PPC in the Workplace: The Business Case

Interest in positive psychology and coaching, their use individually and in combination (positive psychology coaching) in the workplace has increased exponentially over the past 12 months, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, this chapter examines arguments for both the utility and efficacy of positive psychology coaching in the workplace. In doing so, we first study the effects of a current mental health crisis on both employees and organisations. We then explore the evidence behind the claim that employee wellbeing is not only good in itself, but further translates into performance indicators, before moving on to consider the role employee engagement plays in impacting performance. We then examine whether and how interventions coming from a positive psychology perspective succeed in enhancing mental health, wellbeing and engagement. Finally, we define workplace coaching and positive psychology coaching in the workplace, scrutinising the evidence base behind both and proposing the latter as a means of bridging the inherent tension between the needs of humanity and the organisational bottom line.