15.11.2021 Isabel Hempel 12217

Bosch and the DFB focus on mental training

How does the technology company Bosch manage to remain crisis-proof and innovative? How do professional footballers manage to perform at their best when it counts? How can each and every one of us stay focused and balanced under the growing pressure of work and the dwindling boundaries between private and working life? Mental training seems to be an important building block.

Around ten years ago, Petra Martin, Head of the Center of Competence "Leadership" at Robert Bosch Automotive Electronics, was commissioned to develop a program for the technology giant that would equip the internal management team with the tools to shape the transformation from an industrial supplier to a software company. Managers were to drive change in the teams.

While working on the concept, the HR developer realized that one crucial aspect was still missing: "In addition to the theoretical content, we needed a linking pin from knowledge to ability," explains Petra Martin. "I was thinking of an aspect that was very experiential. Then I read an article in Manager Seminare about how the topic of mindfulness was integrated into a management training course. And that convinced me".(Read the interview with Petra Martin in full here).

What does mindfulness mean?

Mindfulness refers to "a state of presence of mind in which a person experiences the present state of their immediate environment, body and mind in a wide awake state, without being distracted by thoughts or emotions and without judging them". (1)

The principle comes from Buddhist teachings and meditation practice and has been the subject of intensive scientific research for years. Inspired by the 14th Dalai Lama, about 15 years ago scientists began to evaluate the brain waves of monks who meditated daily using MRI. The images clearly showed how many years of meditation had changed the structure of the monks' brains. Since then, it has been undisputed that regular meditation can have a positive influence on our cognitive and emotional processes. (2) Since then, the topic of mindfulness has received a lot of positive feedback - also in the corporate world.

iga Report 45: Mental training has a positive effect on individual stress levels

The iga Report 45 from 2021 provides a detailed insight into the effects that various forms of mindfulness training can have in the work context.(3) The evaluation of 105 relevant studies on the topic shows that almost all programs - from MBSR courses (mindfulness-based stress reduction), meditation courses, breathing training and yoga to Qi Gong - have a "significant effect on aspects of mental health". Individual stress levels in particular are greatly reduced by mindfulness training. According to the iga report, MBSR courses in particular have a positive effect on well-being, the ability to recover, self-reference and also on work-related factors such as the ability to concentrate and motivation.

At Bosch, 2500 managers have completed the mental training program

More and more companies are using the mechanisms of action of a wide variety of mindfulness training programs as part of their further training and BGM concepts. In Petra Martin's division at Bosch, 2,500 managers have now completed the mental training program. "Mindfulness is totally established in our company today. Many of our managers have recognized this: If I want to be productive, I also need to establish a kind of mental hygiene for myself. I need to know how to calm my mind and find concentration," explains Martin. "Mental training is not about 'getting away from stress', but rather 'getting to' - to more focus and more composure." 

Focus and composure are also crucial qualities for professional athletes, for example when it comes to being able to deliver peak performance with pinpoint accuracy. "One advantage of mental training is that it can be done anywhere and at any time," explains Christoph Herr, coordinator for sports psychology at the German Football Association (DFB). "You can also incorporate short breathing techniques or closing your eyes and brief visualization in situations that are demanding. In preparation for competitions or training, 10 to 15-minute sessions in the evening can help you prepare for upcoming situations or consolidate certain processes," says Herr. (Read the interview with Christoph Herr in full length here)

The DFB used the Mindance app for mental health to teach two national U-teams various relaxation techniques. "Our players were able to use the app to train their cognitive flexibility in terms of their perception and decision-making behavior," explains the sports psychologist. "The Mindance app can also help them to learn techniques for self-awareness and self-reflection and to find a balance between tension and relaxation."

Bosch employees train mental strength with the Mindance app

However, developing mental strength is no longer an issue that only affects managers and professional athletes. "The past year and a half has brought about numerous changes in people's lives. In addition to the new situation of the permanent home office, (...) homeschooling has also brought about a major change in everyday life that has sapped the strength of many people," comments Professor Dr. Ingo Froböse in his "DKV Report 2021 - How healthy is Germany?". (4) "As individuals, but also as a society, we need to learn how to avoid stress and how to compensate for it".

Here too, Bosch invests in the further training of its employees and has developed the ten-week Mindfriends training program under the direction of Petra Martin, which includes intensive meditation training with the Mindance app. "As a participant, you have your own body group, which means we match people who fit together well or work at the same location. We provide this group with a work book and the Mindance app," says Martin, explaining the concept. "We actually have a very good 'pass rate' of over 80 percent. In the coronavirus era, this rate was even higher because people's need for more me time and mental strength - you can certainly choose other terms for this - had increased."

The iga Report 45 confirms the approach that Petra Martin chose for Bosch: The report shows that group-based formats are significantly more successful than individual mindfulness training. "The social nature of the group setting in most companies (...) means that mindfulness training can also be used to practise interpersonal skills such as empathy (...)", report the authors of the report. Training in a group also seems to have a positive effect on participants' stamina. Those who practice with colleagues stay on the ball longer.

Our brain is like a muscle that you can train

But what actually happens in the brain when we train mentally, for example by practising mindfulness meditation? "Mental training is similar for our brain as physical training is for our body," explains Lukas Stenzel, Head of Product at Mindance. "With systematic and targeted mental training, we can become more aware of the way our mind works and its abilities and make long-term positive changes - for example, improving our concentration or emotional intelligence."

In everyday practice, this can mean: Those who regularly train their mindfulness and mental strength are not only more focused, but also behave differently towards their fellow human beings. Petra Martin made an interesting observation in the factory halls at her Bosch site in Salzgitter: "Many people here had a rather harsh tone, which was not meant in a bad way. A foreman would shout at the team and then everything was supposed to run smoothly. I've noticed a change there: now I often deal with champions who consciously change their perspective and understand: How does what I say come across to my counterpart? What makes this person tick? How can I convince them now?".

Mental training: growing awareness of overload

Petra Martin is certain that it is precisely these interpersonal components that matter. "We will only be able to meet the challenges of the future if we tackle them together with people. We can't do this through new structures or processes. I believe that many people are now more aware of this." In addition, leadership, as Petra Martin calls it, needs a strong relationship element. "As a manager, I can only lead if my people choose me. They only do that if we have a relationship with each other."

The fact that managers who have practiced mindfulness and mental training are better able to build relationships with their associates was demonstrated by two large associate surveys conducted throughout the Bosch Group. "The managers who had undergone our mental training received the highest approval ratings from associates. These managers are simply more practiced in reflecting, and many have probably also maintained mindfulness. Perhaps you could say that they are more mature managers. The behavior we want from managers is noticeable in these people".

Petra Martin does not dare to say whether managers who practise mindfulness are also happier and healthier. "But in all our accompanying surveys, we repeatedly found that managers who are familiar with mental training are much more aware of overload. They realize much earlier: 'Oh, now it's getting too much. Now I have to take a break".

Sources:

(1) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtsamkeit_(mindfulness

(2) https://www.spektrum.de/magazin/meditation-veraendert-das-gehirn/1335995

(3) https://www.iga-info.de/veroeffentlichungen/igareporte/igareport-45/

 (4) https://www.ergo.com/de/Newsroom/Reports-Studien/DKV-Report

Mindance app for mental health

The Mindance app for mental health offers audio exercises on mindfulness, stress reduction, progressive muscle relaxation, healthy sleep and much more. The app creates a training plan for its users based on a scientifically sound health check. Well-known companies such as BOSCH and AOK PLUS offer their employees the opportunity to train with the Mindance app. Mindance GmbH has been part of the pme Familienservice Group since 2021 to combine the best of digital and analog mental health promotion.