Alan Carroll & Associates

Dedicated to creating effective, confident and mindful public speakers.

acawellnessyou

Thrive at Work with Mindfulness

Today, many corporations are adopting the idea of teaching and incorporating mindfulness in the workplace. Apple has a meditation room for its employees and provides yoga and meditation classes. Proctor and Gamble provide their employees with health and fitness classes, meditation, and quiet rooms. Many other global corporations including SAP, Google, Deutsche Bank, Yahoo!, and Nike, to name a few, all provide their corporate employees with quiet spaces and promote meditation. 

Ten years ago what was seen as a fluffy, progressive fad, mindfulness seems to be here to stay and with good reason. Having a regular mindfulness practice can improve mental and physical health and can improve your overall satisfaction in life. People who practice mindfulness say they find themselves less caught in things they cannot control and worry less about the future and past regrets. 

Imagine how much your work life would improve if you weren’t bothered by personalities and demands you can’t control! Disclaimer: mindfulness doesn’t change the people and situations around us, but it does give us a more clear perspective on life.  

Why Start Now?

Leadership around the world has begun to recognize the detrimental effects of the modern-day workload. While technology has allowed businesses to grow at an exponential rate and connects employees at lightning speed, it is not without drawbacks. Endless notifications, expectations of immediate feedback and constant (so-called) multitasking overstimulate workers.  This mental exhaustion causes employees to become less proactive, engaged, and invested in their work.

But there is a solution to workplace burnout and it can be found in mindfulness. Recent studies have shown mindfulness is linked to “better workplace functioning“ and that “cultivating resilience and mindfulness may assist in preventing psychological distress, burnout and secondary traumatic stress.“

How does mindfulness work?


Quite simply mindfulness is full awareness of the present.  

Adopting a mindfulness practice can change your brain function. Humans have evolved and operate to be efficient. To function at maximum capacity, humans have come to rely on the most primitive parts of our brains for survival. These primitive parts of the limbic system control our awareness of danger, our mood and help us make sense of the world around us. 

What happens when the reactions in our limbic system go unchecked? If our automatic response system goes unchecked we begin to develop negative thought patterns and emotional reactions which can be detrimental to our well-being, security, and relationships. 

For example, an instant message marked ‘urgent’ pops up at the same time you are crafting an important email. Without even realizing it your heart starts racing, your breathing becomes shallow and you are anxious.  All of this happens automatically, seemingly without control, triggering past experiences and a reflex to perceived danger. 

In this case, the danger is in our perception. We think people are depending on our immediate response and we will be judged if we do not respond right away. There is a sense of lack of control from the interruption. All of these thoughts (and more) derive from our basic needs of relationships and survival. 

Practicing mindfulness over some time has been shown to redirect activity from the primitive part of the brain, responsible for automatic reactions, to rational, executive functions in the prefrontal cortex. We go from reacting to responding. We begin to have more control over our thoughts, feelings, and actions when we come from a place of conscious thought. 

Mindfulness or the act of becoming aware, creates a pause, a place of space and time between our thoughts and our reactions. It is an intentional space of awareness of the present moment. This pause or moment in time delay allows us not only to recognize what we are thinking and feeling but allows us to make a new conscious decision of how we want to respond. 

Rather than our mood and instincts running the show, mindfulness allows us to regain control of what was once an automatic reaction. What once felt like being a passenger in an out-of-control vehicle, mindfulness brings your hands to the wheel and you can steer the direction you choose. There is a heightened sense of calmness because of the feeling of being in control of yourself and not dominated by circumstances. 

Over time you will begin to notice you are not tired so easily burning up precious energy. In the workplace, practicing mindfulness promotes a sense of security, allowing for creativity, vulnerability, and commitment. Ultimately leading to a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace. It’s no wonder that large corporations have started to adopt the mindfulness concept. They realize providing fitness and yoga classes stimulates the mind and a designated space for quiet time refreshes the mind; leading to higher levels of productivity and dedicated employees. These companies have learned investing in the upfront costs saves them millions in lost productivity and training costs due to turnover. 

If your company does not offer such perks, you can mention the workplace culture and productivity benefits of mindfulness to your manager or HR department; see if they are willing to invest in a workshop or speaker. If you are working from home, cultivating a practice may help you focus more and feel more connected to your peers.  

Ultimately, a mindfulness practice is a personal experience and is not dependent on where you work or what your employer provides. It is accessible to anyone, at any time. All you have to do is pause, take a breath, and realize the choice is yours.

Here are a few tips to get you started today:

Start your day out right! Do not check your email, the news, or social media right when you wake up. Give yourself 30 minutes to focus on yourself and your thoughts before getting distracted and full of anxiety. Take those 30 minutes to be fully aware of the thoughts that run through your mind. What you find may scare you; racing thoughts about your day, fear of what is going to happen at work, playing out a conversation with a coworker you dislike. We have all been there! The point is not to beat yourself up for negative thinking, but to become fully aware of these thoughts so you have a better chance of changing them into more constructive thoughts, or letting them go altogether. 

Take a few minutes a day to focus on your breath. In the beginning, you will want to try this in a quiet space, without distraction. Spend about 3-5 minutes with your eyes closed, just focusing on your breath and the rise and fall of your body. If you start to notice your mind wandering to other thoughts, acknowledge them and simply go back to focusing on your breath. Intentionally focusing on your breath will help you become aware throughout the day when you are tense or drifting into worrisome thoughts. When this happens, you will have trained your mind to redirect your attention to your breath and not continue on a negative thought pattern. 

Try a guided meditation. There are plenty of resources on Youtube or apps like Mindfulness or Calm to help you along your journey. 

Do a body scan. Notice each part of your body from toes to head. You can start with being aware of the soles of your feet being planted on the ground, then move up to your calves and focus only on the feeling of your calves. Do this all the up through your body until you reach the top of your head. This helps train your mind to focus on one thing at a time and learn how to intentionally bring full attention to something.  

Take a moment to observe (sensory technique). Throughout your day take 3 minute pauses to observe your sense and the world around you. Notice sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Acknowledge them, name them and let go to the next sense. Try to not get caught up in drifting thoughts about one observation for too long. Become acutely aware of all that is happening around you without being attached to anything. 

As you begin to adopt these simple tools the benefits begin to show up in your life. You may find yourself wanting to invest more time in your mindfulness practice. Global leaders may be catching on to how mindfulness can change workplace culture, but you don’t have to wait for your company to start your mindfulness practice today.  

Employee Engagement

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement is measured by the level of passion employees have for their jobs, commitment to organizational goals, and how much extra effort they choose to put into their work.

Most people may believe that activities, events, and the occasional bonus would lead to satisfaction which would then further lead to more engagement. However, employee satisfaction is not the same as employee engagement. Some people may be satisfied to put in as little work as possible to earn their paycheck, but an engaged employee sees the company as a garden to be nurtured.

Why is it important for employees to feel engaged?

Improving employee engagement may seem like a daunting task when companies are already so busy putting out fires, cleaning up the past, and planning for the future. However, what companies fail to realize is that employee engagement is usually the determining factor of a company’s development and profitability.

The latest Gallup reports show that in 2021, about 39% of US employees are actively engaged in their workplace. The companies who have such an engagement rate truly reap their rewards with 17% higher productivity rate and 21% higher profitability compared to similar companies. Companies with lower engagement rates find themselves losing $450-$550 billion every year due to lack of motivation and responsibility which results in lower productivity, poor customer service, and missed deadlines. Disengaged employees also create higher turnover rates which force companies into costly recruitment/training cycles.

How a Vulnerable Leader helps employees feel engaged.

‘Vulnerable’ and ‘leader’ are two words that aren’t often paired together as they represent completely different meanings. A leader is usually seen as the go-to person for direction and their charisma is what brings people together to work toward a common goal. However, the old belief that a leader needs to be detached and stoic to make objective decisions is just not true. 

As workplace culture and expectations continue to evolve, the benefits of leadership vulnerability become more apparent. Instead of making others feel like the boss is untouchable, projecting a more accessible approach inspires workers to be more engaged. An effective leader creates momentum and changes through influence, not through fear. 

John Maxwell writes about how the key elements of leadership influence are trust and vulnerability. And building trust starts with being vulnerable. To admit our faults, accept our inadequacies, and have the courage to show up for others shows people we are focused on their success and well-being. When a leader is seen as being invested in the success of others, it is much easier for the team to be invested in the success of the company. 

This open culture demonstrated by leaders fosters an atmosphere of safety where innovation and creativity can thrive. Inspired and passionate employees working collaboratively toward the same goal create a sense of interconnectedness. This interconnectedness brings more cooperation, more vulnerability and the cycle continues. 

There is no doubt most employees want to be engaged in their work. We want to feel a part of something greater than ourselves where we can have influence, feel appreciated, and connected. Vulnerable leadership is the tool that makes this connection possible. 

Alan Carroll & Associates has been a global leader in professional communication skills for over 30 years. To learn more about our courses, head to ACAmindfulyou.com.

Advance Your Career With This One Skill

Have you ever been passed over in an interview or for a promotion and wondered why? You know you have the experience and the technical ability but are left scratching your head as to what the other candidates have that you don’t. Did you ever question that it might be your public speaking abilities? Miscommunication and misunderstanding are commonplace among people all over the world, leading to embarrassing consequences and lost opportunity. Especially in the workplace, it can hold you back as you feel helpless to show your true potential. 

Can anything be done about it? Definitely!

The solution is to acquire better public speaking skills. One of the most sought-after skills in the corporate world is the ability to communicate professionally and effectively.  It may appear to be daunting at first, as most people cringe from having to speak in front of an audience. But once you realize the abundance of resources and acquire a few basic tools, your fears will begin to vanish. Let’s start with a few basic things you will need to refine:

1.  Connect with your audience: 

Communication is a two-way street. Instead of thinking about how you will dump all of your information and run away, focus on analyzing, connecting, and interacting with your audience. Gauge what they want to hear, and deliver it. Connect with them using humor, analogies, and question/answer sessions. If you use personal stories for the audience to relate to, all the better! They will appreciate a sincere message more than hard facts since the information pertains to their daily life.

2.  Do your research:

Build the trust of your audience by becoming knowledgeable about your topic so that you can deliver it confidently. If you have done your research, it will be easier to remain calm in situations to prevent any mistakes or embarrassment due to the crowd’s words or questions. And rest assured, the audience doesn’t expect you to have all of the answers anyway. 

3.  Use more than just words:

The speaker needs to be engaging. This means not only speaking audibly but is determined by your energy, confidence, and how you move your body. Using visual aids or a 3D object generally makes a speech more interesting, more understandable, and helps keep the audience focused. 

The only public speaking experience most of us had was presentations in a school classroom. While this provided us a good understanding of what it feels like to get up in front of an audience, it did not give us a full understanding of just how important communication is as we graduated to the workplace. More importantly, our academic learning barely scratched the surface of how to deliver an effective message. 

When we take a look around us, we find a common theme of successful business people and their ability to deliver a compelling message. Whether it be Gary Vaynerchuk, Simon Sinek, or Brene Brown, the fast-paced, smooth-talking world of today needs powerful speakers to get their point across. To get to the top, you have to stand out, otherwise, you are simply one of the many. With the right training, you can excel in your career and carve a niche for yourself, leaving others in the dust. Again, effective communication is one of the top skills companies look for in recruiting and promotions, even though it is rarely explicitly mentioned. 

Here are just a few of the reasons why you should invest in your communication skills if you want to advance in your career. 

Aid in making the right pitch for your product:

Since you have to be persuasive, clarity is mixed with a fascinating story to convince your client. And you can achieve this using your skills as a public speaker. Not to mention that showing how well you can make sales and seal the deal is a sure way to get you recognized in your company.

Reveal yourself as a leader:

Your leadership qualities come to the forefront as colleagues realize that you are the go-to person who can best explain how to overcome challenges, empathetically and effectively. You don’t need a title to be a leader, but if you are viewed as a leader, the more likely you are to get advancement opportunities.

Aid you in networking:

Humans are social animals, and the business world is now all about connections. Sitting back and waiting for an opportunity to fall into your lap is a painful process. Public speaking skills can expand your professional network as well as social contacts. Sometimes knowing the right person at the right time, in the right industry is all you need for that big break or career advancement you have been looking for. The more you can expand and utilize your network the more doors will (magically) open in front of you. 

Help you learn to negotiate:

Negotiating skills are not just for C-levels and salespeople. Finding a deal that makes all parties happy will help you excel on a team, get a raise, and will simply demonstrate to your organization you are flexible and have their best interest in mind. An effective negotiator knows how to communicate their points clearly without misunderstanding. 

Aid in impromptu speeches:

Rarely will you be asked to give a speech in front of 200 people without fair warning.  But you probably have had a moment where you needed a whole lot of quick thinking to get out of a sticky situation or make the best out of a sudden opportunity. Unexpectedly being called on in a project status meeting, asked to come down to the boss’ office to clarify why you made a certain decision, or asked to give an off the cuff pitch of your product at a networking event are all times when you may have had to think and speak on your feet. With refined speaking skills, these situations won’t be as scary and can help you seize great new steps to climb the corporate ladder. 

Alan Carroll & Associates has been a global leader in professional communication for over 30 years. To learn more about our courses, head to ACAmindfulyou.com.