It is difficult to be an inspirational manager when you have an overwhelming number of tasks, are dealing with constant distractions and interruptions and are under constant pressure.
Yet, that is the reality of most managers’ day to day work life! They are running faster trying to get everything done. And, the high value work of leading & empowering teams, envisioning & assessing opportunities; strategic planning etc. often goes neglected.
Mindfulness develops essential management skills
In 2014, Time magazine had a cover story entitled: The Mindful Revolution in which they stated that if distraction is the pre-eminent condition of our time, mindfulness is the most logical response and an indispensable tool for coping with the daily onslaught.
So, if you are facing another ‘crazy busy’ day? Always rushing, trying to get everything done, working flat out to stay afloat, dealing with problems and distractions non-stop…. yet hardly ever getting to what is important because the urgent always gets in the way?
You might wish to consider doing a Mindful Leadership Course (click for more info)
Mindfulness develops essential management skills
Imagine if at anytime, you could hit PAUSE, step back and take a few deep breaths?
What if you had a toolkit of skills to calm yourself, so you could return to facing the problem when you had regained clarity and focus?
And what if you worked in a way that was more engaged, fulfilling and allowed you to enjoy real connections with real people along the way?
Working Harder is not always Smarter
The research is conclusive. People who worked long hours, in a state of ‘continuous partial attention’ are not productive, creative, or capable of managing themselves or leading their teams skillfully.
“The overwhelmed employee us the most significant human capital challenge for Irish organisations. Information overload and the 24/7 work environment are contributing to reduced productivity, reduced decision making and lower levels of engagement.”
Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2014, Engaging the 21st Century Workforce
Mindfulness develops essential management skills – Emotional Intelligence
Mindfulness trains you to be self aware and to be able to regulate your emotions and navigate even challenging circumstances skillfully. With inner calm and resilience, you are empowered to choose your response to whatever shows up instead of reacting with conditioned patterns of blaming (yourself / event / other people). So, your thoughts and emotions inform your actions rather than hijacking your energy.
Mindfulness develops essential management skills
To conclude, I challenge you to consider any work activity that would not have a better outcome if you were relaxed, composed, centred and attuned to your gut (inner knowing) rather than tense, rigid with fragmented / scattered attention and a dull, tired mind-set?
This article was written by Joanne O’Malley, Mindfulness at Work
