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Organizations increasingly recognize that well-being is essential for performance, yet many struggle to turn insights from research into measurable business outcomes. In this session, world renowned positive psychology researcher Shawn Achor joins senior executive Gary Baker to explore how mindset and intrinsic motivation can reshape workplace culture and drive sustainable results at scale.
Shawn, a New York Times bestselling author and leading expert in positive psychology, will break down the science behind The Happiness Advantage and share how evidence-based habits can unlock engagement, resilience, and performance. Gary will bring the practitioner lens, offering real world lessons from years of applying these principles across large, complex teams at USAA and Nationwide.
Together, they will show how organizations can create environments where people feel energized, supported, and connected to meaningful work, ultimately fueling the measurable outcomes businesses aim to achieve.
What You Will Learn
- Understand the link between positive mindset, intrinsic motivation, and performance
- Translate positive psychology research into practical workplace habits
- Improve engagement, retention, and resilience through evidence-based strategies
- Apply real world lessons from large scale implementation
- Build scalable approaches that connect well-being to measurable business outcomes
Who Should Attend
This session is ideal for leaders, HR practitioners, total rewards professionals, organizational development teams, and anyone seeking evidence-based ways to build stronger cultures and improve performance at scale.
Shawn Achor is a Harvard trained researcher, New York Times bestselling author, and global authority on the connection between well-being, performance, and workplace success. He is the co-creator of The Orange Frog and The Happiness Advantage | Orange Frog Workshop, which helps organizations turn positive psychology research into everyday habits that elevate engagement, resilience, and productivity.
His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, seen by millions through TED and PBS, and applied by organizations including Microsoft, American Express, the NFL, and NASA. Shawn’s upcoming book, The Power of Beliefs from Crown Currency, will be released in May 2026.
Gary Baker is known for leading high performing teams and strengthening workplace culture across large and complex organizations. In leadership roles at USAA and Nationwide, Gary consistently exceeded performance targets while earning top results in engagement, talent development, service excellence, and organizational effectiveness.
His leadership reflects the core of Shawn Achor’s research: when people experience meaning, connection, and intrinsic motivation in their work, measurable performance gains naturally follow. At WorldatWork, Gary will share practical insights from years of integrating positive psychology principles into real world operations.
