Bringing Mindfulness Into Organizations: Aetna s Story and Lessons Learned

Transcription

1 Bringing Mindfulness Into Organizations: Aetna s Story and Lessons Learned Andy Lee June

2 Let s take a few minutes 2

3 The business case for mindfulness Employee engagement Focus and mental energy Communication Customer satisfaction Cognitive flexibility Decision quality Stress Absenteeism Illness Bias and discrimination Burnout and turnover 3

4 Aetna s journey began here 4

5 Aetna s Mindfulness at Work Program Background Developed with, and delivered by, emindful Launched in 2008, over 3,000 participants Program Online classes that are live and engaging, using chat, polling, etc. Classes meet 1 hour per week for 12 weeks Expectation of daily mindfulness practice during the course Pre- and post-program evaluations Results 28% reduction in perceived stress level 20% improvement in overall sleep quality 19% reduction in pain level 44 minutes per week gained in productive time on the job 5

6 Creating a mindful culture Effectiveness emindful Courses Wellness Individual Organizational & Cultural 6

7 June Mindfulness Challenge A month-long event to bring mindfulness more fully into Aetna s culture through videos, practices, work tips and articles. Week 1: Foundation What is mindfulness? What are the benefits? How do I get started? Week 2: Focus What can I do to strengthen my focus and attention? Week 3: Energy How can I maintain my physical and mental energy throughout the day? Week 4: Resilience How can I manage stress effectively? 7

8 How did we do? People were curious. Over 16,000 page views on Day One Over 90,000 for the 4 weeks They explored and engaged with the resources. The theme videos received over 30,000 views 7,100 employees made a comment, downloaded a document, etc. They liked what they saw. Over 2,000 likes 8

9 Mindfulness Advocates Program A network of experienced and trained practitioners that advocate for mindfulness and facilitate mindful work practices in their locations and departments. Deliver introductory presentations Lead modules on mindfulness topics developed or vetted by the Mindfulness Department Support mindfulness by providing advocacy, resources and communication 9

10 Aetna Mindfulness Center A physical space in Hartford where we will offer both live and virtual programs for all Aetna associates. Activities include: Drop-in hours Workshops Guided mindfulness practices Special Events 10

11 Our Discover Mindfulness Intranet Site 11 11

12 Bringing Mindfulness to Your Company Consider a 3 phase approach: Phase Why How Awareness and education Training and practice Normalize and socialize mindfulness as a practice that rests and strengthens the brain Bring the benefits of mindfulness to employees Marketing, web based resources, endorsements, lunch n learns Live courses (in-person and webbased), apps, practice spaces Culture change Integrate mindfulness into both daily and strategic business processes Mindful meetings and Mindful performance management and leadership development 12 12

13 How do you get started? Don t assume. Try and see. A simple well-publicized lunch n learn can teach you volumes about your organization s readiness. Get it right the first time. Vet presenters and consultants carefully. Ask about mindfulness experience, business experience and training experience. Have a follow-up plan. If the time is right, be prepared to leverage the energy. Bring it into the culture. Don t just focus on mindfulness practice. Create norms and conditions that support focus, resilience and connection 13

14 Multiple options Web-based information and resources + Demonstrates organizational sponsorship + Builds broad understanding and acceptance + Access to resources, communication about events - When used alone it may be a barrier to exploring more deeply Mobile resources (Apps) + Effective in promoting ongoing practice + Accessible to all employees - Needs to be supported in order to build engagement Social networking and local engagement + (Should be) effective in building local engagement + Creates a social dimension + Informal, non-threatening - Need to monitor to keep it on message Live training + Highly impactful, very positive results - Expensive; limited capacity - Scheduling challenges 14

15 Questions?

16 Thank you Presenter Name, Mindfulness Advocate <your > April 2017