6 + 1 tips for more team mindfulness

If 2020 has taught us one thing, it is that nothing in life can be taken for granted. Not even ourselves. But when it comes to jobs, careers, families and private projects, only very few people manage to take enough time for themselves. We no longer listen to ourselves and end up in the hamster wheel of everyday (work) life. Therefore it’s important that trends like New Work, agile working methods and mindfulness are slowly starting to change the way we think and work. 

Mindfulness, job satisfaction and innovation go hand in hand

The more attentive people within a company are to one another, the more comfortable they are. This leads to both more creativity and productivity, and employees will less likely think about quitting their job. 

Research confirms these empirical values: In a team mindfulness study by Lingtao Yu and Mary Zellmer-Bruhn from 2017, the researchers found out that a higher level of mindfulness is associated with a lower potential for conflict within working groups. Teams that have more mindful interactions promote their own satisfaction and thus lay the foundation for a long term business success.

All in all there are many reasons to start your own team mindfulness journey in 2021. Here are six tips and a bonus (furry) hint to help you get started:

1. At the beginning let’s evaluate 

Get into the right mindset: Mindfulness is a marathon, not a sprint. And a marathon requires a certain amount of preparation. Therefore it's worthwhile to start by evaluating where you stand as a team in terms of mindfulness and well-being. This includes regular surveys, feedback sessions and discussions about the way you like to work.

2. Mindfulness requires care, rules and communication

A mindful and positive attitude can grow. But like any culture, it needs nurturing, rules and communication. For example, mindfulness within a team can be cultivated not only by tasks in daily stand-ups, but also by voluntarily talking about the general well-being of the  team members. This is not about "misery meetings" but about expressing what is missing to reach one's own creative and productivity space.

However, none of this works without consciously setting some rules of conduct. Without them, teams run the risk of provoking conflicts instead of resolving them. That's why companies have no choice but to put down some rules in writing. Which ones vary from company to company, of course. A handbook could contain, for example, the basic attitude and "vibe" that everyone wants from each other, how to start the working day, and which values are to be lived and protected.

In general: Mindful communication consists of respectful interaction, active listening, treating each other as equals and valuing the work and ideas of others. It is just as important to communicate one's own boundaries clearly and firmly, as it is to do so in a friendly manner, and to be able to discuss them with an open mind.

3. Mindfulness starts with reflection

One tool from agile working methods that is particularly well suitable, is retrospectives. This form of reflection and analysis is important for more mindfulness in teams. Retros are not anonymous surveys of employees, whose results are analyzed and evaluated by a single person and where unpleasant or painful aspects disappear into a box. Instead, retros aim towards an active discussion and the involvement of each individual person in the joint reflection. Of course, opening up like this does not come easy to everyone and therefore may require some training. Retro beginners are therefore well advised to get psychological and technologically help - for example, through tools such as Echometer, which uses targeted questions to listen to one's innermost thoughts. The whole process should be led by particularly sensitized employees or professional external coaches.

4.  "Give away" more mindfulness to your team!

Labor market researchers largely agree: money alone as a motivator has had its day. Therefore: Give away some mindfulness! First, take a look at which possible benefits are particularly thoughtful and considerate - flexible working hours, home office and remote work, educational leave or company vacations between the years are just a few examples. All of these serve the purpose to create free space. Another option is a "Mindfulness Day." The idea: each team member is given one free mindfulness day per year. Without prior justification or ulterior motives. The only condition: The time is to be spent exclusively with and for yourself - without doctor's appointments, visits to the authorities, family obligations, checking the inbox  or whatsapp messages to colleagues. On top of that, you can provide a budget. Whether it's a massage, yoga, zoo, theme park or a rental car to go hiking in the surrounding countryside: The budget can be declared and accounted for as a recreational allowance at the tax office (at least this is how it works in Germany). It is important to note that such an offer should by no means be just another vacation day or a hidden form of sick day. Constant stress, burnout and psychological problems are serious illnesses that such a day does not magically cure. It is merely a small "gift" to the team to live more mindfully.

5. Instead of adrenaline: Why not try a mindful team event?

Team events can be focused more around mindfulness, as well. Instead of action-packed paintball shootouts or regular after-work get-togethers, quieter events let your mind and thoughts wander - whether it's crafting bottle gardens, picking edible mushrooms or baking together. Those who want to take an even deeper look at themselves or each other can book team mindfulness courses.

6. Mindful habits can be copied

Not every mindfulness ritual is suitable for everyone. It is all about trying things out. But that doesn't mean you can't copy what other colleagues or companies have established for themselves. One colleague relaxes best while jogging, while another swears by breathing exercises and sunrise simulation in the bedroom.

Contrary to many assumptions and the hype surrounding digital detox, it is perfectly okay to rely on technical helpers such as apps or gadgets. Mindfulness doesn't require us to march through nature alone for hours. So experiment until you find the right thing for you individually and together as a team.

Bonus tip: The four-legged colleague leads the way

We can learn a lot from our four-legged colleagues about what it means to live in the moment. Moreover, it has been proven that the presence of dogs in the office ensures that colleagues treat each other more thoughtfully. Therefore, a furry team member is a little extra joker for more mindfulness in everyday working life.

Conclusion: Mindfulness is a private happiness and professional success boost at the same time

Mindfulness can be practiced on a daily basis in large and small ways. However, it is important that mindfulness is not seen merely as a new economic success metric, which then develops into a stress factor.