We experience flow at many different times and during many different activities, whether it be working in the office, playing sports or games, or interacting with our friends and families.
Arguably the best and most productive results stem from what we achieve during flow - when we really feel like we're ‘in our element' - so as managers our goal must then be to create an environment where our workers can flourish and regularly experience flow.
But before we can look at ways in which to promote flow in the workplace it might help to understand a bit more about its origins.
What is flow?
Flow is a concept found in positive psychology, proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.
He states that flow is ‘completely focused motivation' during which the emotions are contained and channeled and aligned positively with the task at hand.
According to Csíkszentmihályi there are nine indicator elements of flow. These are:
1. Clear goals exist along every step of the way
2. Immediate feedback guides one's actions
3. There is a balance between challenges and ability
4. Action and awareness are merged
5. Distractions are excluded from consciousness
6. Failure is not worrisome
7. Self-consciousness disappears
8. Sense of time is distorted
9. The activity becomes ‘autotelic' (done for its own sake)
While no one can force themselves into a state of flow we can certainly set the stage for it to take place.
Promoting flow
From the nine points above we can immediately see the importance of having the right resources available for employees, as well the need for clear and defined goals and deadlines.
The importance of assigning tasks with an appropriate difficulty level is also underlined (not overestimating unskilled workers who will become stressed with complicated work, or underestimating more skilled workers who will become bored and apathetic), and it is made clear just how vital regular and honest feedback is for the employee.
According to Csíkszentmihályi there are three conditions that must be met for someone to achieve a flow state:
1. One must be involved in an activity with a clear set of goals and progress. This adds direction and structure to the task
2. The task at hand must have clear and immediate feedback. This helps the person negotiate any changing demands and allows him or her to adjust his or her performance to maintain the flow state
3. One must have a good balance between the perceived challenges of the task at hand and his or her own perceived skills. One must have confidence that he or she is capable to do the task at hand.
Are you standing in the way of any of these conditions in the workplace? Do your policies allow for immediate feedback and are your employees being suitably challenged to get the best results?
Consider these questions carefully, you may find ways in which you can increase your employees' susceptibility to flow - and wouldn't that be great?
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