Whitespace: Workplace meditation goes mainstream

Issue 70: February 2011

Google staffers do it, Apple Inc embraces it, and the Ford Motor Company's CEO is a fan of it. Meditation – one of the cornerstones of Buddhist philosophy – appears to be headed for the mainstream world of work.

Meditation is no longer just for hippies. Enlightened professionals across the globe are embracing mindful leadership – the outcome of regular meditation – in a bid enhance personal productivity, organisational harmony and innovation outputs.

Looking East for inspiration

Trendspotters say interest in mindful leadership is part a larger trend. Where once the world looked predominantly to the US for exemplars of organisational success, Western managers are increasingly considering the value of Eastern approaches.

Harvard Business School professor William George says Asians beliefs, philosophies and practices are dramatically reshaping everything from healthcare to manufacturing, and also offer a valuable model for business leaders.

Rather than focussing on religious beliefs, George describes mindful leadership as a secular concept with the potential to expand a professional's core competencies though greater self-awareness and self-compassion.

And the approach is far from a theoretical one. This recent study by the University of Massachusetts suggests regular mediation increases grey matter density in areas of the brain responsible for awareness, empathy, learning and memory.

A calm boss is a good boss

According to William George, meditation ultimately helps leaders to become more aware of themselves and the people around them, a process that in turn accommodates more effective responses stressful work situations.

"Leaders who are mindful tend to be more effective in understanding and relating to others, and motivating them toward shared goals. Hence, they become more effective in leadership roles," he tells Working Knowledge.

The movement has come at a time when, George claims, many leaders have lost their way by focusing on external rewards such as power, money and status; fixations that can limit self-awareness, authenticity and empathy.

And a lack of self-understanding isn't just an issue for leaders. Employees who are devoid of empathy are rarely good team players, while those unable to acknowledge mistakes due to a fear of appearing vulnerable often turn small problems into serious issues.

Mediation as an innovation booster

An improved ability to absorb a large amount of information is just one innovation-bolstering gift of the mediation process. The ability of a mindful leader to clear his or her mind is another powerful outcome.

While there is no 'on / off' switch for creativity, achieving a state of mind in which a professional can become more open to paradigm-altering ideas is a very real possibility according to William Duggan, author of Strategic Intuition.

According to Duggan, strategic intuition is a four-stage process. The first step involves collecting information, a process that meditation assists by increasing memory. The second is 'clearing the mind', which also can be achieved through mediation practices.

From this solid foundation, innovators are able to combine different pieces of information to create a new idea, a process that's often realised as a flash of insight. The fourth step is the evaluative decision of how to the move forward with the idea.

Making meditation a reality

Few of us could avoid doing physical activity for a long period of time and then expect to run a marathon. In many ways the same is true of meditation. Achieving mindfulness takes practice and dedication.

But if the ability to enhance organisational culture and innovation are likely outcomes, the hard work of achieving mindfulness has the potential to pay dividends.

If you're ready to place a toe in the meditation waters, iTunes offers a series of free meditation podcasts. Or you could go one step further by organising meditation classes at your workplace, and of course, attending to lead by example.

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