Mindfulness in the workplace: an analysis and plan for improving corporate wellness in a multi-national food and beverage company

Research has linked improved mindfulness to increased work engagement. According to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, mindfulness is maintaining moment by moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. In the workplace, the program\u27s function includes the reduction of absenteeism, and the increasing of productivity during days at work. Over the last 20 years, mindfulness has been linked to a term developed in 1964 by Michael Beldoch called emotional intelligence. In 1995, Daniel Goleman published a book titled Emotional Intelligence, which popularized the topic and further discussed the benefits of improving one\u27s mindfulness in the workplace. This project is a practical theory training program developed in response to a request by JuiceCo (name has been changed to protect confidentiality), a progressive company in Los Angeles, to better understand its current mindfulness program, identify what employees they would like to see in a future program, and what deliverables can follow from those requests. This paper reviews the proposed concept, explains the theoretical foundation and contribution of this project, analyzes current programs via quantitative measurements, and provides a rationale for the proposed new training modules in mindfulness. The following research questions guided this project: (a) What is the level of mindful communication in the current program curriculum?, (b) How satisfied are employees with the current program?, and (c) What kind of training of JuiceCo could increase knowledge and behaviors of workplace mindfulness based on the theory and feedback for the current program