Mindfulness in Organizations
The Essence of Productive Working Environment
According to a study conducted by SFU, a staggering 83% of workers in the United States are grappling with stress, leading to high turnover rates, increased absenteeism, workplace accidents, and decreased productivity (Henderson, 2023). Henderson (2023) highlights that some companies have already begun implementing mindfulness practices in their organizations, such as Google, Target, and General Mills, and have witnessed positive outcomes.
For instance, Google has established a dedicated role overseeing mindfulness practices and assembled a team to manage these organizational initiatives. Approximately 2,000 Google employees have participated in the "Search Inside Yourself" mindfulness course. However, it's worth noting that comprehensive data on the impacts of these courses is still pending (Confino & Shore, 2014).
Given the increasing demand for mindfulness in organizations, leaders are faced with a critical question: are they prepared to incorporate and institutionalize mindfulness within their organizations by implementing necessary changes and allocating the required resources?
If mindfulness is to become the dominant idea within an organization, it will necessitate significant adjustments, resource allocation, and a reframing of the organizational working environment. Furthermore, establishing a robust data collection system is imperative to ensure continuous improvement in these practices. This system would enable organizations to analyze the impacts of mindfulness initiatives and derive recommendations to inform decisions for further enhancements.
References
Confino, J., & Shore, J. (2014, May 14). Google's head of mindfulness: 'goodness is good for business'. The Guardian. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/google-meditation-mindfulness-technology
Henderson, W. (2023, September 28). Mindfulness is a powerful tool to reduce workplace stress, study finds. Phys.org. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from https://phys.org/news/2023-09-mindfulness-powerful-tool-workplace-stress.html