Mindfulness: Beyond the Buzzword, and Beyond Wellbeing

Description of the Workshop

How might mindfulness support your employees and organisation to navigate fast-paced organisational change and manage culturally-diverse workforces? Drawing from Anne’s Doctoral research insights, this workshop is designed to be educational and hands-on. It will also invite reflection on how a workplace mindfulness-based programme may be useful in helping your organisation to think globally and act locally. You will gain an understanding of the current evidence-base on mindfulness and workplace performance, along with an appreciation of how mindfulness can strengthen capacities such as being adaptive to change, open-minded to other diverse perspectives, connected to others challenges and able to problem-solve calmly under pressure – all important qualities when navigating fast-paced change and a culturally diverse workforce. You will also gain an awareness of the psychological constructs involved in creating these behaviour changes and will be guided through a structured reflection on (a) whether a mindfulness programme might be suitable for your organisation and (b) how to ensure programme effectiveness in your organisation.

Facilitator: Anne Macdonald

My Takeaways

This workshop led by Anne Macdonald during the #ODConference at Roffey Park Institute draw my attention because we are big on wholeness, wellbeing and mental health at Konsileo .

One of the things that was interesting, based on Anne's research, is that research on mindfulness has increased in the last years. Specifically, research related to workplaces is high on individual related outcomes, mid in team related outcomes and low in organisation related outcomes. This last one is important to be aware of considering that one of my main interests as an #ODpractitioner relate to change management and organisational culture.

In relation to this research on mindfulness and organisations, Anne shared with us some of the main research papers, as well as the book "Steps towards a Mindful Organisation: Developing Mindfulness to Manage Unexpected Events" from Dr. Fabrice Mielke . If I got it correctly, amongst many other ideas the practice of mindfulness in an organisation, according to this book, contributes to three main factors which have positive effects in the workplace (must read the book now):

1. Openness,
2. Knowledge sharing, and
3. Collective Mindfulness.

Regarding "collective mindfulness", a concept developed by Karl Weick, Kathleen Sutcliffe and David Obstfeld, the core idea is "how to manage the unexpected together". Collective mindfulness is created via dialogue and social interactions within teams.

Although time run out, Anne shared with us 3 highlights from her PhD with regards on how to implement a mindfulness practice in an organisation considering implementation barriers, the need of tailoring and hence programme co-creation.

In a progressive organisation such as Konsileo the invitation to go from one stage or level to another is always tempting and exciting. I think we are doing very well in the wellbeing side of things, although there is always room for improvement. The question that remains in my mind, is when to explore the next step, in this case with mindfulness. I will ask our Client Directors and Central Team colleagues.

#ODConference 2024 at Roffey Park Institute

This post in a very short summary and reflection of my main takeaways while attending the Annual OD Conference "Thinking Global, Acting Local" on the 24th and 25th of October 2024 at Roffey Park Institute as Head of Organisational Development at Konsileo. View more of my posts by visiting my profile: Allan Rhodes.