| In 1989, Harvard Psychology Professor Ellen Langer's book on Mindfulness was published and while I've read much on this topic all my life, it wasn't until this Spring that I finally read her book. The concept of mindfulness is reflected in a great deal of my consulting philosophy and while I have my own evidence for its effectiveness, this book has dramatically deepened both my professional appreciation and my awareness of the extensive research supporting it.
The first part of the book looks at the research on mindlessness (the opposite of mindfulness), its causes, and its costs. These are two of the most important themes relate to the role of context and the role of self-image in shaping our thoughts and behaviors. I've written elsewhere on how both people and organizations can have severely limiting self-images. The longer second part of the book looks at the research related to mindfulness itself, with particular emphasis on mindfulness and health and mindfulness at work. I particularly appreciated the insights about how often work can be mindless but how play, in contrast, is almost always mindful.
Civil society organizations, because they are so often about empowerment and working from the heart, are particularly well poised to take advantage of the many lessons in this book. Whether it's about preventing burnout by giving people more control over their work or supporting innovation and adaptation through nurturing an environment of creative uncertainty, this book is both inspirational and practical. I highly recommend it.
Posted: 7/8/07; 4:11:03 PM # |
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