Be Here Now.

Applying the simple concept of Be Here Now can provide many benefits at work and home.

 We spend just 10 to 15 minutes out of our two-day culture shaping offsite session with teams doing a deep dive into a concept that turns out to be the most remembered and valued one we explore. We call it Be Here Now.

 An understanding of the meaning of those three little words has enhanced the cultures of many organizations and the lives of countless people and their families. We experience it every day when we are with a colleague, friend or loved one and we are not really there.

 Consequences of not being fully present

 When people are doing one thing but thinking about another, they are generally not effective at either. The consequences of this behavior are very far-reaching:

·     We are not as creative as we can be. Our busy minds prevent us from tapping into our wisdom and common sense, or the more intuitive side of our brain

·     We do not listen well to others so they do not feel heard or respected.

·     Meetings are not effective and decisions not as creative or sound because we don’t truly listen to each other.

 Our quality of life and relationships at home suffer because we cannot turn off the whirlpool of thoughts about work. This robs our ability to recharge our batteries so we can be more effective when we go back to work.

 The value of Be Here Now

 Being fully present and aware in the moment at hand with a quieter mind, without being distracted, is an important concept that we work to get people personally connected to when we are working with organizations to shape their cultures.

 There are many benefits to being fully present:

·     Better balance of personal and professional life: The more we can be fully present both at home and at work, the more we will have rich, nourishing, fulfilling environments in both places.

·     Easier, more fulfilling relationships: When people feel heard and appreciated, they feel better about you and about themselves, and are more likely to produce their best efforts.

·     Less stress, more peace of mind: When we think about the past or worry about the future, our thoughts create stress and diminish our peace of mind. Living in the present moment can reduce the anxiety that these distractions can bring.

·     Better creativity: Have you ever noticed you tend to get your best ideas when you are in a more reflective state and your thinking has slowed down, such as in the shower, or just before you fall asleep at night? That is because a quieter mind, one not full of distracting thoughts, has room to come up with good ideas. The more you can Be Here Now, the more this will happen.

·     Increased productivity and quality work: When we are present and undistracted, we can focus to reach our highest levels of performance.

·     Improved listening: The ability to listen fully and openly to another person is a very important benefit of Being Here Now. In fact, one way to get better at Being Here Now is to practice listening. This provides added benefit because listening builds rapport in relationships and provides us with better information with which to make decisions and solve problems more creatively.

·     Improved customer experience: Employees who feel valued and engaged because someone really listened to them will go the extra mile to listen to their customers and focus on their needs with fewer distractions.