The Practice of Mindfulness for Managers in the Marketplace

Abstract

This paper explores the practice of mindfulness, both formal and informal, in the context of the systems sciences. The systems sciences have given great importance to scientific research, almost to the exclusion of intuitive/spiritual search. However, with the recent worldwide interest in intuitive/spiritual search in general, and mindfulness and mindfulness meditation in particular, the doors have opened for a more balanced combination of these two enterprises. This balanced approach will not only help us to know how and why things happen the way they do, but will also tell us something about how to manage our own selves, particularly in difficult times. Mindfulness, which is the opposite of mindlessness, is our capacity for awareness and for self-knowing. It can be further refined through the practice of mindfulness meditation. The practice of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation has rapidly spread around the world and in the mainstream of Western culture in the past thirty years, thanks in part to an increasing number of scientific and medical studies, proving its abundant beneficial effects.

The mindful shield: The effects of mindfulness training on resilience and leadership in military leaders

“…In the course of his talks he repeatedly pointed out that people responsible for managing others would be better off if they learned how to manage their own lives (emphasis added). 97 MBAT was qualitatively successful in teaching military leaders effective ways of recognizing and internally managing their own stress and negative thinking. These new ways of acting improved individuals' outward expression of ideas and affect, while subsequently enhancing interpersonal interactions and job-oriented effectiveness.…”

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“…Although all individuals inherit a culture (or cultures) from their environments, it is possible to explore and meditate on our own culture, both individually and as a group. Authors, such as Khisty (2010), call this thinking process mindfulness. This intentional cognitive practice can lead groups to improve their culture if it becomes a goal, and if led through a positive course (plan).…”

The Potential of Mindfulness in Managing Emotions in Libraries

“…Once the librarian learns that the body and mind can be observed and objectified without identifying with them, there is an increasing understanding that what was formerly believed to be the self is not these objects of awareness, but the phenomenon that observes them, awareness itself. The more the librarian begins to dis-identify with feelings, thoughts, and sensations, the more she or he is able to adopt witness consciousness, the perspective of the observer that is capable of watching mental content, the ever-changing stream of consciousness, without getting caught up in it or swept away by it (Khisty, 2010). Over time, it becomes easier for the librarian to engage this witness consciousness when faced with difficult situations and to observe the associated emotions rather than get attached to stress-related emotional states.…”