What is PQ Positive Intelligence Mental Fitness Training?
Positive Intelligence (PQ) is a mental fitness programme designed to help you recognise habitual patterns of thinking that may be getting in your way, and practise responding to challenges in more constructive ways.
I sometimes use PQ as one of the tools within longer-term coaching, where it fits the individual and what they want to work on. This page explains how it works and what you can expect.
Introduction to PQ Positive Intelligence Training
Sometimes, without you even realising it, the automated thought patterns of your mind work ‘against you’ rather than ‘for you’.
The idea of being mentally fit is that you can spot when these automated thought patters are not serving you, so that you can course correct and choose a response that is more positive constructive or helpful to you on the path to achieving your goals
Mental fitness is exactly what PQ helps you build!
Watch the video as an introduction to the concept of PQ Positive Intelligence Training
Can you recognise when you self sabotage?
The problem with self sabotage is that often the patterns we engage in are so automated to us, we don’t even notice what we are saying or doing is a form of self sabotage.
Something triggers you to feel upset, annoyed, disappointed, angry (in fact any negative emotion) and you immediately react with negative or unhelpful thoughts about the situation or person that caused it (even if that person is YOU!)
That kicks off further unhelpful behaviours - maybe you avoid the issue, or try and take control and start micromanaging every detail on a project. These actions while intended to ‘sort’ the situation often do more harm than good.
The result: off we go right back to the start again!
And how they get in your way
First and foremost you get to learn about the saboteurs that all humans have. There are 10 of these nasty characters.
Every single person has a “Judge” saboteur - the one who starts off all self sabotaging patterns by criticising ourselves, others and our circumstances.
Look at the names listed. Can you guess which 2 or 3 others might be common for you?
How does Positive Intelligence help?
You may find the PQ approach particularly relevant if you recognise several of these patterns:
Negative Self-Talk: Do you find your inner dialogue is consistently critical and pessimistic?
Perfectionism: Do you often set unrealistically high standards for yourself, and feel inadequate or anxious if you don’t meet them?
Procrastination: Do you delay tasks or decisions, even when they are important, worrying about fear of failure, conflict or even success?
Constant Worrying: Do you find your mind is frequently preoccupied with potential future negative outcomes, and you struggle to be present?
Imposter Syndrome: Do you feel like a fraud, despite evidence of your competence (and attribute successes to luck rather than your skill)?
Fear of Rejection: Do you often avoid expressing your true opinions or ideas to avoid disapproval and find rejection affects your self-worth?
Self-Isolation: Do you withdraw from social interactions, feeling a need to be alone, since connection with others feels challenging?
Overthinking: Do you struggle with letting go of thoughts, and find simple decisions become complex due to excess analysis?
Catastrophizing: Do you tend to envision the worst-case scenario in various situations, experiencing extra stress from your negative outlook?
Comparing Yourself to Others: Do you measure your success against others and feel envious or inadequate when comparing achievements?
“The PQ Positive Intelligence training programme has been the most impactful training I ever experienced.
Lara's coaching and support throughout the 6 week programme has been instrumental in helping me grow powerful mental muscles that are enabling me to deal with challenges with less stress and greater clarity, be more resilient, reduce negative thoughts, and ultimately live a more positive happy life.”
- Sharon G - Head of Insight - Clientside
What can this look like in practice?
I've used PQ with senior leaders across different organisations, sectors and countries. While the patterns we explore are personal, their impact rarely stops with the individual, they influence how someone leads, makes decisions, works with others and responds when the stakes are high. When we combine this with coaching, its insights rapidly accelerate self awareness, personal growth and emotional intelligence as a way of leading.
Turning around a difficult client and team situation — UK
A senior leader in a research agency was dealing with pressure on two fronts: a challenging major client relationship and a team that was struggling to perform. Their instinct had been to step back from an increasingly stressful situation.
Through the PQ work, they became more aware of how their own response to the pressure was influencing what happened next and deliberately chose to engage differently.
Within three months, the client relationship had stabilised, team performance had improved and the leader was handling difficult situations with greater clarity and significantly less stress.
Creating more sustainable performance in a fast-growing business — New Zealand
A business unit leader in a fast-growing start-up was regularly working 50–55 hour weeks, including evenings, weekends and holidays. The pace of growth was creating pressure, but some of the patterns sustaining that workload were also their own.
PQ helped them recognise those patterns and experiment with different ways of prioritising, responding to pressure and leading their part of the business.
They reduced their working week to around 40 hours most weeks while continuing to lead a growing business unit, creating a more sustainable way of performing without simply reducing their level of responsibility.
Unlocking progress across organisational boundaries — Italy
A senior leader in a scientific institute was leading a cross-functional team where progress depended on influencing stakeholders well beyond their immediate area of responsibility. Difficult relationships and competing perspectives were making alignment harder, and significant projects had stalled.
The PQ work helped them recognise some of their habitual responses, approach challenging relationships differently and become more intentional about how they influenced, listened and built alignment.
Stakeholder relationships and their ability to influence improved significantly, creating greater alignment and collaboration across the group. As a result, important projects that had previously stalled were able to move forward.
How does the programme work?
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At the outset, you’ll identify some common goals that you are motivated to work towards
Common goals including
increasing confidence
feeling happier in work and life
working towards a promotion or other significant career goal
reducing stress and burn out
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Powered by the Positive Intelligence (PQ) app
6 weeks PQ app access
Weekly PQ educational content, and audio book (1hr per week)
PQ exercises (15 mins per day)
Weekly group training session, led by Lara for questions, support and deepening learnings (1hr per week)
Text support with Lara throughout (as needed)
Complete, under guidance and with support of Lara
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After the 6 week training, if you wish to continue using the mental fitness training tools your access can continue with new modules on self actualisation, conflict management, relationships, leadership, parenting and more
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If you take the mental fitness training as part of my 6 month coaching package, you will move on to your fortnightly coaching after you have completed the training.
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At the end of the PQ programme you’ll reflect on how far you have come
Lara will guide you in reviewing the tools and capabilities you now have to face business, client and organisational challenges with greater ease
Lara will support you in putting an action plan in place to work towards any future goals you have identified, and where appropriate will support with additional trainings and coaching support
Why I use PQ in my coaching
Coaching isn't about applying the same tool to every person or every challenge. My approach draws on professional coaching practice alongside experience in leadership, business, facilitation and behavioural change.
PQ is one tool I can bring into that work. I have used it with clients who want to better understand the patterns that influence how they respond to pressure, challenge and change, and to experiment with different ways of responding.
For clients working with me through a six-month Leadership Partnership, PQ can be incorporated where we agree it would add value. It is always optional.
Interested in exploring PQ as part of your coaching?
PQ is available as an optional element of my six-month Leadership Partnership. If we decide together that it is relevant to what you're working towards, we can incorporate the six-week programme into our wider coaching work.