We are finding it challenging to maintain resiliency amongst our employees when everyone seems to be working 24/7. What strategies or techniques can you recommend to promote balance so that we do not burn-out and, importantly, how do we model resiliency and work/life balance for our entire organization?
We strongly suggest instilling the practice of Mindfulness into the lives of your leadership team - and ultimately the entire workforce. There are numerous sites, apps, and workshops that offer programs to enlighten and inform. Mindfulness is not a difficult practice to comprehend but it can be very challenging if not practiced uniformly and with consistency.
According to INC.com, companies such as GOOGLE, Apple, Facebook, Sony, CBRE, General Mills, Nike, and Goldman Sachs have made Mindfulness a staple of their employee development. And it creates a more inclusive, enlightened corporate culture! Some offer 15 minute meditation breaks and half-hour yoga classes, all for free, which can be utilized by both on-site and remote employees. In pre-COVID-19 days (to be restored post-COVID-19), they offer on-site fitness centers, weekly farmers markets, juice bars, and more! GOOGLE is considered a pioneer in understanding and instilling Mindfulness as a critical business tool. In fact, they offer 7 different types of Mindfulness-related classes to choose from including attention training, self-knowledge and self-mastery, and building mental habits. Their leadership team has benefited by participating in “Search Inside Yourself’ sessions that insure they model Mindfulness behaviors.
During COVID-19, more and more companies are finding Mindfulness to be a key factor in managing remote teams. Committing to Mindfulness helps companies maintain open communications, improve listening and decision making skills, ease fear and anxiety, improve employee engagement, and create a healthier, happier remote workforce! But it does need to start at the top! Leaders need to instill and model Mindfulness behaviors to lead the change.
At Right Management, we offer Mindfulness training via webinar to our client companies and candidates in transition --- and have made it part of our own culture. During COVID-19, we have been sharing pictures and stories that reflect fun and fellowship! We offer weekly wellness challenges and provide Mindfulness tips & techniques to create a highly connected remote community that remains mission-driven but rooted in holistic wellness and practiced self-care. Our end goal is to truly “practice what we preach”!