Would a mindful meditation initiative be beneficial for your organization? There certainly are many options available and a plethora of information touting the benefits, but are they hype or genuine? The short answer is that it depends. Yes, there is quite a bit of hype, hence the often-used phrase “mcmindfulness programs;” however, this shouldn’t cloud the potential benefits, which are many. It can be personally and organizationally transformative depending on the initiative and intended outcome.
As mentioned in the blog, “What Do Employees Want?”, it is more important than ever to cultivate the qualities and skills needed to lead in today’s work environment as well as to ensure employee fulfillment. The qualities and skills needed include,
- Self-Awareness,
- Well-Being/Self-Care,
- Emotional Intelligence (EI),
- Empathic Listening.
A mindful meditation practice is essential to develop these skills, which meet employee needs and result in stronger and more compassionate leaders. There are many individual benefits as well such as enhanced well-being, reduced stress reactions, improved health, a more peaceful mind, and more. Because of these results, we often receive requests for meditation initiatives as a component of wellness programs.
The are many benefits of mindful meditation practices to develop leader qualities and skills – at all levels of the organization. Outcomes include,
- Stronger, wiser, and more compassionate leaders,
- Positive relationships,
- Emotional control, and of course
- Greater self-awareness
Plus the best side effects anyone could ask for – all the benefits listed above! Not to mention, besides being better leaders,
- Practitioners become,
- Better parents,
- Friends,
- Partners, and
- Co-workers –
- …Just better humans overall!
The benefits can be transformational, and the benefits ripple throughout the organization. Interestingly, research reveals that IQ accounts for 6% of job success while EI accounts for 45% of performance success and in our experience, leader success as well.
In fact, a study from the University of British Columbia, indicated that there is less interpersonal conflict and undermining behaviors when teams practice these techniques. Team members work more collaboratively and productively, plus experience reduced team conflicts, improved listening, and enhanced communications. That said, the practice fostered opportunities to have difficult (and necessary!) discussions with courage and transparency so that when conflicts arise, and they will, the issues are addressed more effectively.
While not a panacea, and certainly no one, including organizations, should jump on the bandwagon without thoughtful consideration. For us the potential benefits are why leaders should investigate if mindful meditation initiatives would benefit your organization, your leaders, and your employees.
Please contact us for a copy of the research mentioned, and/or to schedule a brief discussion regarding your interest.