ATD Blog
Mindfulness and Mindshifting for Global Effectiveness
Thu Aug 28 2014
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Learning to be open, present, and engaged—in other words, mindful—has a tremendous number of benefits, from clarity and creativity to stronger relationships and longevity. Mindfulness is a powerful coaching tool and framework for global leaders.
Learning to be open, present, and engaged—in other words, mindful—has a tremendous number of benefits, from clarity and creativity to stronger relationships and longevity. Mindfulness is a powerful coaching tool and framework for global leaders.
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To expand our perspective globally, we need to cultivate our ability to stay open to difference. Mindfulness includes accepting whatever we find when we pay attention—to ourselves and others. It is cultivated formally through meditation, and informally by simply intending to stay open to new experiences whenever we can. Cultivating mindfulness helps us notice our judgments, reactions, and feelings about others without reacting.
To expand our perspective globally, we need to cultivate our ability to stay open to difference. Mindfulness includes accepting whatever we find when we pay attention—to ourselves and others. It is cultivated formally through meditation, and informally by simply intending to stay open to new experiences whenever we can. Cultivating mindfulness helps us notice our judgments, reactions, and feelings about others without reacting.
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Becoming more global in our perspective means expanding our attention by:
Becoming more global in our perspective means expanding our attention by:
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seeking out different perspectives through media, journals, and conferences, and challenging our premature judgments when we encounter something we dislike
seeking out different perspectives through media, journals, and conferences, and challenging our premature judgments when we encounter something we dislike
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interacting with people from other cultures and backgrounds, while staying curious about their worldviews
interacting with people from other cultures and backgrounds, while staying curious about their worldviews
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clarifying our own values and being mindful when we impose these values on others.
clarifying our own values and being mindful when we impose these values on others.
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One way we can apply mindfulness is to shift how we pay attention as we transition from being doers to leaders. I call this change in focus “mindshifting.” Take the mindshifting assessment below and see if this clarifies your role.
One way we can apply mindfulness is to shift how we pay attention as we transition from being doers to leaders. I call this change in focus “mindshifting.” Take the mindshifting assessment below and see if this clarifies your role.
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Mindshifting Assessment
Mindshifting Assessment
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There are seven mindshifts to make as you shift from roles where you are managing yourself to roles where you are managing organizations. Moving along each dimension requires a change in how you focus, value activities, and measure success.
There are seven mindshifts to make as you shift from roles where you are managing yourself to roles where you are managing organizations. Moving along each dimension requires a change in how you focus, value activities, and measure success.
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Place an “X” along each mindshift where you feel your skills and focus are currently on each continuum.
Place an “X” along each mindshift where you feel your skills and focus are currently on each continuum.
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Place an “O” along each mindshift where you would like to see yourself in the future given your current role, as well as the requirements of future potential roles.
Place an “O” along each mindshift where you would like to see yourself in the future given your current role, as well as the requirements of future potential roles.
Content | Content |
Content Managing Yourself Managing Yourself Content
| Content Managing Organizations Managing Organizations Content ** ** ** ** |
Content Doing Doing Content Accomplishing tasks on your own Accomplishing tasks on your own | Content Leading Leading Content Influencing, negotiating, facilitating, and conceptualizing Influencing, negotiating, facilitating, and conceptualizing |
Content **Exchanging Information **Giving and receiving information about your own activities **Exchanging Information **Giving and receiving information about your own activities | Content Communicating Communicating Content Creating a two-way dialogue with a wide constituent group about your organization’s activities and your future plan, vision, and brand Creating a two-way dialogue with a wide constituent group about your organization’s activities and your future plan, vision, and brand |
Content **Relationship Building **Building individual relationships with teammates, customers, and supervisors **Relationship Building **Building individual relationships with teammates, customers, and supervisors | Content Networking Networking Content Building a broad network of relationships with subordinates, peers, customers, superiors, vendors, board members, community and government representatives Building a broad network of relationships with subordinates, peers, customers, superiors, vendors, board members, community and government representatives |
Content **Self-Development **Working toward your personal and professional growth **Self-Development **Working toward your personal and professional growth | Content Coaching and Team Development Coaching and Team Development Content Selecting, delegating, motivating, and developing others Selecting, delegating, motivating, and developing others |
Content **Personal Accountability **Monitoring your work processes, deadlines, and goals **Personal Accountability **Monitoring your work processes, deadlines, and goals | Content Organizational Accountability Organizational Accountability Content Measuring the organization’s success (profit, efficiency, quality, and service), allocating Measuring the organization’s success (profit, efficiency, quality, and service), allocating |
Content **Task Analysis **Determining the best way to accomplish a task **Task Analysis **Determining the best way to accomplish a task | Content Market Analysis Market Analysis Content Deciding what business to be in, creating a vision for where it should go, and developing strategies to get there Deciding what business to be in, creating a vision for where it should go, and developing strategies to get there |
Content **Self-Awareness **Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your style **Self-Awareness **Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your style | Content Interpersonal Awareness Interpersonal Awareness Content Managing your emotions and behaviors and their impact on others Managing your emotions and behaviors and their impact on others |
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Identify the largest gaps between your current approach and how you ideally want to work. It can be helpful to start with just one or two shifts such as personal accountability to organizational accountability, or self-awareness to interpersonal awareness. Once you have made progress on these, you can add other shifts. Think about the skills and behaviors you need to modify to make these shifts. Writing these down in an action plan can help you stay on track.
Identify the largest gaps between your current approach and how you ideally want to work. It can be helpful to start with just one or two shifts such as personal accountability to organizational accountability, or self-awareness to interpersonal awareness. Once you have made progress on these, you can add other shifts. Think about the skills and behaviors you need to modify to make these shifts. Writing these down in an action plan can help you stay on track.
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You may find that your goals demand a different set of skills and behaviors from what you have been doing currently. Making these shifts is not about giving up on your responsibilities or your desire to hold yourself accountable (personal accountability): It is about adding options, such as your intention to hold your team accountable (organizational accountability). Though many leaders value getting things done independently, we need to begin tracking the output of our teams and rewarding them for reaching goals.
You may find that your goals demand a different set of skills and behaviors from what you have been doing currently. Making these shifts is not about giving up on your responsibilities or your desire to hold yourself accountable (personal accountability): It is about adding options, such as your intention to hold your team accountable (organizational accountability). Though many leaders value getting things done independently, we need to begin tracking the output of our teams and rewarding them for reaching goals.
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To make a shift, for example from self-awareness to interpersonal awareness, means developing the underlying skills of emotional intelligence, which include empathy, attunement, and the ability to regulate feelings. To develop your emotional intelligence, tune in to the feelings in your body, especially your gut, and then read other people’s nonverbal cues to guess what they might be feeling. Connecting what you feel to what others feel strengthens empathy.
To make a shift, for example from self-awareness to interpersonal awareness, means developing the underlying skills of emotional intelligence, which include empathy, attunement, and the ability to regulate feelings. To develop your emotional intelligence, tune in to the feelings in your body, especially your gut, and then read other people’s nonverbal cues to guess what they might be feeling. Connecting what you feel to what others feel strengthens empathy.
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This is not just behavioral learning (through practice, feedback, and modeling), but learning by becoming curious and paying attention. To do this, you must focus your attention where you want and to be less addicted to activity and reactivity. Mindfulness exercises like mindful breathing can help you develop this self-discipline:
This is not just behavioral learning (through practice, feedback, and modeling), but learning by becoming curious and paying attention. To do this, you must focus your attention where you want and to be less addicted to activity and reactivity. Mindfulness exercises like mindful breathing can help you develop this self-discipline:
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Placing both hands on your stomach, track its movement in and out. Simply monitoring your breathing allows it to slow and deepen on its own, and enables you to get a moment of clarity and lower tension. Find different times to practice—at home before getting out of bed, on your commute, in group meetings, or onconference calls. In time you will be able to focus with less effort, and being present will become more of a habit.
Placing both hands on your stomach, track its movement in and out. Simply monitoring your breathing allows it to slow and deepen on its own, and enables you to get a moment of clarity and lower tension. Find different times to practice—at home before getting out of bed, on your commute, in group meetings, or onconference calls. In time you will be able to focus with less effort, and being present will become more of a habit.
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You can further develop self-discipline by intentionally setting boundaries and making conscious choices about where you spend time. Saying “no” to problems that are not yours to solve and multitasking less will give you more time to think and reflect. You will become more comfortable with open space and can begin asking yourself questions like:
You can further develop self-discipline by intentionally setting boundaries and making conscious choices about where you spend time. Saying “no” to problems that are not yours to solve and multitasking less will give you more time to think and reflect. You will become more comfortable with open space and can begin asking yourself questions like:
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What is going well and not so well in my work?
What is going well and not so well in my work?
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How am I learning?
How am I learning?
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When am I tight and self-critical, and when am I relaxed?
When am I tight and self-critical, and when am I relaxed?
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Is my career aligned with my values and purpose?
Is my career aligned with my values and purpose?
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Mindfulness and mindshifting strategies have made my clients more effective global leaders. Try them out and let me know what you think. You can reach me at [email protected] . There are more specific suggestions on how to make each of these mindshifts in my book MindShifting: Focus for Performance .
Mindfulness and mindshifting strategies have made my clients more effective global leaders. Try them out and let me know what you think. You can reach me at [email protected]. There are more specific suggestions on how to make each of these mindshifts in my book MindShifting: Focus for Performance.