Mindful Project Management

What is mindfulness and what bearing does it have on project management? Put simply, mindfulness has a bearing on every aspect of our lives and therefore, is significant to project management. Mindfulness is defined by Merriam-Webster as the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis. What project wouldn’t benefit from a project manager being in that state of mind? What friend, husband, wife, child, or parent wouldn’t benefit from being in that state of mind? Greater Good Berkley goes a bit further by defining mindfulness as maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. In other words, being in the present, being self-aware, and being open to possibility (the nonjudgmental part). When we manage or lead any effort, being mindful of our state of being is beneficial to us, our team, and the project.

There have been studies that have shown great benefits to mindfulness including decreased stress, improved focus and efficiency, improved sleep, improved relationship quality, and improved general health. Those benefits directly impact our responses to issues we uncover while delivering a project and how we engage the team in resolving those issues. It also allows us to be less biased and increases our objectivity which allows increased critical thinking skills. Mindfulness allows to move urgently, without stress, without bias, and with an open mind to look for the resolution of what is standing in the way of completing a project. It supports us in shifting when our plans have been changed due to unforeseen circumstances. While it isn’t a miracle cure, it allows us to create an environment where failure, mistakes, and unforeseen circumstances no longer disrupts us for days. Simply put, it increases our resilience and flexibility when things go “wrong” on our projects, which can happen frequently. The pandemic has showed all of us that nothing is predictable, and things can change without warning. Mindfulness allows us to move through the changes that occur.

How do you achieve a state of mindfulness? Well, that’s where ancient practices come to play. Interestingly enough, mindfulness has been practiced for thousands of years. It can be found in both eastern and western teachings, although literature suggests that Buddhist and Hindu practices are the true origins. Whether that is true or not, suffice it to say, the practice has been around for a very long time. I can tell you that, when I was in college, there wasn’t a course on Mindfulness. Of course, there wasn’t a course on Well-Being either and one exists at Yale today. The practice of mindfulness, in my experience, is best achieved through meditation. Meditation twice daily creates a focused effort of being in the present moment, connecting with mind and body, and settling into cohesion. Being in a meditative state allows awareness to come alive. While there are other ways to practice mindfulness such as yoga or through heightened awareness of everyday activities, the awareness that meditation provides is extremely effective. In my experience, meditation accelerates the learning of mindfulness.

There are several apps such as Headspace, Insight Timer, and Calm that support in meditation practices. If you are new to meditation those should be supportive. The key, as always, is consistency in the practice itself. When I started practicing meditation, I noticed (as did my wife), a shift in how I handled circumstances, in my driving, and in my general calmness in less than one month. Continuing the practice has continued to allow me to respond, rather than react, to belay judgment and stay open to possibilities, and to bring a sense of level-headedness to stressful situations. Oh, and my resting heart rate has dropped. Mindfulness matters, what are you practicing today?