HeartMath Case Study -- Peak Performance
Achieving Peak Performance
Key Issues
Most organizations now accept that continuous change and transformation have
become the norm in a global economy, while the pressure to deliver in this
environment is having a major impact on business performance in addition
to impairing the health of employees. Many organizations realize they have
both a desire and responsibility to act.
The issue is that there have been few interventions that can be objectively measured to make a positive impact, and even fewer that can be sustained over time. In short, companies have struggled to find a solution to what has become a major obstacle to business performance in the 21st century.
Numerous scientific
studies have now shown that excessive pressure directly
impacts the internal physiological processes of individuals.
This impact upon the internal processes undermines
performance, reduces perceptual clarity and directly
impairs personal performance. Conversely, studies
have demonstrated that peak performance can be achieved
and sustained, and the underlying mechanisms are
now well understood.
Evidence
of Impact
The HeartMath program goes beyond the theory of behavior management and has
been shown to deliver measurable improvements globally in business performance,
personal performance, staff turnover, health, customer satisfaction, and organizational
effectiveness. The major differentiator of our programs is that their impact
can be measured and improvements sustained long-term. The data outlined here
have been generated through projects at Shell, BP, Unilever, Cisco, Boeing
and others working closely with their business, health and organizational development
staff.
Subjective Data
Table
1: Improvements in Well-being before, six weeks
and six months after training.
(Percentage
of individuals responding to the top two of
five possible answers)
Objective
Data
a.) Blood Pressure. High blood pressure affects one in four adults in North
America and Western Europe and is considered one of the most important public
health issues facing the industrialized world. The HeartMath program has been
shown consistently to reduce blood pressure. The size of this effect has been
measured at double the improvement that an exercise program normally delivers
and, if it were repeated across the entire population, it could reduce the
incidence of stroke by approximately 50%.
Figure 1: Blood pressure data before and 3 months after training (sample size 78)
b.) Heart Rate Variability (HRV). HRV is a very sophisticated measure of overall health and wellbeing. It has repeatedly been shown to be a powerful predictor of all-cause mortality and underpins human performance and vitality. The scientific literature suggests that HRV should remain relatively stable over time, with 3-5% deterioration per annum. The significant improvements in HRV following the HeartMath program in those who used the tools represents not only a reduction in health risk but also a significant improvement in energy and vitality.
Figure 2: Percentage change in HRV measures eight weeks after the HeartMath program among a group of 59 executives.
HeartMath has also
been published, in peer-reviewed scientific journals,
on how training in the HeartMath improves hormonal
and immune function.
Impact
on Cognitive Performance
Good decision-making, strategic thinking, innovation and communication effectiveness
are all underpinned by specific cognitive processes. We continue to research
the impact of this training on cognitive performance. For example, the non-profit
Institute of HeartMath, recently published data demonstrating a one to two
year improvement in reading and math performance in school children taking
state exams after just three weeks of practicing the HeartMath techniques.
We have also demonstrated a significant improvement in reaction times in individuals
trained in HeartMath compared to controls (Figure 3), a fact that may have
relevance to safety performance.
Figure 3: Improved Reaction Time before and after training based on auditory discrimination task. (sample size 30).
In a new study with
one of the world's largest FMCG companies, we demonstrated
a significant improvement in accuracy during a discrimination
task and significantly improved spatial working memory
under increasingly difficult demands. (Figure 4).
Figure
4: Improved Spatial Working Memory before and
after training (sample size 25)
Advances
in Safety Performance
Figure 5: Data gathered from eight separate North Sea oil platforms, from individuals
trained in the HeartMath program, shows a significant reduction in the number
of "stressed" individuals,
i.e. those with GHQ scores over 3 (measured using the General Hospital Questionnaire. >3 indicates the individual is suffering from stress). The data also showed a
linear relationship between GHQ scores and safety, measured using Total Recordable
Case Frequency (TRCF.)
Summary
Working in close collaboration with the scientific and business professionals
within our client companies, we have addressed the limitations of conventional
behavioral training. Our program provides practical tools to facilitate exceptional
performance, enabling demonstrable benefit to be measured simultaneously
in health, well being, cognitive, safety and business performance. Our programs
can be run as a stand-alone or integrated into a company's ongoing training
process and strategic initiatives. As organizations now have to operate in
an even more complex and demanding environment, innovative solutions are
now available to enable individuals and teams to perform at a much higher
level, while maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
For more information on corporate programs contact:
Sibyl Cryer
Director, Corporate Programs
Telephone: (800) 450-9111, Ext. 747 (Toll-Free)
Telephone: (831) 338-8700, Ext. 747 (International)
E-Mail: scryer@heartmath.com
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