Mindset & Mindfulness in a CHANGING World!
Mark Jones (FAIPF) (MAITD) - "The Mentors Mentor"
Business Growth Expert @ Upcoach | Award winning facilitator, business coach and mentor.
Mindset & Mindfulness in a CHANGING World!
If nothing else 2020’s have for many become a significant period of change. Here in Australia, it started with the unrelenting drought that impacted more than 75% of our great country over the past few years, then the impact of the massive bushfires that burnt out 1.6 Billion hectares of land with many homes, farms, and businesses lost, and if that wasn’t enough, the spread of an unforeseen pandemic (COVID-19) that created global business and financial disruption to most economies.
What we can all agree upon though, is that during the past few years the world as we have known it, has now possibly changed forever and by default we have all learnt in some way or another how to become more resilient!
What everyone thought was going to happen through the ?2020’s, what was forecasted and known, and the strategic priorities and goals of many businesses large and small have been thrown up in the air. Quickly employers and organisations have had no choice but to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, to re-calibrate and re-focus. Some businesses and industry sectors have been hit hard, especially those in the service, construction and manufacturing sectors; in fact, many may never recover!
Several of my current clients though, have been extremely proactive in rallying their teams, working remotely whilst also identifying opportunities for innovation and re-invention. We are enduring many conversations about what the future may hold and how it will impact on the way that they continue to offer their products and services in the future. This is the new paradigm in respect to strategic planning and strategy execution!
For many, these conversations have necessitated the creation of a new mindset, a new way of thinking, these conversations have become the catalyst for change, changes in attitudes, changes in behaviour, and a whole new level of mindfulness in terms of a leaders understanding of how they…
So not only does this require a whole new mindset, but it also requires a new appreciation of the concepts of mindfulness and how they align with strategy. When we think of business and leadership, what does mindfulness really mean?
To start with, Mindfulness is a noun. ?We bring it to life as a verb when it is described as a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness of the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's own and other’s feelings, thoughts, and displayed emotions. Mindfulness is often linked closely to Emotional Intelligence, the EQ quotients and the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in a positive way!
When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we are sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining a new future. When used in the context of positive psychology, there is a saying that “What you think, you become”, so mindfulness is often used to form positive affirmations enabling mindfulness practitioners to build personal success or positivity profiles.
Our Mindset on the other hand?affects how we?see the world. If your view is distorted, so will be the way you see yourself and others. Your beliefs and thoughts shape the way you think and behave, and even if you don't feel it or realise it personally, your behaviours can subconsciously manifest as habits!
In terms of leadership and creating a positive work culture, by demonstrating a positive mindset (and by being mindful of your STATE), you can consciously choose how you show up on a day-to-day basis, how you show up and contribute to your teams performance, or actually take-a-way from it.
The really clever leader has the capacity to enable the people around them to shine, and through their actions help you as their leader to become a better version of yourself. But to do this, you need to be in the moment and constantly mindful of your words and actions!
In the post COVID world where the world now sits on the cusp of financial crises, many people fear losing their job, having their hours reduced, or suffering other hardship. As a business owner or manager it is imperative from a leadership perspective that you give your people new hope, a new vision and sense of purpose, engage them in exciting new conversations around strategy, innovative work practices, and new opportunities.
This is an opportunity to reinvent and recalibrate the business and its practices. Developing the right mindset and practicing mindfulness is crucial at this point in time to ensure your future success both in life and business. When we start to think of the NEW world of work, and how you as a leader can influence positive change in your workplace, there’s a few simple low risk things that you can implement.
The first is to understand the importance of?mindset. Remember, mindset is a frame of mind, it’s the beliefs, opinions, and thoughts that you carry around and use as your lens and to frame how you articulate your view of our world. It’s these beliefs that underpin how you show up each and every day, and how they determine your assumptions and reactions to different situations.?It impacts how you view change and the innovative opportunities that may now present themselves for process improvements and greater efficiencies in your workplace.?
As Amit Ray once said, “The mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it,?and you may see a better world.”
With opportunity change is often born. Change is inevitable and in the global business environment a constant! Having an open mind and practicing mindfulness in acknowledging these new opportunities is in itself sometimes a mental roadblock for many businesses’ owners and entrepreneurs as their businesses, customers, and markets shift due to environmental and social factors like disasters and pandemics. They are so caught up in their old habits and ways of doing things, that they do not always see the new opportunities within.
If we think of the mind as a very powerful muscle, like all muscles in the body you can train it and make it stronger.?With regular practice, you can work on creating an optimal state of positivity, to get into synch and flow with the emotional and social fabrics of your work team and organisation. If you create a safe space for your teams to express their ideas and challenges, you can create greater synergy for growing individual effectiveness and flow across your work teams.
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From a personal perspective, (which I have shared with a few CEO’s and senior managers of late), last year I participated in a global program called the FLOW Challenge, a month long initiative where I was required to practice mindfulness and flow building practices. I always thought of myself as a strong willed, entrepreneurial thinker and owner of a “can do” attitude, but where this program challenged me most, was that of deep reflection and diarising my daily actions, behaviours, mindset, and the practicing of gratitude. It was a truly remarkable journey that has increased my awareness of how I am showing up, and how I am contributing to the development and growth of my clients and the other people around me!
In respect to growing your mindfulness capability, you may wish to integrate some of the following into your daily habits:
1.???Focus daily on one area of personal development. This could be as simple as searching for an inspirational quote, a quote that guides or motivates you to pursue an area of development or focus. Working on yourself should be your number one priority!
2.???Try practicing gratitude every day, acknowledge and give thanks to someone who has contributed to your performance or helped you in some way either physically or emotionally.
3.???Practice being present! Be in the moment and be aware of your body language, how you communicate and how you are showing up!
4.???Embed an opportunity to move into your daily routine. This can be a simple walk, more physical exercise or training, or a simple meditation and breathing exercise.
5.???Look for ways to reset your GPS…Goals, Purpose and Strategies (If the world of work is going to be different post COVID-19), this is an essential task!
6.???Don’t be afraid of showing vulnerability. Vulnerability and demonstrating empathy are two traits of authentic and great leadership. Share in both the joy of your people’s challenges, their victories, and success!
7.???Identify appropriate tools and resources that can assist in keeping you on track, on task, and executing your strategic goals and objectives.
8.???Retrain your brain by noticing a minimum of three (3) positive changes / behaviours per day. Create a practice of noticing three changes a day that have had a positive effect on your people's ability to do their job better. By making the effort to recognise the positive effects of change on your team’s performance, overtime you'll retrain your brain to see change as an opportunity for your own growth, and also the growth of your people. It is important to celebrate and acknowledge all these little wins!
By practicing these eight tasks daily you will create greater self-awareness and the impact that you have on other people. These new habits will become your drivers of change, changes in attitude, behaviour, and work performance. Also be accepting that change will happen with or without you, there are three certainties in life that if understood will guide your future decision-making, these are that: life is short, time is precious, and as a business owner, entrepreneur or manager, your ego is always in need of a shot of humility.
There is a saying that “nothing changes if nothing changes”. Having a positive mindset and practicing mindfulness will allow you to become the change you want to be! Change is a naturally occurring constant, it is the basis of all paradigm shifts, so by accepting this way of thinking, know that change will happen with or without you, so don't get in your own way.
So, in summary, mindfulness is a process of being aware of your and other peoples emotional and physical responses, their state; and how their state impacts on their decision making and behaviour. By having a greater understanding and appreciation of your own state, how you show up, and influence the cultural and behavioural dynamics of your team, may be?a significant building block for your organisation as you navigate your way into the future and the new world of work!
Take time to reflect, to plan, and have those robust and difficult conversations about the future of work and what it might look like for your organisation. Discuss issues such as preparedness for change, resilience, business continuity, and innovation. Be positive and be the champion of change as you work with your team to adapt to this changing landscape, to refocus and re-calibrate. Identify the best resources (who, what and where) to enable you and your team to build a new vision and a clear path (Strategy) to get you there!
Identify the tools, that will enable you to hold each other to account for the execution of your strategic priorities, in this regard I highly recommend the Mission Met Centre strategy execution platform, due to its simplicity and intuitive nature, it has no peer.
But most importantly as a business leader, be in the moment, be mindful of your own presence and your personal impact on others, if practiced well this will impact their decision-making and willingness to be part of the solution. Keep the conversation alive, instil positivity, ask open questions, and practice mindfulness, it will make a significant difference to the outcomes!
If you would like to learn the tools and strategies for growing mindfulness, and would like to invest 30 minutes of your time at NO cost for a FREE consultation, send an email to [email protected] or give me a call on 0428 727 076.
You can also lock in a complimentary 30-minute conversation by using my Calendly link here. Mark Jones Calendar
Mark Jones.