WSJ: Business schools embrace mindfulness

A recent Wall Street Journal article points to the growing use of mindfulness instruction in business schools, partly in response to the practice's recent popularity in the corporate world.

From the article:

In M.B.A. and executive-education courses, a handful of professors offer techniques to help students calm their minds and increase their focus. Such skills, they argue, are crucial for those hoping to succeed in an increasingly frenetic environment where distractions from an always-buzzing phone to pressure for strong quarterly profit reports constantly impinge on decisions.

While the idea of mindfulness originates in the serious practice of meditation, B-school faculty say it has many applications for executives who aren’t looking for a spiritual fix but simply want to clear their heads and become aware of reflexive, emotional reactions that can lead to bad decisions.

The article quotes deans and professors from top business schools such as Harvard Business School, IMD business school (Switzerland), Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business Administration.

To read the full article, “Business Skills and Buddhist Mindfulness,” click here.