Workplace Training
ServicesA win-win situation – how rare is that!
Mindfulness can improve your business through a personal approach that is unique to every employee…
I am interested in working with every single employee in your organisation. They all can add value to your business, otherwise why are you employing them?
Mindfulness can reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, reduce health and safety incidents – all statistical outcomes.
What interests me is the personal impact it can have on every individual who is prepared to explore it; it is a universal tool for personal development.
All of us have hopes, aspirations, challenges and fears – we are all human. We may see stratification by job title, role or salary, but we all work for the same organisation.
By investing in Mindfulness, every employee who is prepared to explore it, from the cleaner to the CEO, can be enriched by it. Enhanced communication skills, better relationships and increased empathetic awareness all lead to happier and healthier employees. This makes a more functional and creative company – a double win!
What does the Business Service offer?
Helping you to see what needs to change
Mindfulness can shine a light on habits, routines, pre-conceptions and moods. Imagine an employee starts their day, every day with these four dimensions fixed. It is likely their day and their contribution to the workplace will be roughly the same regardless of how much training or support is put in place. Mindfulness can provide a different approach, a very personal one and therefore a very powerful one.
Meeting the specific needs of your workplace.
There will be a reason that you have investigated Mindfulness, some way that you want your workplace to change. Discussion is a starting point, but I will also need to see what is happening in your business. By meeting the employees and seeing what it is that they do, and most importantly, how they do it, I can then begin to formulate a relevant programme. Each business is unique and each programme I create is tailor-made.
Join Google, Apple, Intel and other leading companies using Mindfulness
Mindfulness programmes have been used in many successful businesses since as early as 2006. Progressive companies recognise the value of investing in their employees, not just in terms of qualifications, but also in them as people.
Meeting Health & Safety Executive advice in reducing work related stress
Mindfulness supports 5 of the 6 Management Standards that are in place to reduce the 11 million days lost each year in the UK to stress. This is a legal requirement and most organisations have a H&S budget. http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/index.htm
This clip sets out the main benefits for both employees and companies who invest their time in Mindfulness.
Such companies include Google, Nike, General Mills, Ford and Apple who have been reaping the benefits for years.
Thank you to The Mindfulness Network for sharing this clip on YouTube so we can all access it.
Frequently asked questions about Mindfulness in the Workplace?
There are so many organisations, training opportunities and courses that can support your business, the choice can be quite daunting. Any successful business will have evolved and recognises that change is the only certainty.
Imagine an employee in your workplace, who has the ability to direct their attention specifically to the task in hand, minimising the inevitable distractions. Then when they choose they can broaden their focus to see their wider role and to communicate empathetically with others in a responsive, rather than reactive way.
This ‘attentional flexibility’ is just one capacity that Mindfulness builds over several weeks. If this is a relevant skill for your workplace, this will be included. If not, there are other capacities that can be developed such as ‘listening and being heard’ – whatever directly reflects the needs of your business.
What is the evidence - is there a research base?
The evidence base for Mindfulness is extensive in clinical settings, such as its use in the NHS. Businesses have to be lean and efficient to survive and accordingly the interesting trend towards Mindfulness by Google, Apple, Intel among other leading businesses indicate its value. Your business is unique and it’s worth discussing with me if you would like to see what research exists in your field. One example is Health & Safety applications in nuclear power stations.
What will it look like in my organisation?
Typically, Mindfulness sessions can last from 30 mins to 90 mins reflecting your needs. A quiet space with seating for each participant is required. This can be on-site or off-site, including online. Programmes can run for 8 to 16 weeks with quarterly follow up sessions. Numbers can vary from 1-to-1 or up to 16 people.
Does everybody do it - what if one person doesn't want to?
It is often people who arrive with a sceptical mind who seem to get the most out of sessions. However, if people are really against it, or try it and find it is not for them, then accepting this is the case is often better than forcing the issue. When they see how much their colleagues are benefitting, they might wish to return to the programme.
Is it religious? Somebody told me it is Buddhist.
My programmes are non-religious. The origins of modern Mindfulness in the West arose from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s work after he travelled in the Far East in the 1970s. He specifically wrote the original Mindfulness programme to be used in hospitals, where no Buddhist or other religious bearing would be tolerated.
I cannot see my employees meditating!
This may well sum up an aspect of the culture of your organisation that may benefit from loosening up to new possibilities. We can access Mindfulness in different ways than sitting and meditating. It needs to be relevant to the individuals doing it and how they see it fitting into their work and their lives. This is why I invest so much in understanding your workplace before we begin.
My Approach
I will listen, I will look and I will learn how Mindfulness can best support your workplace.
Initially, we can talk through your vision for how you would like to see your workplace change. The next step will be for me to explore with employees how they go about their work. Wherever possible, I would like to work alongside them or shadow them so I have a felt sense of their experience.
I will formulate some suggestions for the content of the course and discuss how this meets your intentions. Typically, this will centre around exposing unhelpful behaviours and habits. It will also focus on building new capacities such as self-compassion, empathetic awareness and revitalising communication between employees. We can also discuss ways of measuring outcomes, so you know if Mindfulness is having the effect you envisaged.
Finally we will also look at post-programme support so benefits become embedded and don’t stop when the course stops.
How It Works
Schedule a free 1 to 1
Putting our diaries together and finding a time to discuss your ideas and thoughts is the first step. I can begin to find out about your workplace and suggest methods for bringing about the change you are seeking.
Setting up a programme
I can create a bespoke programme that meets your workplace requirements, including evidencing outcomes. Together we can sort through the logistics of when/where/who etc to make sure it is accessible and acceptable.
Setting Intentions
We may start out with a ‘corporate’ intention such as reducing absenteeism. It is only on a personal level however that sustainable change will occur. Accordingly, I will invite every individual to also set their own intention for Mindfulness.
Workplace Coaching Package
The optimal package for your workplace will arise from our discussions and seeing what is actually happening day-to-day. The duration, number of participants, point of delivery, and length of the programme will vary accordingly. Once a broad idea of these factors have emerged, I will be able to tailor a quote in regard to costs for you.
£POA
More Details
A conversation to explore your workplace and needs is the starting point. It would be great to talk if you can get in touch.