Bring mindfulness to corporate training

Many employees come to training sessions with too much on their minds to actually pay attention. To help them focus and learn, try bringing mindfulness into the classroom. The first step is to create a good learning environment. Open spaces are optimal, especially if they have large windows, minimal clutter — and no distractions. As the session begins, stress to employees the importance of staying focused. Ask them to turn off their devices for the entire training, and then take a few minutes for everyone to practice mindfulness. Have people sit still, relax their bodies, focus on their breath and let go of whatever is on their minds. This will help them be open to and process new ideas. You should also ask everyone to stay mindful during breaks. Rather than checking on work, employees should take a walk, reflect or write in a journal. By keeping their minds clear and calm, they’ll have a better chance of retaining what they learn.

(Adapted from “How to Get People to Pay Attention During Corporate Trainings,” by Jacqueline Carter et al.)

If your meeting is too big, repurpose it

Maybe you sent the meeting invite to too many people. Maybe you were surprised by how many folks showed up. Whatever the reason, what do you do when a meeting is way bigger than you expected? Try shifting the purpose of the meeting to match its size. If you have more than eight people, don’t attempt to solve a problem or make a decision; those tasks are much easier in smaller groups. If you have 18 or fewer, turn the meeting into a brainstorming session for an issue that needs to be resolved. And if you have more than 18, you’re best off using the time as an information-sharing session. Alternatively, you could try brainstorming with a large group by dividing people into small teams. At the end of the meeting, one person from each team can report back to the larger audience, keeping things organised and efficient. Of course, if a meeting just seems too unwieldy, don’t forget two other options: cancelling it or ending it early.

(Adapted from “What to Do When Your Meetings Have Gotten Too Big,” by Anne Sugar.)

Tell job candidates what the job will really be like

When you’re interviewing job candidates, are you entirely truthful about the role? Or are you only sort of honest? Many hiring managers are afraid of scaring candidates away, so they sugarcoat a job’s realities. But finding the right fit requires frankness and honesty — otherwise you could waste time and money by hiring the wrong person. When you’re conducting interviews, talk about why a job might be hard, what it takes to succeed in the company and why the corporate culture isn’t for everyone. For example, you could say, “in two months, will you be happy with [some demanding aspect of the job]?” or “you’ve said you don’t mind travelling 80 per cent of the time. Are you sure that won’t become too much?” Don’t rely on reading between the lines of a candidate’s answers; research shows that direct, blunt questions are the best way to find out the truth. And finding out now, however hard it may seem, is better than having to refill the role later on.

(Adapted from “Stop Lying to Job Candidates About the Role,” by Atta Tarki and Jeff Weiss.)

Don’t brush off positive feedback — study it

Most of us remember critical feedback. Because it’s jarring and threatening, it tends to stick in our brains. But positive feedback is an invaluable way to learn about your strengths and growth areas. Create a space (digital or physical) where you save the praise you get, anything from thank-you cards to written notes in your evaluations to comments in email threads. When you get mixed feedback, tease apart the positive and negative aspects, and put the positive ones in your kudos folder as well. Set a time in your calendar to periodically review and reflect on what you’ve saved. Ask yourself: what patterns or themes can I identify? How could I use my strengths in new situations? What else can I learn about my strengths, and who might provide that perspective? It may feel immodest or uncomfortable to bask in the positive feedback you get. But think of it like this: someone has gone out of his or her way to highlight what you’re good at — so use it.

(Adapted from “To Become Your Best Self, Study Your Successes,” by Laura Morgan Roberts et al.)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, July 15th, 2019