A balanced view of mindfulness at work

Abstract

Mindfulness has grown from an obscure subject to an immensely popular topic that is associated with numerous performance, health, and well-being benefits in organizations. However, this growth in popularity has generated a number of criticisms of mindfulness and a rather piecemeal approach to organizational research and practice on the subject. To advance both investigation and application, the present paper applies The Balance Framework to serve as an integrative scaffolding for considering mindfulness in organizations, helping to address some of the criticisms leveled against it. The Balance Framework specifies five forms of balance: 1) balance as tempered view, 2) balance as mid-range, 3) balance as complementarity, 4) balance as contextual sensitivity, and 5) balance among different levels of consciousness. Each form is applied to mindfulness at work with a discussion of relevant conceptual issues in addition to implications for research and practice. Plain Language Summary In order to appreciate the value of mindfulness at work researchers and practitioners might want to consider both the benefits and potential drawbacks of mindfulness. This paper presents a discussion of both the advantages and possible disadvantages of mindfulness at work organized in terms of the five dimensions of an organizing structure called The Balance Framework.

Next‐generation mindfulness: A mindfulness matrix to extend the transformative potential of mindfulness for consumer, organizational, and societal wellbeing

“…The general public may not be concerned that much mainstream mindfulness scholarship and practice to date emphasizes mindfulness‐as‐relief over mindfulness‐as‐engagement; mindfulness‐as‐relief being concerned with drawing on mindfulness to help reduce suffering while mindfulness‐as‐engagement is about how mindfulness may help cultivate active involvement in life's challenges (Choi, Gruman, & Leonard, 2021a). Mindfulness‐as‐engagement is more closely aligned with self‐exploration and self‐liberation motivations.…”

“…More specifically, mindfulness is seen predominately as an instrument of self‐help, in particular “a technique to help you relax” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2020). Moreover, much mainstream mindfulness scholarship and practice emphasizes mindfulness‐as‐relief over mindfulness‐as‐engagement (Choi, Gruman, & Leonard, 2021a).…”

“…Today more than ever, no man is an island, to borrow John Donne's famous statement, cited at the top of this paper (Donne, 1970). A focus on prosocial engagement in mindfulness training and practice is therefore particularly relevant for high‐stress contexts where (work or social) cultures drive a public perception of mindfulness‐as‐relief (Choi, Gruman, & Leonard, 2021a) as counter‐cultural, inacceptable, or simply not possible. For example, in work cultures marked by especially strong dedication and self‐sacrifice such as the Armed Forces, people may be reluctant to practice mindfulness “as self‐help” because emphasizing one's own needs over those of others may clash with important personal or collective values (Carter & Tobias Mortlock, 2019).…”

Diffusion of a Managerial Innovation: Nothing is ever certain. The Case of Mindfulness at Work

“…Arguably, the study of MBI@W remains limited because the field remains in its own infancy. Many important theoretical and practical questions still need to be addressed (Reb et al, 2020), and an integrative, balanced framework is clearly required (Choi et al, 2022).…”

Extending the Transformative Potential of Mindfulness Through Team Mindfulness Training, Integrating Individual With Collective Mindfulness, in a High-Stress Military Setting

“…Second, the present exploration prompts a re-examination of the axiomatic assumption that mindfulness should be cultivated predominately via meditation, and that meditation necessarily produces motivational states that stretch beyond an interest in personal stress reduction, for example relating to collective mindfulness (c.f. Choi et al, 2021). For example, recent research reports indicate counterintuitive effects of mindfulness meditation interventions on work-related outcomes: for example, lower work motivation after 15 min of mindfulness meditation (Hafenbrack and Vohs, 2018); no increase in critical thinking performance after 6 weeks use of the Headspace™ App (Noone and Hogan, 2018); and conflicting evidence on the effect of mindfulness meditation on prosocial motivation (Hafenbrack et al, 2020(Hafenbrack et al, , 2021.…”