The Shape of Work

#19: Debjit Basu on the role of Positive Psychology in HR

June 02, 2021 Springworks Season 1 Episode 19
The Shape of Work
#19: Debjit Basu on the role of Positive Psychology in HR
Show Notes

In this episode of The Shape of Work, Springworks’ HR intern, Rohan Mankad talks to Debjit Basu, Senior Lead HR at Infosys.

Debjit is an eternal optimist and likes understanding the WHYs . Curious about life, business and passionate about football, and quizzing!

Prior to working in Infosys, he has worked with Cognizant Technologies Solutions. Debjit has a degree in Human Resources from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management.

A certified Lead Auditor from DNV, he also has a certificate in Positive Psychology and has gone on to become one of the ET Young HR leaders in the recent past.

He introduces us to the concept of positive psychology. He talks about how important is its application in an organisational ecosystem and sheds some light on the implications of positive psychology in the HR field.

What exactly is Positive Psychology?

Apart from having ten years of experience in this field, he is also a Positive Psychology Practitioner certified by the CPD Accreditation Group.
Debjit passionately talks about Positive Psychology describing it as ‘the science of mind.’ It covers a significant part of the vast field of Psychology and focuses on the equation of happiness in an individual’s life. Unlike the other segments of psychology that revolve around depression, anxiety, frustration, etc., this field researches what makes an individual happy. It is the scientific study of strengths to enable humans and organizations to progress.

Implementation of Positive Psychology by HR professionals:

Debjit explains HR as one of the most strategic departments of any organization. He mentions how employee mental well-being is an integral part of all these organizations. Thus HRs should ensure effective implementation of Positive Psychology within their workspace. Debjit goes on to describe the mental state of people in this current situation. He says, “Everyone wants to care and mutually be taken care of”. And in a workspace, the HR manager is the one to whom employees approach in order to talk and discuss. Thus they should be observant about the areas of their interests. They need to come up with creative ideas and be fluent while applying them.
Debjit identifies Positive Psychology as the ‘backbone’ of an organization's well-being. He further throws light on the fact that HR professionals need to understand where their employees are coming from. They should understand their concerns and cater to them in a way that the employees feel welcomed to speak about them.

“How to make yourself happy?”

To keep oneself happy/happier, our guest introduces us to some beautiful ways. He talks about appreciating the benefits that we receive. One of the most significant aspects of this area is the combination of gratitude and mindfulness. These two are evolving words and one of the best ways to raise happiness from within. You need to linger them in the present and you will realize it transforming into a mood-booster later. However, it is important to know that these ways generally vary from person to person. A few ideas effective for one individual might not work for another.

Finding meaning in life:

For this subject, Debjit gives solutions from his own experiences. He simply asks people to develop a purpose and follow it till they achieve it. He talks about the significance of appreciating one’s own strengths as well. People should align things that match with their values and matter to them. If they find themselves being able to do those things, they should be grateful and appreciate it.

Follow Debjit Basu on LinkedIn

Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Rohan Mankad