more fulfilled and empowered.
- Challenging experiences could be a platform for positive change. Yes, I know, this isn’t how we usually think about positive change – but in positive psychology we show how frequently it is the challenge that leads us into flourishing as long we use the right tools to tackle it.