A Conversation with IOM Founder, Michael Foster

In this episode of the Organizational Mindfulness Podcast, you’ll hear from Michael Foster, founder of the Institute for Organizational Mindfulness (IOM) and the visionary behind the Organizational Mindfulness Podcast. 

This conversation goes far beyond just talking about the benefits of mindfulness to organizations.  Michael explains how there is a unique window of opportunity arising from the convergence of several forces. First, the advances in the science of mindfulness has evolved to a place where organizations can now adopt an entirely science-based training for teaching mindfulness in a way that scales and has measurable, widely validated, and accepted benefits. But first, mindfulness training needs to be recast into a strict science-based framework. Doing so will open many doors to organizations and schools that otherwise are closed when the mindfulness is associated with belief-based systems. 

Second, there is increasing need in our lives to reduce anxiety and improve well-being. Statistics show an alarming number of people are more anxious than pre-Covid, and for the first time in history, millions of people are resigning or shifting careers. Now more than ever, organizations need to re-invent their corporate cultures and employee engagement strategies. When presented in this way, Michael's vision takes on not only a grand scope but a sense of profound urgency. When organizations adopt mindfulness not just as a perk but embedded as part of their organizational structure, it helps us all become better people resulting in better organizations as well. At this scale millions of people learn and benefit from mindfulness improving employee productivity and engagement, and the quality of life for millions. 

As Michael says in the episode, "This is a big deal."

For these reasons, he created the Institute for Organizational Mindfulness, a non-profit membership organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of science-based mindfulness for organizations. IOM includes programs to build community, conduct research, certify instructors, curating content for members, teaching mindfulness in organizations, producing webcasts of case studies, and of course - this show - The Organizational Mindfulness Podcast.

Michael was also the founder, past Chairman and CEO of the Human Capital Institute (HCI), and founder, past Chairman and CEO of AIRS.

Over a 40-year career, Michael has served in executive roles in early stage and public companies, and has grown and harvested successful organizations of his own. To date, four of his greenfield startups have been acquired or merged upstream into the Fortune 500.

In addition to his executive duties, Michael is a co-founder of The Selamta Family Project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; a past member of the National Advisory Board of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and contributor to the Atlantic Council.

Michael has ten children, both biological and adopted from Russia, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan; and splits his time between homes in Norwich, Vermont and Healdsburg, California

The Organization Mindfulness Podcast  is presented by the Institute for Organization Mindfulness and hosted by mindfulness coach Brett Hill.