A mindful approach to mindfulness at work

Mindfulness is quickly becoming a buzzword in the business world.

With the increased focus to develop more powerful cultures, mindfulness is positioned as the perfect solution. However, the lack of a clear understanding of what mindful really is creates confusion.

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” — Carl Jung

Does mindful help or hurt team performance? Should every company embrace mindfulness? Or is it just a hype?

Ironically enough, the approach to mindfulness seems anything but mindful.

The Case for Mindfulness at Work

The desire to debunk the hype is creating some superficial attacks. Like this New York Times article “Don’t Meditate at Work” that created a lot of stir among longtime mindfulness practitioners. The research cited in the piece missed the point — mindfulness is not something gained after a one-off meditation; it requires practice.

On the other hand, mindfulness isn’t the solution to everything either. However, the business world’s love for buzzwords is presenting mindfulness as a silver bullet to create better cultures.

Mindfulness is neither good nor bad — the way you implement it can be beneficial or not to your organization.

We need a mindful approach to mindfulness.

Mindfulness is knowing yourself, to be centered and grounded. It’s about increasing self-awareness so you can make better decisions.

As Max Coleman, the founder of Daocloud — a social network for wellness said: “Companies are creating better atmospheres because they understand people don’t want to be stressed out all the time.”

The competitive fight for talent has put mindfulness on center stage.

Stop Working on Autopilot

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Victor Frankl

Mindfulness is not something you can provide — it requires more than offering meditation rooms or free yoga lessons.

Mindfulness is not an activity itself, but a mindset — it’s less about what you do at work than how you do it.

It’s difficult for our minds to stay quiet — a Harvard study found that we spend 46.9 percent of our time thinking about something other than what we are doing.

Even though meditation and mindfulness seem interchangeable, they are not the same.

Mindfulness is the quality of being present — the experience of being open and aware in the present moment, without judgment or criticism. Meditation is the practice of training your mind for everyday mindfulness — you prepare yourself by strengthening your mind.

Mindfulness is a mindset; meditation is the training.

Your mind and brain are not the same, as I wrote here. Your mind is the software; the brain is the hardware. Meditation turns your mind into an ally

Becoming aware of your breath, checking-in before a meeting, going for a walk with your team or enjoying daily chores are other ways to train your mind.

Mindfulness allows to watch our own and collective behaviors from a distance — we choose to reflect instead of reacting.

“Self-awareness makes you realize the impact you have on people. People are watching and expecting things from us.” — Raji Arasu, SVP of Intuit platforms shared with me — “Sometimes I need to call a timeout on myself. You are going too fast, Raji.”

Mindfulness is the opposite of working in auto-pilot. It increases focus and presence and reduces stress and conflicts. However, getting there requires a strategic approach, not a one-off or a watered down version of mindfulness.

How to Move Beyond the Hype

Corporate mindfulness programs are still at an early stage — organizations are figuring out how to do it right.

A report by Deloitte shows there’s a lack of a unified approach among those in charge of corporate mindfulness programs. Some companies believe that too much emphasis on individual well-being can overshadow the impact on business performance. Interestingly enough, mindfulness programs are seen as an investment more than as an employee fringe benefit cost.

Either way, the research shows, results need to be demonstrated for ongoing investment — decision makers feel skeptical if mindfulness is just about developing the individual.

Mindful programs must be designed balancing both personal development and team performance.

The researchers found that techniques of “slowing down” were seen as necessary, but only as preparation to go deeper. Participants also wanted to see the connection between meditation and work performance.

Culture is not what people are told to do, but what they choose to do.

Aetna used a holistic approach to mindfulness — it created a cultural transformation. The insurance company turned out into one of the best examples of a corporate mindfulness program.

Here are some lessons:

To The Mind And Beyond

As I tell my clients, any comprehensive mindfulness program should address the body, space, and culture too; not just the mind.

1. The Body

Wellness and mindfulness are interrelated. Knowing what and, especially how you consume — food, entertainment, work, relationships — affects your health and focus. Also, marrying mindfulness and physical activity reduces stress and boosts positivity.

Max Coleman’s personal journey inspired him to create Daocloud — the traditional medical system failed to cure a chronic back pain he had since age 17. It took him four years of research and experimentation with alternative medicine to overcome his problem.

Coleman believes in a holistic approach — conventional medicine and alternative methods must work together. However, for autoimmune diseases, alternative methods make the body cure itself.

Daocloud’s founder is an avid promoter of water fasting — though he doesn’t advise we try it on our one. Fasting correlates with mindfulness. It helps us realize where our cravings come from — how we eat and why become more evident.

2. The Space

Brigitta Glick, the CEO & founder of Provenir Healthcare, started her company with mindfulness at the core. She didn’t want the Provenir office to resemble the usual corporate space.

“I wanted a workplace that allowed me and my employees to be fully present.” — Glick reflects — “I wanted to create a woman/ family–friendly environment.”

Provenir’s office was designed to ensure that every employee would be exposed to natural light. Not everyone gets a private office, but many are unassigned and can be used on a first come, first serve basis. The nursery room is no exception — it has one of the best views in the office, unlike most companies.

3. The Mind

Mindfulness reminds us to be aware, present and focused.

Raji Arasu’s leadership mantra is “Going slow to go fast.” The Intuit executive uses awareness to create a meaningful pause. It’s a reminder to see the problems through the larger organization lens, not her specific function.

She describes some meetings as “emotional explosive” ones — people’s reactions test her mindfulness.

“I train myself to have the right level of detachment — I have to listen and understand other people’s perspectives,” Arasu explains, “If I bring my perspective first, I’m walking there emotionally. Most of the times, everyone is aligned with the business outcomes, but our inner-worlds are not aligned.”

Mindfulness starts with the leaders — you cannot create the right conditions if you are not entirely convinced. Leaders must personally embrace mindfulness before trying to encourage a mindful workplace.

Authenticity is key — otherwise, it will backfire.

4. The Culture

A Culture of Mindfulness requires authentic and compassionate leadership.

Intuit CEO, Brad Smith, is always reminding his team: “Don’t assume context; bring context.”

Most people don’t know where we are coming from — managers usually assume their teams shared their views. Acknowledging that leaders see differently, as I wrote here, requires both self and team awareness.

Intuit promotes a culture of authentic leadership, a behavior that is modeled by Smith himself.

Mindfulness is more than just awareness — it’s about observing but also acting upon it. A mindful and collaborative leadership approach turns vulnerability into a strength.

As Glick of Provenir Healthcare reflects, “People challenge me — and everyone speaks their minds. They don’t expect me to be perfect, but to pay attention and adjust my behavior if I forget something or if I fail somewhere.”

You would think that such friendly-environments can affect productivity. However, as I explained many times, providing Psychological Safety doesn’t lower the bar. When people trust each other, they can bring their best selves to work.

Mrs. Glick has learned that finding balance is not easy, but people realize that being kind and mindful doesn’t mean they don’t still have a business to run and grow.

Go Slow to Go Fast — Checklist

Here are some considerations I usually share with my clients when they want to design a mindfulness program

Think big, but act small: Design an ambitious program, but start with a small group. The smaller the team, the smaller the resistance. It will also help you get feedback and make adjustments.

Be authentic: I can’t stress this enough. Don’t launch a mindfulness program if you are not convinced, or you don’t buy into it personally. It’s hard to convince others of a mindset you are not willing to model.

Start with individual activities: Provide activities where people can practice and experiment without feeling exposed. Mindfulness connects us with our deepest sides — people need time to learn to be more vulnerable.

Make the business connection: Track how mindfulness improves your team’s wellness, attitudes, and productivity. Balance personal and business transformation.

Be consistent: A mindful culture requires a holistic approach to both leadership and decision making. You cannot promote mindfulness and not pay fair salaries, for example.

Be open to critics: Don’t impose mindfulness. Let people embrace it on their own. Provide evidence to neutralize doubts. Not everyone needs to meditate, for example. Give people time and options.

Design a holistic approach: In the long run, your corporate mindfulness program should integrate body, mind, space, and culture. However, you don’t need to start with all at once.

Be ready to let go: Mindfulness is a mindset — we are okay accepting our whole-selves (flaws included). It’s about embracing your vulnerability as a leader. Let go of your power.

How does your organization approach mindfulness?