Mindfulness Day 2022 took place this week and is an annual reminder of the value of a mindfulness practice to our personal well-being and successful coexistence, as well as fostering a civil society in an increasingly connected world.
SAP has long been aware of these benefits. The SAP Global Mindfulness Practice started as a grass-roots initiative by a few employees in 2012 and has become a key component of SAP’s culture.
The community around SAP’s program for mindfulness and emotional intelligence is supported by more than 70 certified trainers for SAP’s-internal program, Search Inside Yourself, as well as more than 90 mindfulness ambassadors at more than 50 locations and in over 30 countries. More than 14,000 employees have taken the 16-hour training course, offered both online or on site, with thousands more on the waiting list to do so.
The program is not limited to SAP employees. One hundred Search Inside Yourself training courses have already been held for SAP customers, who are happy to draw on our expertise in introducing the scientifically substantiated mindfulness practices in global organizations. SAP has already helped more than 20 large companies to train Search Inside Yourself trainers and establish their own mindfulness communities.
Young talents considering working for SAP have asked specifically about opportunities for practicing mindfulness on the job.
Christian Schmeichel, chief future of work officer at SAP, is certain: “Mindfulness and emotional intelligence are two fundamental skills that will decide on a company’s future viability. You have to reflect on your personal values and strengths and how you can best bring them to the company if you want to work successfully in the long term.”
Consequently, he has made the mindfulness practice program an important part of his future of work agenda and an element of the company’s Global Health, Safety & Well-Being team. Important focuses include supporting managers, developing the personal potential of employees, and promoting mental health.
Peter Bostelmann is chief mindfulness officer and head of SAP Global Mindfulness Practice. He sees this step as confirmation of the committed work by his team and the mindfulness practice community: “Mindfulness isn’t some social nonsense; it’s a prerequisite for authentic, powerful human interaction. We want to change our culture toward more creativity, better focus, greater resiliency, better leadership qualities, and well-being at all levels of the company. ”
Bostelmann feels it is important to point out that mindfulness practice and emotional intelligence are not far-removed concepts — they are very true to life and can be used directly at work, as shown by these three videos:
On Mindfulness Day 2022, the SAP Global Mindfulness Practice team launched a new initiative with Insight Timer, the market leader for free meditation apps.
Insight Timer users can now access a series of guided meditation sessions from the SAP Global Mindfulness Practice program that were recorded by mindfulness coaches from SAP. In addition, SAP employees in the Insight Timer workplace area will have the option to form their own groups — for instance, to meditate together as a team or recommend suitable content.
The meditation sessions are offered in a variety of languages, to reflect the diversity of SAP, with more sessions planned. The program is open to everyone, from beginners who have just taken the Search Inside Yourself course and are looking to integrate mindfulness as a habit in their working lives to experienced meditators who are looking for new inspiration. It will make it even easier for people to use their new mindfulness superpower in their everyday lives.
