In response, the human resources
department focused substantial training
on generational differences and
ways to manage them. Conflict between
generations dropped to nearly zero.
Elliott said talking with employees
also revealed there were some longheld
animosities among medical center
workers. To help address this, he
developed a training program based
on psychologist Fred Luskin’s work on
forgiveness.4 He also created an extensive
workshop entitled, “In Search of
Joy: On Becoming Happy” using positive
psychology techniques to teach
employees the skills of happiness and
well-being.
Psychologists Martin Seligman and
Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, two of the
major players in positive psychology,
have said that within organizations,
positive psychology is about moving
“individuals toward better citizenship,
responsibility, nurturance, altruism,
civility, moderation, tolerance, and
work ethic.”5 This certainly seems to
be exactly what one would want in a
Catholic health care environment.