I was at a meeting in the office of More Than Sound (a production company run by one of my sons) when our focus meandered: there were parallel conversations going on, and some people discreetly checked their email. That disintegration of our shared focus was a moment familiar from hundreds of other meetings — a signal that the group’s efficiency was tanking. But suddenly one of the people there said, “Time for some mindful moments,” got up, and rang a small gong.
We all sat there together in silence for a few minutes until the gong rang again, and then resumed our meeting — but with renewed energy. A remarkable moment for me, but not at More Than Sound, where, it seems, the team assembles at irregular intervals to share some minutes of mindfulness, signaled by that ringing gong. The group pause, they say, clears their heads and gives them a new burst of energized focus.
— Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (Daniel Goleman), Loc. 2724–31
We need to do the same in our office!