From Research to Practice
Having the will and finding the way: A review and meta-analysis of hope at work by Rebecca J. Reichard, James B. Avey, Shane Lopez & Maren Dollwet The Journal of Positive Psychology 8:4, 292-304
Special Thanks to Deborah Elbaum, MD for for reviewing this research and translating the key points to use in your coaching practice.
A number of factors are correlated with increased employee performance and well-being, but did you know that having hope is among them? If asked, most of us would probably define hope as the feeling that everything will turn out as or better than expected. Yet, the construct of hope involves a bit more than that. For a person to have hope, he or she must be able to both identify and achieve goals, as well as create or imagine alternative routes to achieving goals when the original pathway has become blocked.
In this article, researchers Reichard, Avey, Lopez, and Dollwet reviewed 45 studies examining hope in the workplace from the past 20 years. In all, more than 11,000 employees, from ages 20 to 55, and with 2 to 16 years of work experience, were represented. A number of significant correlations were identified:
- Employees with more hope had increased employee performance, as measured by supervisor ratings, self ratings, and objective performance ratings.
- More hopeful employees had increased happiness, job satisfaction, and commitment to their organization.
- Employees with more hope had better physical and mental health and well-being, although these measures were not specifically defined.
- Last, and not surprisingly, the least hopeful employees had the most job stress and burnout.
Having hope is clearly beneficial not only for the success of an organization, but also for the overall well-being of the individual employee. The coach's role is to help the client tap into, bolster, or solidify a hopeful attitude. Whether through positive self-talk, mental imagery exercises, or exploring new perspectives, there are likely many tools that can help.
Which tools will you try with your clients?
