Perhaps it is counter-intuitive to start my posts on mindful recognition with a focus on the benefits to the one doing the recognition. You might say it's odd to start the discussion of a (hopefully) non-selfish act with what is essentially a selfish motivation.
But there's a reason I'm doing it.
Why? Because we can't control how much positive feedback we get form others. Bosses will or won't. Co-workers will or won't.
What we do control is how much recognition and positive feedback we give to others. Ideally this could be a self-sustaining practice built on it's own feedback loop.
So, let's consider how you might benefit from the recognition you provide to others:
By recognizing others, and by making this a focus of your leadership style, you combat Negativity Bias on your team, making them more resilient and more capable of handling change, thereby making your job easier.
Positive reflection on you as a leader (and your boss for choosing you) when your team members are recognized for their successes (even if it is you that is recognizing them). There's a kind of multi-reflexive value here - the boss is successful because I'm successful because my team is successful.
Focus on the positive to counteract the Negativity Bias in ourselves. When we recognize others we focus consciously on positive events, behaviors, and occurrences. This helps our mind remember that there are lots of good things happening, in addition to any bad ones (real or just perceived). This makes life and work more pleasant.
Set an example for others leaders to follow - positive recognition will breed more positive recognition as others follow your example. I've had a boss say, "That was great that you recognized so-and-so, I need to do more of that." It feels great when you hear or see others being recognized and you know you had an influence on that.
Mindfulness is great because it gives us insight into ourselves in ways that go beyond the intellectual. It touches on all of these types of experience:
Intellectual
Physical
Emotional
Spiritual
If much or all of your life at work has fallen into category 1, then mindfulness will feel unusual, especially at work.
You will encounter emotion. Probably much more than you did before at work. It will feel strange at first.
But it was always there. You just weren't paying attention to it. Or if you did, you paid attention when it had escalated.
Better to engage it, discuss it, and help yourself and others manage it.
A leader who helps employees and co-workers on this journey leads in this way: whole employees are happy employees are productive employees.
Understanding ourselves better makes us better at what we do.
As I've mentioned in other posts, mindfulness, at it's core, is about developing self-awareness.
This makes it a very useful tool that can stand at the foundation of personal and professional development.
Do you want to grow in your career or as a person? Understanding who you are is a good start.
As you start down this path it is useful to be aware that this is more than an intellectual exercise.
Think you know who you are? You may.
And even if you do, or even if you've made a good start, you will find more: more that you don't know and more things that will be challenging for you.
The road to growth is challenge. There isn't another way.
I've seen a lot of resistance to change over the years and I've left a lot of meetings where I've been asked, "Why can't so-and-so assume that we're working in the best interest of the company and all the employees?"
Here's what that means: our brains and bodies evolved to perceive danger and threats. For many of us day-to-day physical threats are not a major issue, but our minds are still wired to look for danger. They will continue to look for threats, even if the only thing there is emotional or potential emotional threats.
This slant towards the negative preserved our ancestors, but it can get in our way when we're in an unfamiliar situation, or when we're working with a client, or when we're trying something new, or when things change.
Knowing that our minds behave this way can be powerful in and of itself. It explains a lot. It helps us to empathize when we're the one asking for change and it should also help us be more self-aware of our own negative reactions and how it might be holding us back.
The big question is: How will you change your behavior? How will you alter your communication style in situations where you think you are likely to encounter the negativity bias?
Many thanks to Andrew Wien from Dynamic Leadership Center for bringing this topic to us and giving us ways to work through the Negativity Bias.
Mindfulness is key professional development that lies at the core of all other professional development.
Do you want the focus to make the most of your time?
Mindfulness improves focus by training the mind to focus.
Do you want the positive intent to overcome obstacles?
Mindfulness helps you avoid the negativity bias and focus on what is in your control.
Do you want the self-awareness to see that most obstacles are really perceived obstacles that exist inside yourself?
Mindfulness is self-awareness. As you become more self-aware you become more conscious of what obstacles are real and which are the ones you put up for yourself. This lets you focus energy on real obstacles and overcoming them.
Do you want the emotional maturity to handle stressful situations?
Mindfulness helps you understand and work better with your emotions and stress.
Do you want the inner strength to set your own direction?
Mindfulness provides you with the tools to manage your inner resources.
The more I am involved with mindfulness practice, the more it seems like this is where you should be starting your education and development. What else gives you these types of benefits?
Begin by knowing yourself - this is neither Eastern nor Western, but simply true.
I started a mindfulness group at work after doing some meditation practice for myself for a few months. Meditation has helped me in stressful situations and I wanted to share that with others.
Mindfulness practice is well aligned with our company leadership culture which has been significantly influenced by the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People over the years. See my earlier post about the connection of the 7 Habits and Mindfulness.
It's been a great start. We got a good number of people from all different roles in the organization: sales people, developers, team leads, project management, and QA.
We're early on in the group but, the turnout has remained strong through a couple of weeks.
We're using Headspace for guided meditation, which is very helpful. It's usually followed by 10 - 15 minutes of discussion on what went well or didn't go well for individuals.
There is a definite sense of vulnerability in beginning this new activity at work. The great news is that attendance has been good and, whether everyone has completely overcome that initial trepidation or not, they've continued to attend.
I'm very thankful for everyone who comes, I'm thankful for the opportunity to share, and I'm thankful for finding Headspace, which is a good app.
Jonathan Fries on .