From Linkedin Pulse •
In 2015 I contributed to the “Mindful Nation UK” report, a UK government policy recommendation document released in October 2015 in the UK Parliament.
The Mindful Nation UK report highlighted the lack of publicly available information about implementing best-practice mindfulness training in the workplace. In response the Mindfulness Initiative has published ‘Building the Case for Mindfulness in the Workplace’.
The aim of the document, which includes contributions from 30 workplace representatives, mindfulness experts and researchers, is to support organisations at all stages of the mindfulness journey – from those seeking to pilot mindfulness and assess the potential benefits, to those with well-established programmes who are ready to roll out mindfulness globally and embed a mindful approach into their culture.
I was pleased to serve as an expert advisor to the Mindfulness Initiative, a UK think tank, and helped to author and edit this new publication.
The Document was formally launched at the Offices of EY in Canary Wharf London. Around 180 senior managers, researchers and mindfulness specialists attended the launch. The launch event included Keynotes from Baron Stone of Blackheath*, former Managing Director of M&S, Labour member of the House of Lords and Fleur Bothwick OBE, Director of Diversity and Inclusive Leadership EMEIA, EY. Document summary and findings were presented by Jamie Bristow, Director of The Mindfulness Initiative, and Emma Wardropper, and, Leonie Schell, Manager, People Advisory Services and EY Mindfulness Network Chair.
I had the pleasure of leading a panel discussion on The case for and future of mindfulness in the workplace. My panelists included:
- Karen Bowes – Vice President International HR and Sustainability, Capital One
- Chris Tamdjidi – Managing Director Kalapa Academy
- Dr Jutta Tobias -Senior Lecturer Cranfield University School of Management
- Katy Owen – Cabinet Office – lead on the civil service working group
- Carmel Moore – Executive Director, People Advisory Services EY
- Debbie Jeremiah – Mindful Manager Leaders programme, General Electric
Questions answered by the panel included:
- What is ‘Organisational mindfulness’? How can it be developed?
- How can mindfulness training can help to improve resilience and well-being at work?
- How can mindfulness training can help to improve relationships at work?
- How can mindfulness training help to improve productivity?
- How to gain organisational buy in?
- Steps to take when planning the introduction of mindfulness into a company?
- How to evaluate programmes and measure Return on Investment (ROI)?
- When introducing mindfulness: what has worked or did not work?
‘Building the Case for Mindfulness in the Workplace’. was published online on the 28/10/16. It includes mindfulness at work case studies and guidance from organisations including EY, GE, GSK, HSBC and Jaguar Land Rover.
If you are unsure of how to get management buy in for mindfulness programmes in organisational settings, in Appendix B you will find an example of a Business Case for Mindfulness, including return on investment calculations.
If you’d like to read more, use this link to download your free copy of the document
* Lord Stone featured in an 8 page mindful leadership case study – Chapter 4 – Mindful Leadership for Dummies, published in July 2016.
