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Mindful Organisational Culture©

Prevention of collective stress and trauma dynamics within organisations

Mindful Organisational Culture© is a specific feminist approach to taking care of staff that aims to promote the resilience of employees and activists as well as teams and organisations. It is designed to contribute to the long-term stability of political commitment to women's rights and the capacity to resist oppression and discrimination. The approach comprises five components:

Pillar 1 – Stress- and trauma-sensitive attitudes and communications promote sensitivity and competency in dealing with the personal and organisational consequences of stress and trauma dynamics.
Pillar 2 – Holistic health care strengthens mental and physical health and social interaction.
Pillar 3 – Structural tools provide safety and orientation within the organisation.
Pillar 4 – Observing and reflecting on effectiveness makes it possible to experience one's own effectiveness.
Pillar 5 – Creating culture promotes a positive identification with the organisation.

Background of the approach: Breaking through stress & trauma dynamics

In order to break through the cycle of stress and trauma dynamics, an organisational culture characterised by mindfulness is important. The mindfulness of the staff members is directed towards their own stress and reaction patterns on the one hand, and structural problems on the other (for example, safety management, or information flow within the organisation), which can all exacerbate the stress and trauma dynamics.

This includes the introduction and practice of stress- and trauma-sensitive communication. If all staff members learn to adopt appropriate communication strategies suitable for everyday working life, this enhances the problem-solving and constructive cooperation in the teams.