Mindfulness in the workplace benefits not only the individual, but also the entire working community

In the workplace, mindfulness, “present moment awareness,” benefits not only the individual but the entire work community, Laura Urilla’s doctoral dissertation in human resource management appears. When an individual engages in mindfulness training, the effects spill over into the wider work community.

– Leaders who practice mindfulness are more present, give space to others, seek to understand others’ perspectives and emotional states, and act for the common good, says Laura Urilla, who will defend her thesis publicly at the University of Vaasa on Friday , December 9.

In Urrila’s doctoral research, leaders participated in an eight-week mindfulness program. Participants found that simple mindfulness practices and teachings, such as mindful breathing, calming visualization, and a compassionate attitude, were helpful in their daily work, which involved constant interaction with team members.

– Interestingly, many leaders and supervisors were immediately willing to share what they had learned and introduce mindfulness practices to their team members in both individual and team meetings, despite having no prior experience with the topic or how it might be applied in daily leadership work, Urila points out.

Leaders care about attention

In recent years, mindfulness has become popular in professional life, especially among leaders and leadership development professionals. Leadership -;leading people-; it’s all about motivating others and showing interest in the needs of others.

Urilla sought to explore whether mindfulness can help leaders capitalize on their other-orientation and support leaders in their role of leading others. Interviewees described their desire to ensure the well-being and development of their team members. At the same time, they found leadership to be challenging in many ways; Supervisors are often burdened by heavy workloads, difficult workplace relationships, and problems with team functioning.

– While the will appears to be there, working strategies and tools to engage with good leadership may be lacking, Urilla sums up.

The ability to be present is good leadership – Awareness is a skill that can be practiced

Urrila’s research confirms that the ability to be present and aware is part of good leadership and that it can be practiced. Leadership development is not easy because it occurs over time as part of adult maturation and involves the willingness to self-reflect. You may need to develop yourself first, as “one does not give from an empty cup”.

Urrila’s research reveals that the practice of mindfulness develops a leader’s self-awareness and supports the ability to care for and develop oneself. According to Urila, the positive personal experience of learning and practicing mindfulness is the key driver that motivates leaders to apply mindfulness in their work. The research highlights the perspective that the most effective form of leadership development is a combination of a formal program and ongoing self-development.

Laura Urilla explored the experiences of leaders who participated in a mindfulness training program, adopting a qualitative longitudinal intervention approach. Data for analysis was collected from 62 leaders. Materials included 62 pre-intervention written assessments and 62 post-intervention interviews. The dissertation consists of three articles that contribute to the mindfulness and leadership literature by increasing understanding of how mindfulness training can support leaders in social relationships and in their role of leading others. The findings are particularly useful for human resource managers and development professionals in evaluating and selecting leadership development interventions.