Mindfulness and mindful coaching

Abstract

Effecting mental processes and shaping individual frameworks in perceiving present situation, mindfulness is a processes-oriented state of mind that can be considered as the capacity to be in the present moment in a nonjudgmental way. That is to say, it is a state of not being obsessed with preconceived assumptions, past experiences, and current anxieties. With the help of mindfulness, individuals learn how to direct and hold the focus of their attention internally without being "captured" by any present events, thoughts, and experiences. Although mindfulness is beneficial in many managerial areas, in this chapter, specifically, the effects of mindfulness in executive coaching-a unique kind of intervention that encompasses practical and goal-focused forms of one-on-one learning and tries to result in meaningful behavioral change in the executive-will be discussed in detail.