Leading from the Front with Mindful Management

Gone are the days when traditional means of managing and leading staff could produce desired results. With pressurized workspaces and disengaged teams becoming common, there’s an emergent need for more result-oriented solutions. Increased stress and distraction levels in modern workspaces are impacting the concentration levels of employees. Team members are finding it difficult to collaborate and communicate. Now, it has become important to maintain commitment and motivation through positive coping mechanisms. Here’s how mindful management is being used for meeting organizational goals, globally.  

 

Goals of Mindful Management  

Across the world, team and brand leaders are recommending mindful management training to employees. The underlying goals pertain to the development of innovative skills, setting better workplace standards, and making people more efficient and effective. The tools and strategies of mindfulness are making trainees more compassionate, positive and innovative.  

 

Mindfulness – How is it Beneficial for Leaders?

Mindfulness is not only about feeling good and elated. It focuses on several other details to make one feel less stressed. Leaders can get more work done and still enjoy healthy relationships with their staff. The advantages of mindful management are indeed many. They are serving as business boosters for SMEs, entrepreneurs, and large-sized organizations globally.  

 

Overview of Mindfulness  

Mindfulness is not a fad that’s just started making waves. This smart means of becoming a good leader or increasing workplace productivity has been around for a few decades now. Its roots can be traced to meditation and Buddhism. In the simplest of words, mindfulness relates to the state of existing in the present and accepting things as they are in real-time. There’s no space for anticipated future events or past occurrences in this type of management. However, this does not mean that mindfulness is a complicated affair. Neither does it require any esoteric meditation practices! 

 

Things to Consider for Being More Mindful

It’s critical to consider the following to leverage the advantages of mindful management.  

 

1. Improve upon strategic thinking patterns

Thinking with a calm mind can help you plan your moves more strategically. When you relax and take your time to find answers, you tend to get to your solutions faster. For instance, according to an expert opinion published by Salesforce.com, “Having a long-term view of your projects and goals is important for meeting milestones and upholding commitments.” This is not possible if you have a frantic mind that cannot anticipate or think of events or potential choices. 

 

2. Accept and remain in the present

It’s no point going around in circles in your mind. You will only end up in a make-believe world that’ll leave you more harried. Practicing mindfulness can make you ready and focused on whatever is in your environment at present; this enables better decisions.  

 

3. Become a role model

Your staff is always observing your behavioral patterns to formulate theirs. Strive to become an idol for them. For instance, if you are mindful of your physical and mental health, you can pass on the message. Soon, you will find your staff taking care of their well-being and health. This increases organizational productivity and profits alike.  

 

4. Short meditation lasts long

Just 12-15 minutes of soul-feeding and mindfulness management can help you reap rich dividends. Include the practice of aligning your body and mind every day. The results of having a more composed mind will show in your actions and conversations across the day. Be it through walking, meditation, singing, reading, or journaling, link up to your inner self to get the results you seek.  

 

5. Right breathing techniques are important

It’s very important to breathe correctly; so, learn the art of breathing. Simply holding the breath and counting a few numbers may not help. Proper breathing techniques are best learned from experts who can help you handle the biological responses of stress easily. Breathe slowly after putting your hand on the abdomen. If you are doing it right, you can feel your belly fall and rise with every breath you take or leave. Breathing exercises can be practiced anytime, anywhere.  

 

Way Forward

Being a leader or a good manager is easy if you become mindful of your responses and behavior. To achieve this end, you may want to streamline processes, automate tasks, and communicate intentionally. Try to adopt a straightforward and more mindful approach towards your work. As you practice more, the benefits of mindfulness management will start trickling into all facets of your being – at the personal and work front alike.