Management Perspective – look out the window

I read years ago that a company’s most valuable employee might be the one sitting in their office staring out the window. A simple reminder to managers that thinking on the job is as important as doing.  Sometimes I fear that these spaces in our day are getting filled in with stuff. Stuff like checking out Facebook, watching a couple of fun videos, playing a few Words With Friends, Googling. These activities all serve as a nice break in the action…a momentary distraction. But are we cheating ourselves out of the opportunity to simply stop and stare out the window? And more importantly, is all this busy stuff having a negative effect on our thinking?

Many companies, both large and small, are adding the practice of meditation to the work place in varied ways. Places like General Mills, Target, and Google all offer mindfulness training and spaces where employees can go to think or meditate. These companies all report positive results for their employees, such as stress reduction, better problem solving, increased creativity and an overall increase in well being, even happiness.

At a very basic level, mediation can simply be the practice of allowing the brain to slow down, meander, and think quietly – emphasis on the word quietly.  In my experience, the “void of thought” goal of mediation is best left to the gurus…maybe the rest of us just need some time to get away from distractions and allow our thoughts to gather.

At d.trio, we are excited to be in the process of setting up a meditation room. It’s an amazing time to be in business.

-Maureen