Company meetings at Rockman et al always begin with the same agenda item. The time allotted—one minute. The topic for discussion—none.
Our company meetings start with a minute of silence. This isn’t a somber remembrance or reflection on a recent tragedy. It’s a few moments to be still and to bring our attention into our bodies just as they are—right here, right now. Technically, our ‘Mindful Minute’ is a form of meditation practice that is tailored to the work place. It is short, simple, and secular. Though, in reality, one minute of eyes-closed silence in a room of your work peers can seem longer than you might expect; and not getting caught up in the busy mind—as one tries to stay focused on the breath—may seem anything but simple!
With all of the meeting participants in the room and/or on the call, we close our laptops, put down our phones, take a moment to sit up in our chairs and gently close our eyes. A simple cell phone timer set to one minute (with a gentle alarm sound!!) is placed on the table. A few words might orient the group to the task at hand. “Bring your attention to your body. Feel your feet on the floor. Where do you notice the sensations of breathing? Let yourself release anything that comes to mind and just bring your attention back to the breath for the next minute.” And with that, start the timer.
When the minute is up, the eyes open and we’re all a lot more present and prepared for agenda item number two. There is no off-topic crosstalk at the table, no last minute emails being hectically sent, no fiddling with phones, and if you’re really paying attention, you might notice a reduction in your own mental chatter. The one minute investment of meeting time pays immediate dividends.
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David Wilmore, currently the Director of Operations for Rockman et al has practiced Vipassana meditation for many years, but was encouraged to bring the practice to work when he found himself in conversation with the author of One Moment Meditation, Martin Boroson at the Wisdom 2.0 Conference in 2013. It has been on the REA agenda ever since.