“Please stand up” was my request to a group of online students this week. They stare at the screen and don’t move. “Yes, I really mean it”. I smile and gesture ‘up’ with my hands. They hesitate, and reluctantly rise, somewhat embarrassed. I reassure them it won’t take long and won’t be difficult. We start with some breathing, and I guide them to do gentle movements, then pause to notice how it felt before returning to the safety of their chairs and familiarity of the screen in front of them.
Nowadays, whenever I’m in front of a group of people – whether at an event in a room or online, I start with this type of exercise. Simple as it sounds, it seems to be a real challenge for people who are in ‘work mode’. They’re not at home, not in the gym, not in a park. They wonder what this has to do with the topic we’re here to discuss? Some worry that they’ve joined the wrong session or worse still, that their precious time is being wasted. Some are uncomfortable, others are amused.
Why is it that our bodies and our breath don’t have a place in most work environments?
The two-hour workshop session I facilitated at Exeter University Business School this week was both interesting and fun. The group included mostly male leaders from large private sector enterprises, the public sector and small organisations, in different types of roles. A new Art of Teams course led by Dr Hilary Duckett is designed to help them improve team leadership skills. We did some practical exercises to map how they are their organisations ‘showed up’ physically as well as in other ways – beyond the written or spoken word. We explored the culture of an organisation and team, how people communicated, the tone of their voice, the way they looked and listened, the way they moved, how they managed difference and challenge. We reflected on the impact leaders have in the way they present to their staff and others. We discussed how it felt when there was a dissonance between the things that leaders said and what they did in practice, how it impacted leaders’ credibility and the trust that staff invested in them.
I spoke about current evidence from neuroscience and other knowledge about the importance of mind-body connection; the impact of stress, burnout and disaffection on leaders and staff. We discussed the poor quality of decision-making under conditions of high stress and the default impetus for quick action, even if these were sub-optimal.
I shared The Octopus Way as my framework for change – using the characteristics of an octopus as a metaphor for good leadership. The students discussed which of the eight elements of change resonated with their own experience, and how they might use the framework to think and operate differently – however small or subtle that was.
I’m excited about this work. Most people find it a helpful provocation to do something different. I’m not proposing that everyone should join a gym, take up swimming, sit on a mountain meditating or do yoga (even if these, or other activities may be helpful to them). Instead, I’m proposing that simple techniques introduced during a working day can help people reduce their levels of stress, replenish their energy and improve the clarity of their thinking. They could change the quality of peoples’ relationships with colleagues, collaborators or competitors.
Now, everyone, stand up and breathe…