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Essential Skills for Your Organization

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Broaden and Build Theory

Your 10-Minute Guide to Using Positive Emotions to
Build a Successful Team

Broaden,then build,
for a happy, productive team.
© iStockphoto/jhorrocks

Find out how to use this theory to help your people

be happier and more productive. This guide looks how
you can use Broaden
Think about the last time you went into work feeling negative.
and Build Theory to
Chances are, you had a difficult time coming up with creative ideas, build a happy team.
your interactions with colleagues were uninspiring or strained, and your
productivity was lower than usual. Please feel free
to share it
When you go into work feeling positive, however, possibilities and
inside your
opportunities seem to be everywhere.
organization.
You feel open and receptive to new ideas, your relationships are easy and
supportive, and you get things done.
Most of us know intuitively that, when we’re in a positive frame of mind,
we work better that day. However, we may not appreciate that, when we’re
happy, we also become more effective in the longer term. This forms the
basis of Broaden and Build Theory.
In this article, we’ll explore this theory, and we’ll look at how you can use the
ideas behind it to help your people be happier and more effective.

10-Minute Guide From Mind Tools Corporate www.mindtools.com/corporate

© Mind Tools 2014. Please copy this guide freely, but do not amend it in any way. For more information, visit www.mindtools.com/corporate.
 Essential Skills for Your Organization

About the Theory Step 1: Broaden

Broaden and Build Theory was developed by social First, you need to help your people experience more positive
psychologist, professor Barbara Fredrickson, in 1998. emotions while they’re at work. These emotions include
Although the theory is now associated with the field joy, contentment, interest, peace, gratitude, hope, pride,
of positive psychology, Fredrickson originally created amusement, friendship, and inspiration. When people
it to explore how positive emotions can contribute experience these emotions regularly, they’ll broaden their
to survival. thoughts and awareness, and start to flourish.
The theory says that positive emotions do much more Begin by thinking about motivation. Herzberg’s
than cause us happiness, joy and contentment in the Motivation and Hygiene Factor Theory helps you deal
moments we experience them. They also broaden with workplace factors that can make people unhappy.
behaviors (“thought-action repertoires”), such as McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory, Sirota’s Three
awareness, play, discovery, and curiosity. The more Factor Theory, and Amabile and Kramer’s Progress Theory
positive emotions we experience, the wider the range of help you think about the factors that help people find
thought-action repertoires we have – in other words, the their work satisfying and inspiring.
happier we are, the more flexible and creative we are in A healthy team is a happy team, so create a healthy
the way that we work. workplace for your people. If your workspace is
Think about it this way – if someone is being chased by depressing, take steps to redesign or redecorate it, with
a tiger, he’d better be very focused on survival: it could your people’s comfort, health and productivity in mind.
be disastrous to waste “energy” on play, discovery or Another important way to help people feel happier is
curiosity! By contrast, a designer who’s worried about simply to say “thank you” regularly. All of us want to feel
her job is unlikely to come up with daring, innovative, that our work is appreciated and valued, so a wonderful
award-winning designs – she’s focused on safety and way to raise people’s spirits is to let your them know that
survival, and not much else. you appreciate their good work.
Over time, when we’re happy, our broadened behaviors Also, make sure that you increase the amount of positive
help us build rich work-related knowledge, skills and feedback that you give your team.
abilities (also called “personal, physical, intellectual,
social, and psychological resources”). Stress kills positive emotions and productivity. If a team
member is experiencing stress and seems unable to
These resources last much longer than the initial cope, support him as best you can, and help him build his
positive emotions that led to their creation, and they self-confidence if necessary.
contribute significantly to our long-term well-being
and success. These broadened resources also help us Anything that you can do to help your team feel happy,
cope with stress, and unhappy emotions or situations content, grateful, and excited will help people broaden their
– essentially, we have stronger skills, and these help us outlook and lead directly to the next step, building.
deal better with difficult situations.

Applying the Theory Tip 1:

There are two steps to take to apply Broaden and Build Remember that how your people perceive your
Theory with your people. own emotions will have a bearing on how they
First, you need to help them broaden their emotions feel too. Learn to manage your emotions at work,
by providing a positive workplace, in which they and be a good role model.
can be happy, and in which they can experience
positive emotions. Tip 2:
You then need to make sure that people have the means Be sensible when you apply this idea with
and resources to build on these positive emotions. your team. When people aren’t performing
This, in turn, can improve morale, strengthen team well, you may need to give them appropriate
bonds, boost productivity, encourage innovation, and negative feedback.
enhance communication.

10-Minute Guide From Mind Tools Corporate www.mindtools.com/corporate

© Mind Tools 2014. Please copy this guide freely, but do not amend it in any way. For more information, visit www.mindtools.com/corporate.
 Essential Skills for Your Organization

Step 2: Build build their skills. (These rewards don’t necessarily have
to be financial.)
Once your people are experiencing more positive
emotions, you can help them build their skills and
mental resources by giving them the tools they need to Key Points
do this.
Broaden and Build Theory was developed by positive
Are your people trained to do everything that they psychologist, professor Barbara Fredrickson.
need to do? If you’re not sure, do a Training Needs
The theory says that positive emotions do much more
Assessment so that you can see clearly where everyone
than make us feel good in the moment. Rather, when
stands. You’ll not only help your people develop
we experience them consistently, it helps us build
professionally, you’ll raise their morale as well. You can
our physical, intellectual, social, and professional
also cross-train people to develop their interests, skills
resources over the long-term. In short, when
and flexibility.
your people are happy, they become increasingly
Also, make sure that people have the right tools and innovative, effective and resilient.
resources at their disposal to do their jobs properly.
You can use this theory with your team by first creating
(This includes help and support, as well as resources
an atmosphere that encourages positive emotions.
like equipment.)
You can then make sure that your people have the right
As your people feel happier, they’ll also become more tools and resources to develop their skills and grow
creative. Make sure that you can take advantage of this professionally. If you couple this with an environment
by creating an environment that values and fosters that values and supports creative thinking, you’ve got a
creative thinking, and praise and reward them as they real recipe for success!

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10-Minute Guide From Mind Tools Corporate www.mindtools.com/corporate

© Mind Tools 2014. Please copy this guide freely, but do not amend it in any way. For more information, visit www.mindtools.com/corporate.