Mindfulness - The unexpected organizational revolution | Peter Bostelmann | TEDxBerlinSalon

Summary

The speaker, a German industrial engineer and director of a global mindfulness practice at SAP, shares his journey from skepticism to becoming a proponent of mindfulness in the corporate world. He explains how mindfulness has been integrated into the company culture, positively impacting employee engagement, leadership trust, and reducing absenteeism. The speaker outlines steps to shift skeptics' views, create 'aha' moments, and establish mindfulness habits within organizations, emphasizing its potential to enhance performance and leadership.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Mindfulness is being adopted in a global tech company with over 80,000 employees, demonstrating its relevance beyond traditional settings.
• 📈 The company has measured a sustainable business impact from mindfulness, including increased employee engagement and leadership trust, as well as a decrease in absenteeism.
• 🌏 The initiative started with a small group and grew into a grassroots movement, training over 3500 people worldwide by the end of 2016.
• 🔢 There's a significant return on investment, with a conservative estimate of over 200%, indicating that mindfulness contributes to the company's bottom line.
• 🤔 The speaker initially had skepticism about mindfulness but a personal crisis led him to explore it, resulting in profound personal and professional benefits.
• 🧠 Neuroscience supports the benefits of mindfulness on well-being, social skills, and cognitive abilities, which helps in convincing skeptics.
• 🏋️‍♂️ High-performing individuals can benefit from mindfulness as it helps in managing stress and enhancing performance, contrary to being just for those who struggle.
• 🌱 Mindfulness is about being present and purposefully directing attention to the current moment, which can be practiced anywhere, not just in special environments.
• 🌟 Creating 'aha' moments through group experiences and having skilled teachers with business backgrounds can help integrate mindfulness into the corporate culture.
• 🌐 To implement mindfulness globally, the company created community, identified multipliers, and integrated mindfulness practices into daily work routines, such as starting meetings with a minute of grounding.

Q & A

What is the speaker's background and how does it relate to mindfulness?

The speaker is a German industrial engineer working for SAP, a leading business software company with over 80,000 employees. He is the director of the global mindfulness practice, dedicating his time to rolling out mindfulness training and practicing it himself.

How does the speaker's team contribute to the company's mindfulness practice?

The speaker's team, along with thousands of employees, practices mindfulness in various ways throughout their workday, contributing to a measurable and sustainable business impact and supporting the company's financial success.

What was the speaker's initial skepticism towards mindfulness and how did it change?

Initially, the speaker was skeptical about mindfulness, associating it with a blissed-out, otherworldly state, and even made fun of his meditating girlfriend. However, after experiencing a personal crisis and attending a 10-day silent meditation retreat, he found profound benefits in mindfulness, which led to a shift in his perspective.

How did mindfulness help the speaker in his professional life?

Mindfulness helped the speaker manage digital projects more effectively, increase his capacity to handle stress, deal with conflicts, and make better decisions in stressful situations. It also increased his mental strength and clarity.

What was the initial response from the company when the speaker proposed introducing mindfulness?

The initial response was skepticism, with many senior executives and colleagues believing that the company was not ready for mindfulness-based training.

How did the speaker overcome the initial skepticism and start a mindfulness program at SAP?

The speaker started a grassroots initiative, bringing a two-day training program called 'Search Inside Yourself' to SAP. He engaged in conversations with senior executives and found that many were actually open to the idea once it was presented in a business context.

What is the 'Search Inside Yourself' program and how has it been received?

The 'Search Inside Yourself' program is a two-day training class focused on mindfulness. It has been well-received, with over 3500 people trained worldwide by the end of 2016, and a waiting list of 5000 people.

What kind of measurable impact has the mindfulness program had on the company?

The program has shown a significant increase in employee engagement, leadership trust index, and a decrease in absenteeism. It has provided a return on investment of more than 200%, contributing to the company's bottom line and competitive advantage.

What are the three necessary steps the speaker identified for bringing mindfulness to a global organization?

The three steps are: 1) Shifting skeptics to become curious, 2) Creating an 'aha' moment through on-site classes and group experiences, and 3) Creating habits by integrating mindfulness practices into the company's culture.

How does the speaker suggest making skeptics more curious about mindfulness?

The speaker suggests using secular language, focusing on science and neuroscience to demonstrate the benefits of mindfulness, and emphasizing its potential to increase performance rather than just treating deficiencies.

What is the role of community and habit creation in the global mindfulness program?

Creating a community with certified teachers and volunteer ambassadors helps to integrate mindfulness into the organization. Habit creation is supported by integrating mindfulness practices into daily work routines, such as starting meetings with a minute of grounding and centering.