Mindfulness at Work: Compassion in Professional Life

How Mindfulness Creates Compassionate Workplaces

In this insightful talk from the 2013 Practicing Mindfulness & Compassion conference, law professor Rhonda Magee explores how contemplative practices can transform professional environments. Her approach helps professionals develop empathy, reduce judgment, and foster workplace compassion.

Who Is Rhonda Magee?

• Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco
• Co-Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence
• Advocate for mindfulness in the legal profession

Key Benefits of Workplace Mindfulness

Magee's work demonstrates how mindfulness practices help professionals:

1. Develop deeper empathy by "walking in another's shoes"
2. Improve active listening skills without judgment
3. Reduce workplace stress through contemplative techniques
4. Enhance decision-making with clearer, more compassionate perspectives

Mindfulness in the Legal Profession

Magee specifically addresses how lawyers can benefit:

"The goal is to help lawyers develop the capacity to put themselves in the shoes of another, to listen more thoroughly, with as little judgement as they can manage."

Practical Applications for Professionals

• Start meetings with 1-minute mindfulness exercises
• Practice compassionate listening during conversations
• Use breath awareness to manage stress in high-pressure situations

This article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. View the original article here.