Mindfulness Research Findings

Research Findings on Mindfulness That Leaders and Organizations Care About

Source: Mindfulness in Organizations (Edited by Jochen Reb and Paul W. B. Atkins, 2015)

TEAMS

• More effective TEAM MANAGEMENT and INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION (Sadler-Smith and Shefy, 2007; Ucok, 2006)

• Improved INTER-PERSONAL RELATIONS

• (Shapiro, Schwartz, and Bonner, 1998; Sharpiro, Astin, Bishop and Cordova, 2005)

• Decreases MISCOMMUNICATIONS (Ucok, 2006)

• Mindfulness helps individuals to DISCERN A COWORKERS NEGATIVE AFFECT, which allows a leader take action before these negative emotions escalate and lead to counterproductive work behaviors (Riggio and Reichard, 2008)

• Mindfulness increases EMPATHY and SELF AWARENESS, which generates AUTHENTICITY and GENERATES CONCERN FOR OTHERS, leading to higher trust

• (Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, and Freeman, 2006; Holt and Marques, 2012)

• Mindfulness training increases SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS that follows from empathy (Shapiro, Schwartz, and Bonner, 1998)

• Mindfulness practice enhances the SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, and SELF REGULATORY components that comprise EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (Schutte and Malouff, 2011)

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DECISION MAKING

• Enhances STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING and INTUITION

• (Shapiro et al, 2006; Dane, 2011; Thomas, 2006)

• Increased CAPACITY to PROCESS SITUATIONS from a VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES and to DELEGATE DECISIONS rather than spend time on less critical issues. (Sadler-Smith and Shefy, 2007)

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COGNITIVE

• Promotes COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY, OPEN-MINDEDNESS, and RESPONSE FLEXIBILITY (Dane, 2011; Thomas, 2006)

• Better DISCERNMENT AMONG OPTIONS and DECISIONS that align with org values and goals

• Promotes PRIORITIZATION of crucial assignments and appropriate attention to relevant knowledge

• Focuses the cognitive process, so we MORE ACCURATELY ASSESS the PRESENT MOMENT and RESPOND SKILLFULLY and EFFECTIVELY instead of reactively and habitually.

• Decreased use of AUTOMATIC COGNITIVE PROCESSES and HABITUAL REACTIONS (Thomas, 2006)

• Improves ATTENTION and CONCENTRATION

• (Lazar et al., 2005; Jha, Krompinger, and Baime, 2007)

• Reduces NEGATIVE EFFECTS of MULTI-TASKING

• Multi-tasking reduces performance, decreases accuracy, increase stress, lowers overall productivity. (Appelbaum and Marchionni, 2008)

• Allows one to prioritize competing tasks and attend to current tasks for a longer period before shifting attention to a new one (Levy, Wobbrock, Kaszniak, and Ostergren, 2012; Jha et al., 2007)

• Shown to improve attention, increase sensitivity, concentration, and openness to experience, and decrease susceptibility to distraction. (Valentine and Sweet, 1999)

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EMOTIONS

• Instills an AWARENESS of and INCREASED TOLERANCE for EXPERIENCING a VARIETY of EMOTIONS – The ability to pause and slow down before acting(Glomb, et al, 2011)

• Improves COPING MECHANISMS and CULTIVATES FASTER RECOVERY from negative events (Keng, Smoski, and Robins, 2011)

• Reduces the NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF SHAME thereby increasing one’s ABILITY TO ENDURE THROUGH CHALLENGES

• (Luoma, Kohlenberg, Hayes, and Flectcher, 2012; Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, and Freedman, 2006)

• Allows professionals to ACCEPT THEMSELVES and THEIR MISTAKES and not shame or blame, reducing creativity, innovation, and learning (Shapiro and Carlson, 2009).

• Increases SELF COMPASSION leading to a higher sense of WELLBEING (Neff, 201)

• Decreases REACTIVITY

• Allows us to observe and interpret emotional experiences w/o judgment (Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, and Freedman, 2006)

• Helps us manage highly reactive thoughts and feelings before they overtake behavior and enables individuals to recover more quickly from failure or criticism (Hede, 2010)

• STRESS and HEALTH

• Teaches employees how to MANAGE THEIR STRESS (Shapiro and Carlson, 2009; Baer, 2003)

• Significantly increases capacity to COPE with STRESS and increases their SENSE of WELL BEING (Newsome, Christopher, Dahlen, and Christopher, 2006)

• Enhances PHYSICAL and MENTAL HEALTH (Baer, 2003; Grossman, Neiman, Schmidt, and Walach, 2004)

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CHANGE

• The safe, non-judgmental, and compassionate environment cultivated by mindfulness activates neural systems that ALLOW INDIVIDUALS to LEARN and ADAPT to DEMANDS of the situation (Flectcher, Schoendorff, and Hayes, 2010)

• Increases CAPACITY to LEARN and CHANGE (Neff, 2011)

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INNOVATION and CREATIVITY

• Improves individual’s perception of cues that allow for a shift in consciousness from goal to process, which opens up opportunities for CREATIVITY, which encourages EXPLORATION of MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES and to ATTEND TO INFORMATION HOLISTICALLY (Langer, and Moldoveau, 2000; Sadler-Smith and Shefy, 2007)

• Increases the POSSIBILITIES that a new approach will be discovered (Vogus and Sutcliff, 2012)