Transcription
MINDFULNESSMagriet Engelbrechthuman development consultant
QUIZplease take a moment andcomplete the mindfulnessquiz handed out to you
What is the best time to doeach thing?Who are the most importantpeople to work with?What is the most importantthing to do at all times?
1. what is the best time to do eachthing?
2. who are the most important peopleto work with?
3. What is the most important thing todo at all times?Follow scientific methodsIt’s the economy, stupid!Make sure the military is prepared for anyeventualityApply the principle of businessadministration
3 questions: mindfulnessWHAT?WHY?HOW ?
WHAT is mindfulness?Mindfulness means payingattention in a particular way: onpurpose; in the present moment;and non-judgementally - JonKabat-ZinnMindfulness excludes multi-tasking:research shows multitasking slowsperformance, increases errors andcan damage relationships.
what does mindfulness look like?
WHY mindfulness?enhance mental clarity and balance and thereforewe make better decisionsfree up attention and create space for creativityincrease focuslearn to operate more on conscious awareness andless on autopilotreduce stress levels and anxiety which ‘eats upcognitive bandwidth’ and affects relationshipsbuild resilience of the mindThe ‘voice in thehead’
Who is doing it?Google, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Intel, Nike, LinkedIn, Deutsche Bank,Hughes Aircraft, Proctor and Gamble, Starbucks, Reebok, Xerox, IBM In South Africa: Woolworths, Investec, Momentum (leaders). UCT as part ofMBA, GIBS, MilparkDavos, Switzerland, 2013Productivity rests on focusedhuman attention- Dr Jeremy Hunter, Peter Drucker GraduateSchool of Management
HOW are they doing it?Medium: meditation teacher 3 days aweek for 2 sessions; annual mindfulnessand meditation retreatIntel: 9-week mindfulness program:includes learning to quiet their minds,exploring emotional intelligence etc.Google: 7-week course includingmindfulness techniques and meditation(‘Search inside yourself’).
mindfulness can be applied to:eatingwalkingworkingcommunicatingspending (banking giantChase advising clients)sports“I have attended dinners amongwhite people. Their ways are notour ways. We eat in silence, quietlysmoke a pipe, and then depart.Thus is our host honoured. This isnot the way of the white man. Afterhis food has been eaten,one isexpected to say foolish things.Then the host feels honoured.” Four Guns, judge from the Siouxtribe (native American)
ACTIVITYSeeTouchSmellTaste
example: mindful communicationBan words like bad, negative, hard,worry, serious, stress, problem.Bring in words like energise, aware,solution, pause, be present.“Avoid losers. If you hear someoneuse the words ‘impossible’, ‘never’, toodifficult’ too often, drop him or herfrom your social network.” - NicholasTaleb: The Black Swan
mindfulness and meditationYou can develop mindfulnesswithout meditationNonetheless meditation is apowerful technique fordeveloping mindfulnessMeditation can be an optionalpracticeMeditation in my life - dealingwith past and futureMindfulness activities‘exercise your brain’.
the case for Maladaptive behaviour can usually be tracedto inner states of employees; if the companywants to ‘capitalise on its human assets’, i.e.grow their productivity, their inner statesbecome an asset management issue.Research has shown that mindfulness trainingreduces work-related stress, depression andanxiety and enhances the immune system leading to reductions in working days lost athuge cost to corporations.
the case against: ”McMindfulness”It is a panacea and does not address the underlyingissues of why employees are so stressed in the firstplace.It makes a practice that was originally transformative inits intent, into a banal management tool.“it subdues employee unrest, promoting a tacitacceptance of the status quo”.
perspectiveMindfulness does not equal weakness:we go from aggression to strength, fromforce to power.It is true that the underlying causes ofemployee anxiety and stress need to beaddressed - and that can be donesimultaneously with mindfulnesstraining.On a personal level, mindfulness is ofHUGE value - if applied consistently.
My experiencedealing with anxiety and stress: “I don’t have tothink of that now”stopping me from obsessive thinking: clientsnot going into the storylinedealing with discomfort or pain: itching
breathingBreathing is a combination of thesomatic and autonomous nervoussystems. When we regulate ourbreathing, we de-escalate the fearresponse and reduce the resultingdistortions in thinking andperception.For this reason the FBI, forinstance, is taught ‘combatbreathing’ or ‘tactical breathing’.Technique: count yourbreaths to 10, then startagain.
Can mindfulness be taught?It is not something that anyone can teach.It has to be lived and embodied.A once-off training session will not beadequate; it will require regular follow-ups.Mindfulness can ‘open us up’, forcing usto deal with buried feelings.Ultimately the success of the teachingrests on the employee; developing truemindfulness requires years of practice,though research shows that 8 weeks of 45minute daily meditation sessions canchange the brain structure.“The success of anintervention depends on theinterior condition of theintervenor.” - Bill O’Brien, lateCEO of Hanover Insurance
Khalif Umar
Magriet EngelbrechtMagriet Engel Coachingmagrietengel@magrietengel.com or 082 937 1056orMatthys PotgieterTalk2Livematthys@talk2live.co.za or 083 390 3391We present capacity building or transitioning programmes onleadership, communication, change management and employeeengagement. All of these include enneagram workshops and enneagramapplication coaching, in either group coaching sessions or individualcoaching sessions
Apply the principle of business administration . 3 questions: mindfulness WHAT? WHY? HOW ? WHAT is mindfulness? Mindfulness means . MBA, GIBS, Milpark Davos, Switzerland, . - Dr Jeremy Hunter, Peter Drucker Graduate School of Management . HOW are they doing it? Medium: meditation teacher 3 days a week for 2 sessions; annual mindfulness and .
