Mindfulness Research Findings

Updated: Jul 6

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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