Can mindfulness training really plant the seeds of transformation in an organisation? Hear about the experience of LiveScore Group and Roxor Gaming.
As human beings, shifting habits is one of the hardest things to do, isn't it? Take a moment to think back, when was the last time you successfully broke a bad habit or practised a good one for any length of time? We often start great programmes of exercise, diet etc and fully intend to make them habits of a lifetime - why wouldn't we, they're scientifically proven to benefit us in so many ways - but after a while we let things slip and it's all too easy to fall back into our old ways. Most of us need motivation, support, and encouragement from friends, family and work colleagues if new habits are likely to form, and one of the most motivating influences can be feeling part of a like-minded community.
Working with Anzo Group Limited (the parent company of LiveScore Group and Roxor Gaming) is a lot of fun. When I first met Gemma Burke, HR Manager at Anzo, I asked her what kind of people work at the company and what her aim was for our mindfulness training. She told me that they are a young, diverse, dynamic company headquartered in London’s vibrant Soho with offices across the world. The aim of our programme was to build resilience, lower stress and have some fun. This was about looking after staff, giving them an opportunity to learn and practise new skills - ones that wouldn't just be helpful now, but would last way beyond the duration of the course.
The 8-week programme
After a great free taster session, Gemma sent through the list of interested attendees and we got started with an 8-week building resilience with mindfulness programme. Getting to know and work with this group over the course of two months was an absolute pleasure, I can honestly say I loved every minute of it.
Feedback
The feedback was fantastic, with 100% of people saying they would recommend the course to an interested colleague.
What next?
One of the biggest questions when we finished was : How do we build on the momentum of this course?
Momentum started at Anzo Group following a message I received from Mariano Barnes, Creative Project Lead at Roxor Gaming :
“Thanks so much Steve for the eight week course, it really meant a lot to me and I'm already seeing how I can continue this in the company with a small group of people. Let's keep in touch!”
One of the most effective and powerful ways to maintain interest and engagement is to create a mindfulness community - a place where people can interact, practice together, share ideas and build upon everything they've learned.
Mariano and I got together with Gemma to discuss what best steps to take, and to support them with their mission Gemma invited me to their HQ in Soho to present on mindfulness at a Mental Health Awareness Day. It was great to meet so many people in person but also connect via Teams to people based elsewhere in the UK, Ireland, Nigeria, Austria, South Africa and Ukraine. We talked about what mindfulness is, what it isn't, how it is helping the graduates of the course, and how other members of the organisation could get involved.
Mindfulness@AnzoGroup
The great thing about AnzoGroup is that whilst these newly created initiatives are actively supported and encouraged by the senior management they are not mandated or forced. In my experience that's essential when it comes to the authenticity and engagement of a programme such as this. Mariano and his colleagues have started a transformation from the ground up and have implemented the following :
A Mindfulness@Anzo SharePoint space where videos, articles and tips about the topic are shared
A weekly get together to practise at the start of the week. All are welcome to "Minded Mondays"
A community that is open and inclusive and available to all staff globally
Future plans include making mindfulness courses available to more staff, creating 'Mindfulness Champions' throughout the company, and the hosting of a 'Mindfulness Summit' to broaden expertise and deepen practise. I look forward to continuing to support Anzo Group with their commitment to supporting and improving the mental wellbeing of all their staff in 2022 and beyond.
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