Developing mindfulness at work is a closely related pursuit to developing emotional intelligence at work. Mindfulness is a concept defined by John Kabat-Zinn, a leading mindfulness expert, as awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. In other words, it's about knowing what's on your mind. In developing emotional intelligence and mindfulness, there is an emphasis on refocusing your energy so that you can be more productive, more aware, and build stronger relationships. Mindfulness practices are a proven way to foster high performance as a coach. For example, as he writes about in his book, Eleven Rings, referring to the number of NBA rings he won as a coach, Phil Jackson use mindfulness as a way to coach his team and to get the most out of his players. In his 30 year career, he trained some of the best athletes of all time, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal. How did Jackson go on to win Eleven Rings? Yes, he coached some of the best athletes, but it was the team members exceptional insight and interconnectedness that ultimately brought the games into their favor. Jackson accomplished wins on multiple teams by teaching players mindfulness techniques, such as basic breath meditation and body awareness. In one exercise, Jackson got all of his players to synchronize their breath together. According to Jackson, this exercise helped to align the team on a non-verbal level. This was far more effective than simply talking to one another about strategy. According to Jackson, "One breath than equals one mind." The lesson here is to pay attention to nonverbal cues on your team. To encourage his players to draw new attention to their basketball playing techniques, one day, he made the Bulls practice in silence. Another day, he made them practice in a pitch dark arena. These techniques force players to stop relying on past habits and to focus on the present moment. The idea of these exercises was to prepare the team for unexpected plays and to practice meeting unexpected challenges while keeping their composure. Michael Jordan, who's one of the greatest US basketball stars said that he developed better self-awareness through these practices. The lessons he learned on the court also translated off the court. They helped them to develop better leadership skills, they improved his relationships with other team mates, and helped him to realize his effect on group dynamics. While Jordan was known for being a star player, his ego was softened in front of his team mates because of these practices. As mindfulness helped Jordan to attune to his teammates, the team was better able to achieve a sense of cohesion and coordination. When Jordan returned to the team after playing minor league baseball, he used mindfulness techniques to reconnect with his teammates and to understand his own strengths and weaknesses at that point in his career. Subsequently, Jordan went on to win another three NBA rings. Switching to another realm of technology, one of the most famous mindfulness programs is Search Inside Yourself. This program was founded in 2007 by their Jolly 'Good Fellow' Chade-Meng Tan. Yes, that's his actual title. This program is a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence course, based on Goldman's five dimensions. In the next video, I'll describe the program and share one of Tan's recommended exercises for cultivating attention.