In this episode, I had the pleasure of diving into the world of Positive Psychology with our guest, Chris Daicos, an experienced educator and consultant with over 40 years of experience in the field of education. 



Chris's expertise lies in leveraging Positive Psychology interventions to foster personal and organisational flourishing. As she eloquently explains, Positive Psychology isn't merely about putting on a happy face or ignoring challenges; it's a paradigm shift from problem-focused to solution-focused thinking. 



Unlike traditional psychology, which often fixates on dissecting problems and finding ways to mitigate them, Positive Psychology seeks to identify moments of success, strength, and resilience. Through this lens, Chris shares insights on how schools can adopt Positive Psychology approaches to enhance wellbeing for students, staff, and the wider community. 



Join us as we explore the transformative potential of Positive Psychology in education and its practical applications for creating thriving school environments.



In this episode, we cover:
What Positive Psychology is and how it differs from traditional psychology
Why schools should adopt positive psychology approaches when looking to enhance wellbeing at their schools
The PERMA(H) model and its components
How a strengths exploration initiative can improve wellbeing across most areas of the PERMA(H) model
The importance of communication and unifying the team with a clear vision and expectations





About the Guest

Chris Daicos is a dedicated advocate for personal and organisational flourishing, leveraging her extensive background as a trained teacher, social worker, and facilitator. As a foundation graduate of Australia’s first Master Applied Positive Psychology program, Chris seamlessly combines her expertise in pedagogy with evidence-based practices to deliver tailored professional learning to leaders, teachers and parents on a range of topics including Positive Psychology, leadership, people management, parental education and more.



With over 40 years of experience in Education, 20 of which were spent consulting with schools, Chris specilises in implementing Positive Psychology interventions to enhance wellbeing in diverse contexts. With a focus on practical application and real-life scenarios, Chris's workshops are valued for their effectiveness in promoting confidence, engagement, and satisfaction among participants.



Her professional portfolio includes teaching Master's courses on wellbeing and positive psychology at Melbourne University, Victoria University, Australian Catholic University, and Deakin University. She has also spent three years working at Headspace, training professionals to identify and respond to young people at risk.





Links and Resources:

Blog Article: The PERMAH Model for Workplace Wellbeing

adriennehornby.com.au/the-permah-model-for-workplace-wellbeing/



Waitlist for the Well-Led Schools Partnership: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/



Identify your strengths with the VIA Character Strengths Survey:www.viacharacter.org/



Research Mentioned in The Episode:



Friedrich and Jane Dutton - High-quality connections/positive relationships:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_to_create_high_quality_connections_at_work

https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/HighQualityConnections.pdf



Barbara Fredrickson - Positive emotions:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122271/



Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Concept of flow:

https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/#:~:text=In%20Csikszentmihalyi's%20words%2C%20flow%20is,doing%20it%E2%80%9D%20(1990).



https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/



Bruce Tuckman’s model of team development:

https://hr.mit.edu/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development



https://www.wcupa.edu/coral/tuckmanStagesGroupDelvelopment.aspx#:~:text=These%20stages%20are%20commonly%20known,more%20collaborative%20or%20shared%20leadership. 



https://www.mindtools.com/abyj5fi/forming-storming-norming-and-performing



https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1965-12187-001



Viviane Robinson - Open to learning conversations:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/267411000_Open-to-learning_Conversations_Background_Paper_Introduction_to_Open-to-learning_Conversations/links/54d7cb6c0cf2970e4e755956/Open-to-learning-Conversations-Background-Paper-Introduction-to-Open-to-learning-Conversations.pdf



https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/242493851_School_Leadership_and_Student_Outcomes_Identifying_What_Works_and_Why_Best_Evidence_Synthesis_Iteration_BES/links/0046352c76ef753faa000000/School-Leadership-and-Student-Outcomes-Identifying-What-Works-and-Why-Best-Evidence-Synthesis-Iteration-BES.pdf



Michelle McQuaid - Care Framework:



https://www.michellemcquaid.com/can-you-create-a-culture-of-care/



Renee Acton - Re-envisaging psychosocial safety in school workforces through intentional job design

https://www.acel.org.au/ACEL/ACELWEB/Active/Item_Detail.aspx?iProductCode=AELV46I1P&Category=AEL



Kim Cameron - Virtuous Organisations:

https://www.eudaimonicbydesign.com/resilience/the-virtuous-organization-kim-cameron

Book: Practicing Positive Leadership: Tools and Techniques That Create Extraordinary Results



Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.





Connect with Chris via:

Her website:www.chrisdaicos.com.au 

LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/in/chris-daicos-mapp-dip-tch-primary-ba-bsw-facel-86b6bb5/

Facebook Page: Helping Organisations and Families Flourishwww.facebook.com/groups/697282924279023/?paipv=0&eav=AfYnmbA-6nvkc93m7Rg9wdSQBiA5KGHwP0PGXJJVYBY5tr6hGD68gUBx2dDyDr3sFGo&_rdr



Connect with me via:

My website adriennehornby.com.au

Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/

Email hello@adriennehornby.com.au

In this episode, I had the pleasure of diving into the world of Positive Psychology with our guest, Chris Daicos, an experienced educator and consultant with over 40 years of experience in the field of education. 
 
Chris's expertise lies in leveraging Positive Psychology interventions to foster personal and organisational flourishing. As she eloquently explains, Positive Psychology isn't merely about putting on a happy face or ignoring challenges; it's a paradigm shift from problem-focused to solution-focused thinking. 
 
Unlike traditional psychology, which often fixates on dissecting problems and finding ways to mitigate them, Positive Psychology seeks to identify moments of success, strength, and resilience. Through this lens, Chris shares insights on how schools can adopt Positive Psychology approaches to enhance wellbeing for students, staff, and the wider community. 
 
Join us as we explore the transformative potential of Positive Psychology in education and its practical applications for creating thriving school environments.
 
In this episode, we cover:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">What Positive Psychology is and how it differs from traditional psychology</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why schools should adopt positive psychology approaches when looking to enhance wellbeing at their schools</li>
<li aria-level="1">The PERMA(H) model and its components</li>
<li aria-level="1">How a strengths exploration initiative can improve wellbeing across most areas of the PERMA(H) model</li>
<li aria-level="1">The importance of communication and unifying the team with a clear vision and expectations</li>
</ul>
 
About the Guest
Chris Daicos is a dedicated advocate for personal and organisational flourishing, leveraging her extensive background as a trained teacher, social worker, and facilitator. As a foundation graduate of Australia’s first Master Applied Positive Psychology program, Chris seamlessly combines her expertise in pedagogy with evidence-based practices to deliver tailored professional learning to leaders, teachers and parents on a range of topics including Positive Psychology, leadership, people management, parental education and more.
 
With over 40 years of experience in Education, 20 of which were spent consulting with schools, Chris specilises in implementing Positive Psychology interventions to enhance wellbeing in diverse contexts. With a focus on practical application and real-life scenarios, Chris's workshops are valued for their effectiveness in promoting confidence, engagement, and satisfaction among participants.
 
Her professional portfolio includes teaching Master's courses on wellbeing and positive psychology at Melbourne University, Victoria University, Australian Catholic University, and Deakin University. She has also spent three years working at Headspace, training professionals to identify and respond to young people at risk.
 
Links and Resources:
Blog Article: The PERMAH Model for Workplace Wellbeing
<a href="https://adriennehornby.com.au/the-permah-model-for-workplace-wellbeing/">adriennehornby.com.au/the-permah-model-for-workplace-wellbeing/</a>
 
Waitlist for the Well-Led Schools Partnership: <a href="http://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/">adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/</a> 
 
Identify your strengths with the VIA Character Strengths Survey: <a href="http://www.viacharacter.org/">www.viacharacter.org/</a>
 
Research Mentioned in The Episode:
 
Friedrich and Jane Dutton - High-quality connections/positive relationships:
<a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_to_create_high_quality_connections_at_work">https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_to_create_high_quality_connections_at_work</a>
<a href="https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/HighQualityConnections.pdf">https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/HighQualityConnections.pdf</a>
 
Barbara Fredrickson - Positive emotions:
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122271/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122271/</a>
 
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Concept of flow:
<a href="https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/#:~:text=In%20Csikszentmihalyi's%20words%2C%20flow%20is,doing%20it%E2%80%9D%20(1990)">https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/#:~:text=In%20Csikszentmihalyi's%20words%2C%20flow%20is,doing%20it%E2%80%9D%20(1990)</a>.
 
<a href="https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/">https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/</a> 
 
Bruce Tuckman’s model of team development:
<a href="https://hr.mit.edu/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development">https://hr.mit.edu/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development</a>
 
<a href="https://www.wcupa.edu/coral/tuckmanStagesGroupDelvelopment.aspx#:~:text=These%20stages%20are%20commonly%20known,more%20collaborative%20or%20shared%20leadership">https://www.wcupa.edu/coral/tuckmanStagesGroupDelvelopment.aspx#:~:text=These%20stages%20are%20commonly%20known,more%20collaborative%20or%20shared%20leadership</a>. 
 
<a href="https://www.mindtools.com/abyj5fi/forming-storming-norming-and-performing">https://www.mindtools.com/abyj5fi/forming-storming-norming-and-performing</a> 
 
<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1965-12187-001">https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1965-12187-001</a> 
 
Viviane Robinson - Open to learning conversations:
<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/267411000_Open-to-learning_Conversations_Background_Paper_Introduction_to_Open-to-learning_Conversations/links/54d7cb6c0cf2970e4e755956/Open-to-learning-Conversations-Background-Paper-Introduction-to-Open-to-learning-Conversations.pdf">https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/267411000_Open-to-learning_Conversations_Background_Paper_Introduction_to_Open-to-learning_Conversations/links/54d7cb6c0cf2970e4e755956/Open-to-learning-Conversations-Background-Paper-Introduction-to-Open-to-learning-Conversations.pdf</a>
 
<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/242493851_School_Leadership_and_Student_Outcomes_Identifying_What_Works_and_Why_Best_Evidence_Synthesis_Iteration_BES/links/0046352c76ef753faa000000/School-Leadership-and-Student-Outcomes-Identifying-What-Works-and-Why-Best-Evidence-Synthesis-Iteration-BES.pdf">https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/242493851_School_Leadership_and_Student_Outcomes_Identifying_What_Works_and_Why_Best_Evidence_Synthesis_Iteration_BES/links/0046352c76ef753faa000000/School-Leadership-and-Student-Outcomes-Identifying-What-Works-and-Why-Best-Evidence-Synthesis-Iteration-BES.pdf</a> 
 
Michelle McQuaid - Care Framework:
 
<a href="https://www.michellemcquaid.com/can-you-create-a-culture-of-care/">https://www.michellemcquaid.com/can-you-create-a-culture-of-care/</a>
 
Renee Acton - Re-envisaging psychosocial safety in school workforces through intentional job design
<a href="https://www.acel.org.au/ACEL/ACELWEB/Active/Item_Detail.aspx?iProductCode=AELV46I1P&amp;Category=AEL">https://www.acel.org.au/ACEL/ACELWEB/Active/Item_Detail.aspx?iProductCode=AELV46I1P&amp;Category=AEL</a>
 
Kim Cameron - Virtuous Organisations:
<a href="https://www.eudaimonicbydesign.com/resilience/the-virtuous-organization-kim-cameron">https://www.eudaimonicbydesign.com/resilience/the-virtuous-organization-kim-cameron</a> 
Book: Practicing Positive Leadership: Tools and Techniques That Create Extraordinary Results
 
Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.
 
Connect with Chris via:
Her website: <a href="http://www.chrisdaicos.com.au">www.chrisdaicos.com.au </a>
LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-daicos-mapp-dip-tch-primary-ba-bsw-facel-86b6bb5/">www.linkedin.com/in/chris-daicos-mapp-dip-tch-primary-ba-bsw-facel-86b6bb5/</a> 
Facebook Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/697282924279023/">Helping Organisations and Families Flourish</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/697282924279023/?paipv=0&amp;eav=AfYnmbA-6nvkc93m7Rg9wdSQBiA5KGHwP0PGXJJVYBY5tr6hGD68gUBx2dDyDr3sFGo&amp;_rdr">www.facebook.com/groups/697282924279023/?paipv=0&amp;eav=AfYnmbA-6nvkc93m7Rg9wdSQBiA5KGHwP0PGXJJVYBY5tr6hGD68gUBx2dDyDr3sFGo&amp;_rdr</a> 
 
Connect with me via:
<a href="http://adriennehornby.com.au">My website</a> adriennehornby.com.au
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/">Linkedin</a> www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/
<a href="mailto:hello@adriennehornby.com.au">Email</a> hello@adriennehornby.com.au

As the rates of professional stress and burnout increase for school leaders, teachers and staff, the solution lies in how we lead our schools and prioritise workplace wellbeing to become "Well-Led" Schools - those that lead with “wellbeing in mind.”

Join experienced Wellbeing Consultant, Coach, Speaker and School Leader Adrienne Hornby for a host of inspiring conversations with experts and forward thinkers. Covering all things teacher wellbeing, school leadership and culture building - you'll walk away with ideas and recommendations on ways to evolve your leadership, create a mentally healthy workplace and ultimately influence the lives and learning of our students.

As the rates of professional stress and burnout increase for school leaders, teachers and staff, the solution lies in how we lead our schools and prioritise workplace wellbeing to become "Well-Led" Schools - those that lead with “wellbeing in mind.”
Join experienced Wellbeing Consultant, Coach, Speaker and School Leader Adrienne Hornby for a host of inspiring conversations with experts and forward thinkers. Covering all things teacher wellbeing, school leadership and culture building - you'll walk away with ideas and recommendations on ways to evolve your leadership, create a mentally healthy workplace and ultimately influence the lives and learning of our students.

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