jan-2018

18 19 JAN. / FEB. 2018 Executive View BY LORIE STEINER&ANNE KROG IVERSEN M indfulness: amental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment,while calmlyacknowledging and accepting one’s feelings,thoughts,and bodily sensations; used as a therapeutic technique. Though it has its roots in Buddhist meditation,a secular practice of mindfulness has entered themain- stream in recent years,in part through theworkof Jon Kabat-Zinn and hisMindfulness-Based Stress Reduc- tion (MBSR) program,which he launched at the Uni- versityof MassachusettsMedical School in 1979. Anne Krog Iversen is the Chief DNA&Culture Officer,and co-founder of TimeXtender–a software leader dedicated to enabling businesses tomake qualitydecisions with data,mind and heart byoffering an innovative platform that enables self-service BI and analytics using the power of automation.Anne has been a proponent of corporatemindfulness,speaking at global conferences,and hosting remotemindfulness sessions worldwide using digital technology. Krog Iversen points out that we’re not bornwith the traits to bemindful,nor arewe trained in school. Though the benefits have beenwell documented, frombetter health,to less stress,andmore energy,it MINDFULNESSWORKS: FINDTHE TIME AND REAP THE BENEFITS is not an instinctual part of our lives.She believes it is a newtype of responsibility that should rest on the corporation.One that helps its valued stakeholders (startingwith employees) becomemoremindful and awarewhenmaking decisions. Anne Krog Iversen recently shared her insights on corporatemindfulness,with the hopes of engaging BusinessViewMagazine readers on the subject.So,re- laxand listen up folks.This is an excellent way to start your 2018 on the right note.HappyNewYear! Krog Iversen: I always beginmeetings with aminute of silence.That’s one of the five cornerstones inDNA &Culture at TimeXtender.We have aminute glass in all our meeting rooms,andwe start everymeeting by turning it over,just to focus and connect with the taskat hand.So,let’s start today’s talkwith aminute of silence.Remember,you can do nowrong.Eyes open or closed.I’m turning the glass now,andwill tell you when the time is done…Ok.Oneminute is up.What did you experience? BVM: I listened to the sound of mybreathing.Every- thing elsewent away.That’s what I needed. Krog Iversen: That’s exactlywhat mindfulness is all about.Connecting to yourself,so you can do the right thing–for yourself,your team,your business,theworld. Inmyopinion,we can’t make the right decisions if we’re stressed out,with our own agenda inmind all the time.We need to connect.That’s what we practice at TimeXtender.Becausewe are a global company,we have‘X-people,’as we call ourselves,in France,Germa- ny,Italy,UK,NorthAmerica,andwe leadwith a purpose because timematters.We have a lot of onlinemeet- ings,as well as onsite at our headquarters inDenmark and Bellevue,Washington.