Procter & Gamble
Mindful Attitudes at work | Proctor and Gamble | September – November 2018
Following an introductory taster session, we were commissioned to deliver a nine week mindfulness programme for staff at Proctor and Gamble’s global business service centre was at Cobalt Business Park in North Tyneside.
The HR Manager wanted a practical in-depth programme to support 18 staff to manage stress and improve focus and performance. We developed a ten week programme to meet the needs of the site at that time.
The 9 Week Programme
This 10-week programme is specifically tailored to the workplace, providing all the basics of mindfulness theory and practice in manageable portions. The programme is based on the nine foundational attitudes of mindfulness, as coined by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is widely regarded as the founding father of secular mindfulness.
The first session provides an introduction and overview, followed by nine sessions each focussing on a different attitude.
The nine attitudes are outlooks that we can bring to our mindfulness practice as well as to our work and home lives.
| Beginners Mind | Non Judgement | Gratitude |
| Acceptance | No Striving | Letting Go |
| Generosity | Patience | Trust |
Each 60-minute session explores one of the attitudes, as well as providing guided mindfulness meditation and mindfulness theory. There is also opportunity for discussion and reflection. Each week, participants are provided with a handout as a reminder of the attitude and theory covered and with written guidance on a ‘bitesize’ practices, that take three minutes or less to do outside the session. MP3 downloads meditations are also made available to participants. Work life can be busy, and we often think we don’t have time to meditate, but even a three-minute practice can make a difference.
Evaluation
We adapted a self-reporting questionnaire for completion by participants before and after the training. The domains measured were agreed in advance with the HR Manager. The domains measured were:
- Stress and overwhelm
- Happiness and wellbeing
- Innovation
- Mental clarity
- Creativity
- Focus
- Work relationships
- Engagement
The table below provides an before and after overview of the impact of the training:
| Stress & Overwhelm | Happiness and Wellbeing | Innovation | Mental Clarity | Creativity | Focus | Work Relationships | Engagement | Total | |
| Average Pre Course | 4.22 | 5.33 | 5.11 | 4.78 | 4.89 | 5.22 | 6.67 | 6.22 | 42.44 |
| Average Post Course | 6.78 | 7.22 | 6.44 | 6.78 | 6.67 | 7.11 | 7.33 | 7.33 | 55.67 |
| Percentage Improvement | 60.53% | 35.42% | 26.09% | 41.86% | 36.36% | 36.17% | 10% | 17.86% | 31.15% |
66% of participants reported improvement against all eight domains,
100% reported improvements across 7 out of eight domains.
The following feedback was received from participants;
Did the training meet with your expectations, any further comments?
Yes, exceeded my expectation. This has been a fantastic course that will truly make a change to the way I think and my perspective on life. THANK YOU
I feel like I have more patience, more tolerance in general and much easier to suspend judgement in all situations
Was good to have at least 1 hour a week to practise. Gone through breakup just prior to the course and found it helped me focus on me and not dwell on negative side of things
Was good to have at least 1 hour a week to practise. Gone through breakup just prior to the course and found it helped me focus on me and not dwell on negative side of things
I enjoyed the training mainly because t was a fixed time each week to complete some meditations which I struggle to fit in – but mainly because I forget. I am going to try to set a daily reminder
The exercise of breathing & counting & starting back if distracted I use a lot & has helped me focus / recognise when I get distracted more. My scores aren’t high but it is a huge difference for me as I am definitely slightly more in control of my thoughts. I’ve been able to reduce panic attack medication through practice. THANK YOU
Yes I feel I have the tools to start developing myself in a mindful manner. I can already put into practise meditation to allow myself to focus and re-evaluate difficult situations, I look forward to growing further in a mindful way.
Yes makes me remember to take 5 minutes when things seem overwhelming. Helps me focus when not able to sleep
Yes – I have really enjoyed the sessions! I have found it helpful to have the regular weekly sessions in my calendar and to prioritise attending them. I haven’t been diligent as I could have been at the mindfulness practice at home, so that will now be my gaol. Thank you for the sessions.
Yes, I found the training to be something I could look forward to – a chance to “reset”. Hopefully I can continue to benefit from mindfulness on my own with the help of the practices I have learnt
It did meet my expectations, yes. I now notice much more often when I get distracted. I try to do more activities in a mindful way too
Yes I found the practical things such as practicing gratitude, acceptance, generosity etc. much easier than breathing (which I did not understand the value / benefit)
Yes – I think this course gave me a variety of useful exercises & clarity of what’s important.