Companies set aside a substantial budget for staff learning and development. This includes investment in courses, systems, and tools. But little time or money is spent on preparing and enabling the mind of the learner. The fact is, if the learner doesn’t have the “in-the-moment” mental capacity to pay attention, these investments are not paying off.
Too many people enter learning experiences with too much on their minds. Its like their brains are full, with little or no room for more information or ideas. For organizations to maximize their return on investment in training, learners must pay attention to paying attention.
How can you do this? With mindfulness training – this training has been shown to improve cognitive functions, including attention, memory and executive function. All of these traits are critical for learning. Learning to manage attention is at the very core of mindfulness. But not all employees have the desire to start a mindfulness program and so it is up to the training professionals to bring mindfulness into their classroom experiences. Here is how:
Create conducive environment for learning: Don’t underestimate the importance of creating conducive environment to optimize the learning experience. Ideally, the environment should have minimal clutter, open spaces for introspection and collaboration, optimal daylight, and quiet corners for personal reflection or mindfulness practice. In addition, if meals or snacks are served, they should be nutritious and aligned with the latest brain science on food that enhances energy and performance – i.e. more greens, grains, nuts, fruits and less sugar.
Minimize all distractions: Research shows that when people get distracted, it can take nearly 30 minutes for them to come back to what they were doing. And the more complex the task – learning something new is one of the most challenging tasks for the mind – the longer it takes. Knowing you should minimize distractions and actually doing it is difficult. In a classroom setting, this includes having people turn off all devices unless they are part of the learning experience. During a crowded course, it can be tempting for participants to read an incoming text or email, thinking that no one will notice. Stress to them the importance of being disciplined. Have them make a commitment to their learning experience by turning off all notifications and putting away any distracting devices or objects.
Start a new learning segment with two minutes of mindfulness: A few minutes of mindfulness training at the beginning of a new learning experience, and in between each new learning segment, can help participants clear mental clutter and be open to new ideas and content. This can be as simple as two minutes of sitting still, inviting a sense of relaxation in the body and mind, focusing on the breath, and letting go of distractions.
Take mindful breaks: Be deliberate about what participants do during breaks. Too many people use breaks as an opportunity to check in on work activities, which is detrimental to learning for two reasons. First, it doesn’t provide an opportunity for the information to settle and marinate in the mind. And this hinders the transition of information from short-term to long-term memory. Second, it creates more mental clutter. Help participants resist the urge to check their phones. Instead, encourage them to enjoy a mindful break, which could include a walk outside, writing in a journal, or an opportunity to reflect on learning with a colleague.
After the training, encourage participants to practice 10 minutes of mindfulness training every day. If their minds are clearer, more focused, and calmer, they have a better chance of retaining what they learned.