With work-from-home being the new norm, companies are challenged to ensure their remote teams are engaged, productive, and happy. Recent studies show remote teams are 182% less engaged than those who work in person. Remote teams not only experience 'burnout' but grapple with fears around time scarcity, isolation, and anxiety.
Leaders looking for the best way of engaging remote teams can incorporate mindfulness as part of embracing a growth mindset.
What is mindset?
Mindset refers to the beliefs, ideas, and assumptions related to our potential, talents, and accomplishments. The mindset of a leader determines how they handle situations at work.
The concept of "mindset" was first explained by Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist, and researcher. She found that a person's success depends on whether they have a “growth” mindset or a "fixed" mindset. Leaders with a fixed mindset believe talent, intelligence, or other basic qualities are limited and cannot be developed. These individuals are results-oriented while they tend to view challenges as failures.
People with a “growth” mindset believe their skills, intelligence, and potential can be cultivated. A growth mindset is vital to developing boosting team engagement and ensuring remote teams are proactive, motivated, inspired, and are solution-seekers.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to "live in the present moment" and be fully aware and conscious of our feelings, bodily sensations, thoughts, and the surrounding environment. Mindfulness involves acceptance where we pay attention to what we are feeling or thinking without judging them. With its roots traced to Buddhist meditation, the practice of mindfulness enables us to focus on the present moment instead of stressing about the future or rehashing the past.
Benefits of mindfulness
Studies show that mindfulness helps
reduce anxiety, stress, and depression
reduce age and racial bias
reduce emotional reactivity
improve cognition and body image
minimize distractions and improve attention
improve working memory and focus
enhance relationship satisfaction
improve general health
Mindful leadership and team engagement
Mindfulness at work is about cultivating ‘present-focused consciousness’ where the individual is able to focus on the present moment, experiences, and events. Companies such as Apple, McKinsey, and Google have conducted workplace mindfulness training to improve the well-being of employees and productivity. A study showed that individuals who received mindfulness training at work experienced increased job satisfaction, reduced work-life conflict, and an enhanced ability to focus on the task at hand.
Other studies have found evidence that practicing mindfulness at work
improves executive functioning
improves job performance.
reduces work-related burnout
improves mental health
reduces employee turnover
boosts resilience
Building remote team engagement with mindfulness
Mindfulness helps you approach others positively at work while shielding you from negative emotions. By mitigating stressors, mindfulness promotes resilience, coordination, and productivity. A mindful vision helps you inspire people and establish a positive team culture that enables them to connect emotionally. With a mindful vision, you can awaken the best in your remote teams and in yourself, making it easier to be present and engaged at work.
In addition, mindfulness
enables you to uncover and connect with their current mindset
creates the space for you to embrace the desired growth mindset
·provides you with the foundation to deal with the internal and external headwinds of embracing your desired mindset