Mindfulness in the Workplace : An Evidence-based Approach to Improving Wellbeing and Maximizing Performance

Description

Mindfulness-based interventions in organizations offer the potential to build individual and organizational resilience, engage employees and address workplace stress. Mindfulness in the Workplace is a practical guide written for practitioners who want to learn how mindfulness can be used as a change management and organizational development strategy. Drawing from the latest research evidence from neuro- and behavioural science, Mindfulness in the Workplace offers a framework and guidance on how to start evolution- not revolution- in the organization. It ensures the greatest chance of success, showing how to identify the key stakeholders and work with them on understanding the power of a mindfulness initiative, how to identify a mindfulness champion, adapt the language of mindfulness to the context of the organization, establish metrics, and measure return on investment. Mindfulness in the Workplace proposes that HR and OD professionals are best placed to understand the complexity of implementing change in organizational systems and, therefore, the practice of mindfulness need to be brought in-house, even if they bring in external mindfulness coaches to train their leaders. Case studies including Capital One Finance and the NHS Mental Health Trust cover the reasoning behind these initiatives, how they were planned, the barriers they faced, the lessons learned, and their results. This book offers a forum for HR and OD practitioners to hear from other practitioners who have implemented organizational mindfulness-based interventions using change management principles so that they can understand how they might be applied to their own practice and their own organizations. Mindfulness in the Workplace: An evidence-based approach to improving wellbeing and maximizing performance Contents About the contributors Foreword by David Sheffield Acknowledgements Introduction PART ONE: Mapping the mindfulness at-work phenomenon 01: Mindfulness is on a roll Mindfulness: an inside-out OD strategy Mindfulness: an intervention to develop embodied emotional intelligence (EQ) Coming to autoethnography Coming to mindfulness References Further reading Resources 02: Mindfulness research: What counts as evidence, truth and knowledge in workplace MBIs? Introduction The nature of ‘truth’ and the post-modernist HR practitioner The map is not the territory, just one map: criticisms of workplace MBIs Core to organizational MBIs: adaptation without dilution Workplace MBIs: from the margins to the mainstream Evidence-based and evidence-informed practice: closing the gap What do we mean by mindfulness? The evidence that mindfulness works References Resources 03: Mindfulness research in practice Introduction The neuroscientific case for mindfulness and compassion Workplace MBIs: towards an integrative approach? Mindfulness and wellbeing Conclusion Implementing a workplace MBI Appendix 3.1: Inquiry in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) Appendix 3.2: Measuring mindfulness issues and tools References Further reading PART TWO: Contributor stories (case studies) 04: Mindfulness in a media world: SMG Coming to mindfulness Introduction The SMG MBI: The Mindful Advantage Spreading the word Final reflections Concluding comments – key takeaways! References 05: Creating a mindful culture within financial services: Capital One Coming to mindfulness Introduction The organization: Capital One Final reflections References 06: Bringing mindfulness to the social care workplace: Compassion in action Coming to mindfulness Introduction Bringing mindfulness to social care Our shared purpose: drivers behind our MBIs Implementation What we experienced Evaluating the MBIs: what worked Dissemination of our findings Integrating mindfulness into everyday life: an ongoing journey Appendix 6.1: Mindfulness-based Living Course curriculum Appendix 6.2: Sandra’s Mindfulness-based Living Course feedback sheet References Further reading 07: Mindfulness skills courses in the NHS: Implementing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in a secondary care psychology and psychotherapy service Coming to mindfulness Introduction Setting things up Implementation Outcomes and impact Reflections and recommendations Final word Ten tips for using mindfulness in the NHS organization References Note 08: Appraising the implementation of mindfulness within a strategic approach to psychological health Coming to mindfulness The context in which mindfulness has been implemented Appraising implementation of mindfulness within the Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Cross-organizational collaborations and applications Learning from this organizational implementation of mindfulness Concluding thoughts Acknowledgement References 09: Making mindfulness inclusive to all stakeholders in a university setting Coming to mindfulness Introduction Factors influencing wellbeing strategy in the higher education sector The mindfulness skills programme Evaluation Reflections on lessons learned Review Appendix 9.1: Mindfulness programme brochure References Recommended resources PART THREE: Critical reflections on mindfulness at work 10: Making Mindfulness Meditation accessible and meaningful Coming to mindfulness Introduction From Buddhist origins to evidence-based workplace training The standard mindfulness model Understanding the mind–body connection better Interpersonal effects of Mindfulness Meditation Going deeper into the process Stress, workplace and society Mindfulness and engagement What would a mindful organization look like? Conclusion References 11: A mindful path to a compassionate cultural diversity Coming to mindfulness Modern-day prejudice and discrimination Mindfulness and inclusion A mindful path to working with bias, prejudice and discrimination The transformational power of mindfulness Developing a compassionate critical consciousness Mindfulness and stereotyping threat Mindfulness and letting go of anger A compassionate cultural wisdom Final reflections References 12: Exploring the role of mindfulness and compassion in developing ‘insight-based HR’ Coming to mindfulness Introduction Our work at the Northern Centre for Mindfulness and Compassion Exploring insight The role of insight in human resources Insight-based HR Looking to the future Acknowledgements References Note Index