Strategies for Increasing Mindfulness in the Workplace
 
Prepared for
 
Professor Mina Richards
 
Prepared by
School
Student Name
 
To: Dr. Richards
From: Student Name
Subject: Memo of Transmittal for Final Analytical Report
Date: November 10, 20xx
 
This report was officially authorized by Dr. Richards, a professor at School College of Business and Economics, to be completed by November 10, 20xx with the sole purpose of assessing secondary empirical findings and to give original recommendations on strategies for increasing mindfulness in the workplace.
The newly recognized importance of mindfulness in the workplace rests on the concept that mindfulness acts as a psychological state involving the internal sense of awareness for the employee as an individual. Being that Americans value individualism higher than any other nation, the fostering and interventions of mindfulness in the workplace is essential and is rapidly becoming an industry standard in day-to-day operations.
This construct is still in its infancy but is quickly being regarded as an imperative management tool meant to foster a work environment tailored to each individual in the work place, which subsequently increases the productivity of the workforce. This reality is conducive in establishing the importance of this research topic as it provides substantial practical implications for organizations of all kinds.
Currently, there has been an influx of primary empirical research done to study the effects of mindfulness interventions on the mental health and well-being of employees. In this report, we will consult secondary research findings to evaluate the impact of management interventions on employees to build awareness of mindfulness in the workplace and provide original recommendations for the best strategies in increasing mindfulness without hindering the productivity of the employees. The studies selected were from published peer-reviewed, secondary empirical research studies focusing on the significance of mindfulness in the workplace as well as methodologies of how interventions of mindfulness can either benefit or hamper the workforce.
The determining factor of whether or not management will be successful in their intervention of mindfulness approach is whether or not management fully understands that mindfulness is nothing more than a psychological state of mind that varies from individual to individual. The second part of that understanding is that one individual’s state of mindfulness might change with every new day meaning that management must be flexible to cater to these variances. Each person values or perceives mindfulness differently which means that management needs to approach each employee differently to cater to their specific needs or dislikes. What might be conducive for one employee attaining a high sense of mindfulness might be polar opposite for the next employee.
Introduction
Today’s world of business inspires new challenges and interests for management that parallel with its ever-changing domain. Consequently, new methodologies of management practices and skills have emerged simultaneously to adhere to the evolution of the workplace. Welcomed changes like globalization and diversity in the workplace have tasked management with having to come up with new solutions and strategies to sustain happiness and efficiency in the work environment. With this in mind, organizations have recently started putting an emphatic focus on the significance of mindfulness of their employees and have aimed to create strategies to increase mindfulness with the end goal of cultivating a better-tailored work environment for their staff. As a direct result, researchers everywhere have begun conducting primary empirical research on methods of intervening and promoting mindfulness in the workplace as a prospective management tool aiming to assist in the well-being and productivity of the workforce.
The two methodologies used by most researchers in this study have been the causal research method and the exploratory research method due to the fact that both methods have practical value in this context. The causal research method proved to be reliable purely for conducting in-field and laboratory-simulated experiments meant to determine and investigate the cause and effect relationships between the variables. In these experiments, researchers tested approaches or strategies of mindfulness intervention techniques and the frequency of these intervention techniques used on the subjects, which represented the independent variable. The dependent variable was represented by the participant’s’ reaction to these techniques and was then measured to find the best methods of approach in mindfulness intervention. Using causal research allows the researcher to use “If…then” statements about the two variables to better illustrate the relationship between them. In doing so, researchers and the organizations that desire these findings can pin point the benefits and the interferences of the different approaches that ultimately create calculated and tested results. As for the exploratory research method, it proved to be useful in gaining insight and qualitative data from the participants. Researchers would give in-depth interviews or conduct focus groups to get candid face-to-face interaction with the participants to see what mindfulness meant to them individually and what they thought their state of mindfulness was on a spectrum.
These findings have helped to eliminate impeding methods of mindfulness interventions to avoid the risk of distracting the staff, and in doing so, have narrowed down the best approaches for the best results. As mentioned in the memo of transmittal, these researchers and their primary empirical data have been highly sought after by organizations because these findings have sizable practical implications for these organizations to use in their day-to-day operations. These researchers’ findings act as secondary data for the organizations that don’t have the time to conduct this research nor the capital to fund these expensive experiments.
It is inevitable that all research studies are inherently burdened with research problems and it is these problems that assist in giving this study its purpose. This report breaks down four problems into two groups. The first main and reoccurring problem is that the state of mindfulness is elusive and is unique to the individual. The main take away from this problem is that an individual’s state of mindfulness may vary from their colleagues’ and might even vary each day, which proves the correlation to the second problem. The second problem is that management can’t simply take these research findings and create a one-time fix all solution. Rather, management must be proactive in moderating and tallying each individual’s changing state of mindfulness. The second series of problems stem from the strategy of proper execution when imposing mindfulness exercises on the work staff. Finding the correct strategies to promote mindfulness so that it is compatible for the entire workforce and doesn’t represent a distraction from the daily tasks that need to be done is a multi-stage problem that can lead to other problems. It becomes complicated here in that one strategy of mindfulness exercises might be suitable for a group of employees but might be distracting or even harmful for others.  This is where the purpose of this report surfaces, management must develop strategies that ease the stress of employees that must be put in place to guarantee the metal stability and safety of the staff while simultaneously ensuring the desired productivity of the organization.
Mindfulness Framework
Out of all the secondary research analyzed for this report, the best synopsis of the underlying intellection of mindfulness, coupled with a descriptive diagram for further explanation and understanding, was found in Jamieson and Tuckey’s article, “Mindfulness Interventions in the Workplace: A Critique of the Current State of the Literature”, where they categorized mindfulness into three interdependent constructs as seen in the diagram below; State Mindfulness, Trait Mindfulness and Mindfulness Practice.

(Jamieson & Tuckey, 2017)
 
State of Mindfulness
In their own words directly from the article, “State mindfulness refers to the extent to which an individual is currently aware of and paying attention to stimuli occurring in the present” (Jamieson & Tuckey, 2017). This essentially breaks down mindfulness as a psychological state of mind that relies heavily on the observance of the beholder. State mindfulness can be measured by the capacity of the individual’s awareness of mindfulness, which means that each individual will inherently contain different levels of mindfulness awareness. This is also derivative of the first problem where mindfulness is unique to the individual varying from person to person. Jamieson and Tuckey describe Trait Mindfulness as, “Trait mindfulness is the duration, frequency, and intensity with which an individual tends to engage in states of mindfulness” (Jamieson & Tuckey, 2017). This is how the constructs are interdependent with one another. Although slightly different from state mindfulness, trait mindfulness refers to the amount or frequency that mindfulness occurs for the individual. This relates to the first two problems where each individual will engage in states of mindfulness differently and at different rates throughout the day meaning that management will be burdened with having to moderate or tally each individual’s level of awareness of mindfulness daily.  For the final assigned construct, they continued by saying, “Mindfulness practice is a mechanism directed at enhancing one’s state mindfulness and subsequently trait mindfulness which can be cultivated through mindfulness-based interventions” (Jamieson & Tuckey, 2017). This third term is essentially the mantelpiece for the entire construct in that it sums the entire report together by saying that acquiring higher states of mindfulness can be achieved via practice.
Focusing on Mindfulness
The more an individual focuses on the construct of mindfulness in a meditative manor for instance, then that individual will subsequently be more inclined in state awareness and trait awareness which stands as the goal for this research study. After this conceptualization, it became abundantly clear as to how to enhance mindfulness in the workplace. To reaffirm this discovery, Jamieson and Tuckey eloquently put, “Rather than being detached, however, a mindful state is one of being actively engaged. Cognitive flexibility is also characteristic of mindfulness, representing the ability to move smoothly between a focus on the larger perspective and full range of stimuli, or on the finer details of a particular stimulus” (Jamieson & Tuckey, 2017).
Conclusions
It is strongly implied that the health/mental health and well-being of the workforce directly increases the productivity of the organization as a whole, which gives reason as to why there has been so much new empirical research done to find the best approach in order to foster mindfulness in the workplace.  When consulting all the references for this report, it becomes clear to see that mindfulness means something different to every individual and it needs to be treated that way. Most of the problems stem from management trying to make these exercises a group activity meant to build comradely amongst the workforce, when in actuality it might be making a mockery of what mindfulness exercises have the chance to be. The final conclusion that ties up everything is that, ultimately, management must be flexible in order to fully get the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace.
Recommendations
Understanding the conceptualization of mindfulness as, “being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present” (Brown & Ryan, 2003, p. 822) is the determining factor when forming any kind of recommendation. Brown and Ryan’s theory is the basis of any solution to this problem because it is this theory that designates meaning to this term, mindfulness. If an organization wishes to foster mindfulness in the workplace, they must first understand the root of mindfulness, which can only be achieved via research or by the findings of others. For both management and employees, it is imperative to fully understand mindfulness as being an innate part of life that others might be more affluent in or might find it easier to understand then their peers. It is important and helpful to be astute when considering what might be best for your employees but it takes getting to know your employees to do that. This is also the only way to curate the best approach in conducting mindfulness exercises because if management doesn’t know there employees, then it doesn’t make sense that they would be able to get the response they desire from their employees.  The same applies to many scenarios like marketers for instance. Marketers need to know their target audiences’ needs before curating content in order to satisfy those needs, otherwise their efforts and message will just fall on deaf ears. The same goes for employees that haven’t even told management what they wish to get out of mindfulness exercises; otherwise they are just being force-fed what their superiors deem helpful for them. If employees see that their superiors are making efforts to get to know them in order to find the best method of mindfulness, then they will probably be more susceptible to the idea of trying to reciprocate their efforts to be open to new experiences. Since mindfulness is in essence awareness, then management needs to preface that these exercises are for the employees’ betterment and is meant to make their lives easier. Instead of assigning a specific time of day to meditate for instance, allow employees to do their exercises on their own when they have the time. This then makes it enjoyable for them because it is their personal time, which everyone needs, and it can be done on their schedule to not detour them from getting their work done.
 
 
 
 
References
1. Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.mimas.calstatela.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=c6619dae-ea0c-4992-9762-c35a60ea90dc%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=9516823&db=buh
 
2. Jamieson, S. D., & Tuckey, M. R. (2017). Mindfulness interventions in the workplace: A critique of the current state of the literature. Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(2), 180-193. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=28&sid=67c76020-8592-4986-a51e-736465b71a1d%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=122236477&db=buh
 
3. Long, E. C., & Christian, M. S. (2015). Mindfulness buffers retaliatory responses to injustice: A regulatory approach. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 100(5), 1409-1422. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=25&sid=67c76020-8592-4986-a51e-736465b71a1d%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=109514569&db=buh
 
4. Michel, A., Bosch, C., & Rexroth, M. (2014). Mindfulness as a cognitive -emotional segmentation strategy: An intervention promoting work -life balance. Journal Of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 87(4), 733-754. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=23&sid=67c76020-8592-4986-a51e-736465b71a1d%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=98922889&db=buh
 
 
5. Querstret, D., Cropley, M., & Fife-Schaw, C. (2017). Internet-based instructor-led mindfulness for work-related rumination, fatigue, and sleep: Assessing facets of mindfulness as mechanisms of change. A randomized waitlist control trial. Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(2), 153-169. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=27&sid=67c76020-8592-4986-a51e-736465b71a1d%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=122236475&db=buh
6. Yeganeh, B., & Good, D. (2016). Mindfulness as a disruptive approach to leader development. OD Practitioner, 48(1), 26-31. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=26&sid=67c76020-8592-4986-a51e-736465b71a1d%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=112290634&db=buh
注：本栏目重在收集一些海外留学文书的题目，以便加加留学编辑深入了解海外教育方式与发展形势，从而拓展个人陈述、推荐信等文书的写作思路。