Search inside yourself: investigating the effects of a widely adopted mindfulness-at-work development program.

Abstract

Purpose –: Workplace mindfulness training has many benefits, but designing programs to reach a wide audience effectively and efficiently remains a challenge. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of a widely adopted workplace mindfulness program on the mindfulness, active listening skill, emotional intelligence, and burnout of employees in a large, multinational internet company.

Design/methodology/approach –: The study sample included 123 employees across three company offices who completed the two-day Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program. Data were collected using self-report measures pre-, post-, and four-weeks post-intervention and were analyzed using paired samples t-tests.

Findings –: Significant increases were detected in mindfulness and the "awareness of emotion" components of emotional intelligence four weeks post-course. No significant changes were found in participants' self-reported levels of burnout, active listening skill or the "management of emotion" components of emotional intelligence.

Practical implications –: Teaching workplace mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills through a highly applied, condensed course format may be effective for increasing mindfulness and the "awareness" components of emotional intelligence. Longer courses with more applied practice may be necessary to help participants build emotional management and listening skills and to reduce burnout.

Originality/value –: The present study is, to the authors' knowledge, the first academic, peer-reviewed assessment of SIY, a workplace mindfulness training program that has been taught to over 50,000 people worldwide.