Mindfulness training has got a lot of attention in the world of business lately, as many companies look at it as a means of promoting a more positive outlook in employees. Mindfulness training may encompass things like meditation and positive thinking exercises to ingrain these habits in workers.
However, if a business is genuinely invested in mindfulness and the positive mental state of its workers, the training needs to go deeper. The most vital parts of mindfulness come not from positive thinking and meditation alone but the business's approach to its employees. Here, 11 leaders from Forbes Human Resources Council look at the most critical parts that make mindfulness training successful.
Members of Forbes Human Resources Council share critical components of employee mindfulness training.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Company Culture
Your company's culture is the most important part of a successful mindfulness training. The culture of the company needs to be open to allow employees the latitude and empowerment to be able to open their minds through this process. - Richard Polak, American Benefits Council
2. Work-Life Balance
Employers should make sure their people have sufficient work-life balance to manage their stress by staffing appropriately, limiting unnecessary meetings and leading by example. If employers can offer an on-demand program, like one of the many mindfulness apps on the market, that's a great perk many employees will appreciate and can use at their convenience—just like any other benefit. - Tracy Cote, StockX
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3. Practicing Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is one of the most important aspects for successful mindfulness training for the employees. New research evidence suggests that gratitude helps improve our mental health. Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions and creates the abundance mentality. Employees who practice gratitude are more positive, engaged and demonstrate a growth mindset. - Kumar Abhishek, S&P Global
4. Holding Space
Crucial to effective mindfulness training is holding space. The events and climate of the past year has reminded me that people carry different emotions at different times and for different reasons. I think it’s great that employers have increased their focus on mindfulness, but we have to hold the space to understand our employees as individuals to ensure we are addressing their unique needs. - Trenae Forman, Black Girls CODE
5. Stress Management
Stress management has become tremendously important during the current pandemic. Letting our employees know that taking breaks is encouraged allows them to come back refreshed. - Tobin Cookman, ON Semiconductor
6. Ease And Empowerment
Successful mindfulness training for employees should leave those who participate feeling at ease and empowered. It will give them more room to focus, both at work and in their personal lives. We’ve had a stressful year; it’s important to reduce that stress and give employees an outlet to relax. - Leigh Yanocha, Knopman Marks Financial Training
7. Active Listening, Reflective Coaching
We all aspire to be leaders and one of the first skills to really perfect as you grow to be a leader is coaching or mentoring skills. Any successful mindfulness training program for your teams should make you a good coach by combining active listening and reflective coaching, which are both critical skills to learn during any mindfulness training program. - Madhukar Govindaraju, Numly™, Inc.
8. Sufficient Support, Resources
Mindfulness is a skill set that like any other takes time, effort and dedication to build. Ensuring that sufficient support and resources are planned will be critical for the long-term success of the training program. This includes budgeting for continued access to benefits, providing employee education of the positive impact of practicing mindfulness and incentivizing employee adoption. - Subhashree Chaudhuri, Equal Opportunity Schools
9. Empathy
In order to be mindful, one must first have empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of one another. A lot of training on mindfulness focuses on how you feel and your reactions. While this is important and essential to one's well-being, in the scope of the workplace we must also be cognizant of the importance of empathy to one another. - Nakisha Griffin, Ripple Effect
10. Mental Health Awareness
When considering the events of the past year, research indicates that mindfulness training can help employees better manage workplace stress. Those who have trouble managing stress may find it has negatively affected their mental health throughout the pandemic. Therefore, employers should focus on mental health awareness and provide employee counseling as part of mindfulness training. - John Feldmann, Insperity
11. Reducing Distractions
Allowing for new ways of working to intentionally reduce the number of distractions during the working day is key in enabling the success of mindfulness training. Companies can put aside a day in a week with no or minimal company communications, meetings, emails or chats. Allow for employees to be fully present in their chosen focus of the day or for mindful reflection and personal development. - Madhuri Peesapati, Marvell Semiconductor
