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

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Mindfulness Studies

Background:

• Workplace mindfulness programs offer benefits but face design challenges for broad reach.
• Effective and efficient program design is crucial for widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program on employee mindfulness, emotional intelligence, active listening, and burnout.
• To assess the effectiveness of a widely adopted workplace mindfulness intervention in a multinational internet company.

Main Methods:

• A two-day Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program was delivered to 123 employees across three offices.
• Self-report measures were used for pre-, post-, and four-week follow-up assessments.
• Paired samples t-tests were employed for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in mindfulness and the 'awareness of emotion' component of emotional intelligence were observed four weeks post-intervention.
• No significant changes were found in self-reported burnout, active listening skills, or the 'management of emotion' components of emotional intelligence.

Conclusions:

• Condensed, applied workplace mindfulness and emotional intelligence courses can enhance mindfulness and emotional awareness.
• Extended training with more practice may be needed to improve emotional management, listening skills, and reduce burnout.