Mind the gap

摘要

How do you feel when you read the word "mindfulness"? For some, it will be a welcome reminder that they should be more mindful of everything that is going on inside and outside their heads, and lead almost instantly to a state of calm and heightened awareness - which is, of course, what is should do as that what the word and practice of mindfulness means. For others, however, reactions can vary widely. Some will be completely non-plussed having never read up on the subject, and for others, they may sneer at the latest wishy-washy, mumbo-jumbo that has started to fill up Facebook feeds and cards from Hallmark stores. And for a few, the reaction may be the very opposite of what is intended, reacting violently to a belief and state of mind they are predisposed to dislike intensely. However, there is no doubt mindfulness is here to stay having been adopted by many major organizations and healthcare professionals. The question for the learning organization is, how can it be used as a force for good? Sending calming messages through the internal communications system, leaving granola bars on employees' desks and providing free yoga lessons on a Monday lunchtime will be appreciated by many people, but it will also fail to impress some and positively antagonize the minority who will simply see any such initiatives as fake. Moreover, what will the effect be on the leadership team who give the go ahead on such mindfulness activities. Do they buy into what is being achieved, or will they wonder whether they could do with some mindfulness themselves?