Mindfulness as a new approach for organizations

From Business to Being – Mindfulness as a New Approach for Organizations Mindfulness is "in". Articles on the topic of "mindfulness" as a remedy for stress management for everyone, especially for stressed managers and employees in organizations, are piling up in magazines and online portals. It is not surprising that mindful pausing and centering are sought after, as the workload, pace, and demands for flexibility in many organizations are increasing year by year. Smartphones ensure that decision-makers in organizations are essentially always reachable and often feel obligated to be available. When the email inbox overflows and the calendar hardly has any gaps, the ability to process information reaches its limits, and many resort to multitasking for a solution. However, talking on the phone while checking emails and other attempts to do multiple tasks simultaneously do not work well for long. This confuses the human brain and psyche, leading to chronic stress over time, which can even lead enthusiastic employees to burnout. In early February, "From Business to Being" will be released in cinemas, a documentary film by Hanna Henigin and Julian Wildgruber. In the film, three managers speak candidly about the pressure in their organizations and their experiences with stress and burnout. They also describe how they were able to overcome existential crises and transition from a stress-driven business mindset to working in connection with being. "The film gets under your skin!" was the spontaneous comment of a viewer at the premiere at the international documentary film festival DOKfest in Munich in 2015, where the film was chosen as a favorite among the audience. "Where danger is, salvation also grows," Hölderlin wrote in his Hymn "Patmos". The worldwide spread of mindfulness meditation could be "the salvation" in dealing with the ever-increasing stress. Futurist Matthias Horx describes mindfulness as a megatrend in his "Future Report 2016," which will have a significant cultural impact in the coming years. In the film "From Business to Being," Jon Kabat-Zinn speaks, who has contributed the most to the popularity of mindfulness in Western culture through over 30 years of developing and scientifically researching "stress reduction through mindfulness." He shows in the film how not only health but also work effectiveness improves when one practices being present, concentrated from moment to moment. Neuropsychologist Tanja Singer discusses her research on the effects of compassion training and demonstrates how the culture in organizations can change when leaders and employees begin to train their own awareness. Götz W. Werner, the award-winning entrepreneur and founder of dm-drogerie markt, as well as Erich Harsch, his successor in the company's management, describe the importance of awareness for an innovative corporate culture. Through these and other examples, viewers can experience how the path "From Business to Being" can be concretely pursued. The described developments are new. Much is still to be researched and elaborated on. In subsequent blog posts, I will discuss individual aspects of this. Information about the film and specific cinema showings with the directors Hanna Henigin and Julian Wildgruber, as well as some of the film's protagonists, can be found at: www.business2being.com.