Hello and welcome to the Stillpoint Meditation.
My name is Deb and today I'm going to be guiding you through a short introduction into mindful meetings.
It is estimated that people across the globe attend about 11 million meetings every day.
Of these,
The vast majority are seen by participants as being unproductive and a complete drain on time and energy.
In a recent study by Microsoft,
92% of respondents said they do other things during their meetings,
91% daydream,
Nearly 40% fall asleep,
Whilst 45% feel that the amount of meetings only adds to their levels of stress and overwhelm at work.
Business Insider estimates that these types of meetings are costing the US economy $37 billion every year,
And this number will only be on the rise with the necessity of conducting meetings remotely.
However,
Meetings,
If guided correctly,
Can be one of the most useful tools for a manager to draw on,
Creating a space for collaboration,
Creative thinking and problem solving,
For innovative new ideas and approaches to work,
And for team members to feel respected,
Really listened to,
To help with engagement and fostering a sense of community.
Spending a few minutes guiding participants into a state of mindfulness at the start of each meeting is one of the best ways to ensure that your meetings fall into this category,
Rather than the usual drain on time and resources.
Mindfulness is simply the practice of noticing all that is happening in the present moment with a relaxed,
Receptive attentiveness.
And countless studies have shown that the regular practice of mindfulness has a myriad of benefits for both our physical and mental health,
Such as lowering blood pressure,
Improving sleep,
Digestion and immune function,
Reducing levels of stress and anxiety,
Building resilience,
Memory and focus.
And mindfulness is similarly beneficial in the workplace.
The practices help us to foster a much deeper connection to and understanding of ourselves.
And as we better understand and have patience with the inner workings,
The fears and concerns of our own minds,
We begin to have much more understanding and compassion,
Tolerance towards others,
Working relationships become far easier to navigate as we're much less reactive,
Judgmental and far more open minded.
Mindfulness also makes us far more effective at work.
Research has shown that multitasking is just not an efficient or productive way to work as our energy,
Our focus is scattered and distracted,
Split across different tasks and priorities.
And we also learn to be completely absorbed in whatever is in front of us,
Bringing the fullness of our energy and attention to whatever is required in that moment.
So when these practices are brought into the meeting space,
A very different environment to work and collaborate in is being created.
And as we begin to learn to be completely absorbed in whatever is in front of us,
Being created.
Having said all of that,
Here are five easy steps for starting your own mindful meetings.
First,
The facilitator should begin the mindfulness process before the meeting commences by doing a brief self check in.
In these moments of quiet reflection,
Simply notice what physical,
Mental and emotional states are arising.
For example,
Are you feeling frustrated with any of the attendees?
Anxious about what's to be discussed?
Are you worried about things at home or physically exhausted?
Alternatively,
Are you feeling super wired and ungrounded because what is taking place internally for us has the potential to color the meeting and shape our interactions with others.
So before we guide others,
It's important for us to take the time to notice our own state of being and settle or clear the slate as needed.
Second,
Make sure all phones are switched to airplane mode and any laptops not required for presenting are closed because how many times in meetings are we just not listening to what's being discussed at all because we're on our devices.
We're checking our emails,
Working on other projects,
Checking what's being discussed for an upcoming meeting or even zoning out completely on social media.
Technology has brought many upsides into the workplace but the impact it is having on our attention span,
Our capacity to stay present and focused and the impact it's having on our levels and stress and anxiety cannot be overstated.
So in a mindful meeting,
We try not to use our devices so our attention remains fully inside the room,
Present on what is being discussed rather than distracted by something that is not happening right here,
Right now.
Third,
Begin the meeting by spending a few minutes practicing one of the short mindfulness meeting starters that I've recorded.
This allows everyone to really come together as a group.
It sets the tone,
The intention for the meeting and helps participants to switch gears mentally to a state of relaxed attentiveness.
Fourth,
After the short practice exercise,
Go around the room and take a few minutes to talk about how they've been feeling at work recently.
It's important that this is not about what they've been doing,
What tasks they've been working on,
But how they feel.
Sharing insight into our inner state is a powerful tool for fostering connection,
Empathy and tolerance towards others.
It's important whilst having a conversation with someone,
It's important whilst someone is speaking,
Potentially opening up,
Being vulnerable about challenges they are currently facing,
That the other participants practice active listening.
This is where we listen in silence with the fullness of our attention on who is speaking.
We try not to interrupt,
To ask questions,
Even to offer sympathy or share our own similar experiences.
We simply try to listen from a place of acceptance and compassion.
This is about giving someone the space to feel truly heard and supported by colleagues.
The fifth and final step to conducting your own mindful meetings is to invite participants to try to remember to pause before they respond to the issue being discussed.
And in that pause,
Simply notice how they're feeling in that moment,
What thoughts or reactions might be arising.
Are they bored?
Frustrated?
Wishing the speaker would hurry up so they can get their point of view across?
Has this issue been discussed before and so they want to give the answer that might have worked in the past so you can all quickly move on to the next issue?
As we slow down and start to notice our habitual tendencies and initial reactions,
That gives us the potential to choose a different path,
Which creates the possibility for new ideas,
New thinking,
Different solutions and interactions to arise.
So there are five simple steps to follow to ensure your meetings are a productive,
Collaborative use of time.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any follow-up questions or to let me know any feedback from your teams.
Thanks for listening.
