Mindful Training: Integrating Mindfulness into Workplace Learning

Abstract

Despite the popularity of mindfulness, little theoretical guidance addresses its impact on learning and workplace training. This conceptual paper integrates mindfulness with employee learning and development to explain how present-moment awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance during training may facilitate learning outcomes via cognitive, motivational, and emotional pathways—a phenomenon we label mindful learning. We develop a conceptual framework of mindful training that presents how contextual factors, training design, and mindfulness interventions facilitate mindful learning, and introduce training content as a moderator of mindful learning’s impact on training outcomes. This paper addresses key needs for human resource development, including the underexplored role of emotions in workplace learning, and the increased need for learners to be mindful in response to the challenges of online, self-directed training methods and interpersonally-demanding training content. We provide a detailed agenda for future research and recommendations that organizational leaders, training designers, and learners may use to develop mindful training.