Mindfulness techniques in the workplace: only for a few (large) companies?
Mindfulness is a technique involving introspective meditation, designed to help people focus on the present. Its main aim is to make them better understand the reactions they have experienced as a result of specific problems that have arisen during their lives.
Some well-known companies in the IT sector (who place great importance on the creativity of their employees) have decided to introduce this in the form of motivational courses. The idea is to help staff go about their working day in the most serene and informed way, thereby encouraging them to collaborate with colleagues more effectively.
Emotional intelligence: a fundamental part of mindfulness
The main principle on which mindfulness is based relates closely to emotional intelligence. This term means an individual’s capacity to perceive, understand and manage their own emotions and those of others.
The in-company courses aim to teach employees how to recognise and refine their ability to empathise by following ten steps:
- Motivation: is the target that the employee should try to attain;
- Balance: they learn to fight stress, anxiety and depression by using their emotions;
- Awareness: self-exploration to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses;
- Efficiency: focuses on improving trust in one’s self, encouraging team building;
- Leadership: develops managerial skills and enhances rapport with subordinates;
- Resilience: trains in the ability to react to failures and how to use them constructively;
- Concentration: the present becomes the focus of work while aiming to reduce multitasking in order to achieve better results;
- Innovation: helps to improve creativity by combatting negative thoughts;
- Connection: emphasises the importance of the body and mind working in unison, with exercises for healthy physical activity;
- Gratitude; teaches people to be grateful for what they learn each day from their mistakes, successes and, especially, colleagues.
This process, called Search Inside Yourself, was presented by Chade-Meng Tan (famous Google engineer), in his book of the same name. Several companies have already taken inspiration from these principles and regularly encourage their employees to follow courses about this theme.
These courses have proven to be very successful, especially those dedicated to the management of high levels of emotional stress, which often result from highly competitive environments, whether inside or outside a company. An example of how to deal with this problem, taught in such courses, is the Siberian North Railroad method. This is a mnemonic phrase which helps participants remember the 5 fundamental steps: Stop, Breathe, Notice, Reflect and Respond.
Is mindfulness really effective?
The effectiveness of mindfulness (applied especially in large companies which rely on the employees’ creativity) has been proven many times. The biggest successes have been observed in the United States, recognised as one of the countries which are most open to innovation.
The power of these meditation techniques has a practical value, not only for large companies but also for small and medium businesses. Investing in employees’ emotional skills can bring considerable benefits in terms of quality of the working environment and consequently on improving production.
The provision of courses on this theme can, nevertheless, be problematic in countries such as Italy where a somewhat old-fashioned view of employment-related concepts still prevails. Fortunately, the new start-ups are more open to new trends and provide fertile territory for the practice of mindfulness and emotional intelligence.
Another factor which has led to the limited success of these initiatives in Italian companies is the scarce availability of funds, due to the high tax burden. With a limited budget available for this kind of investment, it is understandable why it has failed to catch on in Italy.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
