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Blakes Mindset

Reducing unnecessary stress, promoting mental health and well-being, and empowering each other to do more of our best work for our clients.

Working together, better.

At Blakes, our commitment to our people includes practical initiatives to foster mental health and well-being, both at work and in our personal lives. We understand that looking after ourselves and each other is crucial to staying healthy as individuals and as a work culture, but also to sustaining our high standards of client service and productivity.  

In addition to supporting members of our Firm and their families with mental health programs and resources, Blakes promotes well-being in the business community at large as a member of the Mindful Business Charter.

In 2021, Blakes became the first Canadian-based law firm to sign the Mindful Business Charter, whose signatories include leading law firms and businesses around the world.

Blakes Mindset: Our Journey With the Mindful Business Charter

In 2021, Blakes launched Blakes Mindset in conjunction with becoming the first Canadian-based law firm to join the Mindful Business Charter (MBC). The MBC is a global movement of leading law firms and businesses committed to promoting mental health by reducing unnecessary sources of stress in the workplace.

At its heart, Blakes Mindset is a set of guiding principles to enhance our workplace culture. It is a commercial, responsible roadmap for change based on the common-sense practices of the MBC. Blakes and our fellow MBC signatories recognize that we cannot remove all sources of stress — nor will change happen overnight — but as members of the business community, we are committed to progress. 

The rollout of this initiative has facilitated open conversations on the team level about the concrete changes we can each make for the better. As a growing number of businesses adopt similar initiatives, we are finding new opportunities to exchange best practices and foster a balanced business culture.

Blakes Mindset has four overarching principles, each reinforced by practices that extend beyond those listed here. At Blakes, we are taking a more intentional approach to:

Smart Meetings
Planning and running smart meetings and communicating effectively by sending an agenda before meetings; respecting participants’ schedules, locations, availability and participation styles; and reducing the volume of unnecessary messages.
Strong Working Relationships

Using openness and respect to build strong working relationships by discussing preferred methods of communicating, soliciting and providing constructive feedback, and recognizing each other’s meaningful contributions.

Respecting Rest Periods
Respecting rest periods and time away from work by reducing off-hour messages, managing off-hour work and ensuring a team-based approach to client service and coverage.
Mindful Delegations

Using mindful delegation to strengthen team relationships by assigning work fairly and inclusively, giving context, setting expectations and providing realistic deadlines whenever possible.

Whether we are taking small steps to improve our day-to-day collaboration or pursuing longer-term goals, focusing on the way we work together is part of the path forward to an even stronger Blakes.

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Curious to learn how an initiative like Blakes Mindset can help reduce unnecessary stress and enhance your own workplace culture? We are happy to share what we’ve learned.

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Wellness Resources at Blakes

Blakes is committed to supporting the mental, physical, financial and social health of our people. The resources we offer include a market-leading mental-health benefit, confidential short-term counselling and regular educational programming on a wide range of topics.

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Fill out this form to contact us about Blakes Mindset and the Mindful Business Charter.

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