Team mindfulness, a shared belief among team members that their interactions are characterized by awareness and attention to present events, can reduce conflict and increase focus when it comes to working teams.
We typically talk about meditation in the context of personal practice, and nearly all scientific research on meditation and mindfulness focuses on the individual level. But meditation and mindfulness are important among working teams, and new research on team mindfulness published in the Academy of Management Journal emphasizes how team members can share strengths in self-awareness and empathy. Collective acknowledgement of the importance of these norms are shown to create a mindful team, especially when the leader is on board. Read Daniel Goleman’s full article on the research here.
Leaders can consider training their teams in this area to reduce conflict and increase focus and performance. This training could include a combination of EI (emotional intelligence) coaching, mindfulness instruction, and implementing productive team norms. Several large organizations, including Google and LinkedIn, already utilize team mindfulness.