Mindfulness in the workplace – brilliance or baloney?

I have just joined a Linkedin group called ‘Mindfulness in the Workplace and Mindful Leadership’. The fact that this group exists demonstrated the growing interest in the ‘soft skills’ for business.

For the uninitiated, Mindfulness stems from the Eastern spiritual traditions of Zen Buddhism and can be summarised:

Mindfulness refers to being completely in touch with and aware of the present moment, as well as taking a non-evaluative and non-judgmental approach to your inner experience.

Thich Nhat Hanh a Buddhist Monk states ‘The present moment is the only moment in which we can be alive’

Basically, the aim of this state of being is to concentrate on the now, appreciate it and use the moment to best effect. I have been interested in mindfulness for many years and try, with varying degrees of success, to practice it in my everyday life. But how does this discipline translate to the workplace?

As the fall-out from the News International phone hacking scandal continues to touch more lives, we have seen only too clearly the devastating effect of a ‘toxic’ work environment. Truth or lies, the corporate culture appeared to enable individuals to believe that their extreme behaviour would be tolerated. But can mindfulness training improve the workplace culture and enhance employee’s lives?

The short answer would seem to be ‘yes’ but like all training programmes, this needs to be positioned carefully.

In my communications training and leadership development programmes I include elements of personal responsibility, accountability and sensitivity to others. But this all has a tangible and understandable effect on improving internal and external relationships and ultimately enhancing corporate growth.

Something as ‘touchy feely’ as mindfulness may be a bridge to far for some companies although apparently major organisations such as Apple, Google, Yahoo, Nortel and Commerzbank have integrated mindfulness in their workplaces. Apart from the challenge of persuading budget holders to invest in this type of training, return on investment may also be difficult to assess. At the very least, pre and post session (maybe six months later?) questionnaires are useful.

In the cut and thrust of business in the 80’s, the nearest we got to mindfulness was time management training. I attended an excellent course, which included thoughts on how one could spend leisure time as well as improve workplace efficiency. My boss at the time, (and this is absolutely true) didn’t turn up for the two day course because – you guessed it – he didn’t have time!

And there you have the rub. Mindfulness – considering every moment, achieving peace and serenity, needs to start at the top. Although the health and wellbeing of individuals could be truly enhanced by good mindfulness training, for an organisation to see tangible gains, I believe the leaders must buy-in to the programme.

If it’s good enough for His Holiness the Dalai Lama – it should be good enough for captains of industry….

The Murdoch testimonies – a human story

I have been glued to the T.V. all day, firstly watching the grilling of the two recently resigned senior police in the home affairs select committee swiftly followed by an action packed afternoon with the Murdochs.

The parliamentary select committee investigating the phone hacking scandal held my attention all afternoon.  I spent longer watching these public interrogations than the Royal Wedding and apart from the lack of champagne, in many ways it was as gripping. What promised to be an enlightening and entertaining humiliation of power-crazed heartless businessmen instead took on a very human spectacle.

Perhaps I’m a sucker for handsome intelligent young men, but I found James Murdoch compelling and believable. I really felt he was telling the truth. His father, Rupert, on the other hand appeared surprisingly frail, doddery and at times confused. As he started to try without much success to answer Tom Watson’s gentle but persistent, questions one began to sense embarrassment in the room.  Rupert’s wife Wendi sitting directly behind him looked anxious and kept leaning forward as if she wished to take his place. James was equally protective reaching to touch his father’s arm occasionally. Twitter went mad with tweets suggesting dementia, and wondering if the next resignation would be Rupert’s, as NewsCorp board members would observe these frailties.

One has to question (as did the select committee) how the men at the top could be ignorant of major transgressions such as bribery of the police and hacking of innocent victim’s phones by those in the pay of News International and clearly they are ultimately responsible. But whether it was good PR training, arrogance, or excellent interpersonal skills, this experience was no means a blood bath for the Murdochs.

However the story that will grab the headlines is, of course, the idiot who lunged at Rupert Murdoch with a foam filled pie. His intent could have been far more menacing and for a moment, those around the ageing mogul seemed frozen to the spot. With the exception of Wendi Murdoch. Arms flailing, she flew forward, intent on protecting her husband landing a blow on the assailant with no thought for her own safety.

Call me a romantic, but whatever Rupert Murdoch has or hasn’t done, however many billion dollars he’s worth – with the loyal support of a son like that and the obvious love of his wife, he is a rich man indeed.