“Flowing” at work
Most sportsmen display passion and disciplined concentration. If cyclists, runners, tennis players, golfers and swimmers feel focused, inspired and energized by their jobs, why can’t people get that in their normal day jobs too? Why is the sporting world any different to the business world? Is that feeling reserved for sports people only or can other professions such as nurses, lawyers, accountants and secretaries feel it too?
Happiness at Work – ‘Flowing’ in your job
This year’s Wimbledon men’s final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was riveting. The energy and discipline of both men was tangible. They were stretching themselves to the limit, giving it all they had. In subsequent television interviews, both men spoke about their preparation and the passion they have for their sport. They love winning but, more than that, they simply love playing the game.
American swimmer Michael Phelps’s performance at the Beijing Olympics was also mesmerizing. His focus, passion and energy as he swims are obvious to any spectator. He is disciplined and loves what he does. When he swims, the world around him seems to disappear as he focuses on the task at hand.
Most sportsmen display passion and disciplined concentration. If cyclists, runners, tennis players, golfers and swimmers feel this way about their jobs, why can’t people get that in their normal day jobs too? Why is the sporting world any different to the business world? Is that feeling reserved for sports people only or can other professions such as nurses, lawyers, accountants and secretaries feel focused, inspired and energized by their jobs too?
Flow – it’s what many sports people experience
When Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Michael Phelps engage in their sports, they experience what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls ‘Flow’. People talk about flow often in the sporting environment but less so in the work one.
Flow is optimal experience. It is being on the ball, in the zone, in the groove. It is the deep enjoyment that comes from being so fully involved in something that nothing else seems to matter. You lose track of time. You are completely absorbed in the activity and enjoy the journey because your body and mind are stretched to their limits, but within the bounds of capability.
Many people long to experience flow at work. In the 21st century working world, the opportunities to experience flow are rare. Many employees work with listless compliance and resigned acceptance of the status quo and miss out on the satisfaction that comes from being enthralled by a task.
Flow does not have to be winning a gold medal at the Olympics. You can experience flow when you read a story to your child at night, when you have a conversation, write a letter or prepare for an exam. It is within the reach of everyone yet we ignore the possibility of experiencing it regularly at work.
Why we miss out on flow at work
It is difficult to experience flow at work for two main reasons:
1. The traditional work environment has been designed to get the most out of people, not the best out of them.
Traditionally work has not been designed for people. In the past, work was labour intensive and focused on industrial mass production. Companies needed people’s hands, not their minds. For many years, companies have not needed to tap into the relationships, innovation and creativity that flow creates.
2. The pace of our lives feels like we are in permanent whitewater
One of the prerequisites for flow is disciplined concentration. Our current work environment inhibits flow because we have little time to concentrate on one thing. We are encouraged to be multi-taskers.
A survey by The Net Future Institute showed that most people do their best business thinking while they are in their home or commuting to and from work. This is the only time they get to be still and think properly.
Everyday, employees are overwhelmed by emails, voicemails and endless meetings. There is no time for focused concentration because they are too busy reacting to the demands of the present. We are enslaved by our inbox. We are easily distracted because everything else is urgent. This limits the opportunities for flow.
Why do leaders need to bother about flow?
Many leaders do not feel it is their responsibility to make their employees feel motivated and happy. But the undeniable fact is that happier employees are more productive employees. Innovation, creativity and strategic relationships are vital for competitive advantage in the 21st century and they thrive on flow.
Creating an environment in which flow can flourish takes a lot of work. But executives fail to realize that the pay off is worth it in the long run.
How can leaders encourage flow?
Leaders cannot force employees to experience flow at work. But they can create the environment is which flow is likely to flourish.
1. Leaders must become enablers, rather than doers.
A leader’s role is more than improving productivity, safety, security and compensation. The industrialist J. Irwin Miller said:
The truth of the matter in business is that you don’t do anything by yourself. You have to create an atmosphere in which people want to give their best. You don’t order anybody to do their best. You couldn’t order Beethoven to compose the Ninth Symphony. He’s got to want to do it. And so the head of a business is an enabler rather than a doer.
2. Ensure that all challenges are balanced with the capacity to act
If employees have the skills, but few opportunities to use them, they will feel bored. If they feel challenged but do not have the skills to cope with them, they will feel anxious. As a leader, you must ensure that the right skills are in the right jobs because flow occurs at the boundary between boredom and anxiety. Challenge and skills must be high and equal to each other.
3. Set clear, realistic goals
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi believes that most flow-inducing activities occur during goal directed activities bounded by rules. Employees want to feel part of a purpose greater than themselves but they also need a context or framework in which to work. They are more productive when they know the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ behind what they are doing.
Leaders should focus less on the ultimate outcome and more on the journey. Small, consistent, achievable steps towards the end goal are more likely to induce flow.
4. Create a mentoring environment that encourages immediate feedback
Authentic, constructive feedback helps employees learn, grow and enjoy their work. Research has proven that immediate and specific feedback is one of the best ways to improve performance. Once people start getting authentic feedback and feel as if they are developing their skills, they begin to feel as if the task is intrinsically rewarding.
5. Hire the right people in the first place
Employees are more likely to experience the joys of flow if they are doing something they are passionate about, talented at and which meets a need greater than themselves. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Companies can provide a flow-inducing environment, but if the employee does not enjoy the work or feel talented at it, neither they nor the company will experience the benefits of flow.
Flow brings out the best in people
Creative initiative flourishes in flow. Business needs this to survive and thrive in the 21st century. Think of the job types within your company that would yield better results if employees were in flow. Every company would do better if employees had the initiative, energy and focus of people like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
As a company, it is your responsibility to create the framework and environment in which flow is likely to flourish. It is the employee’s responsibility to ensure their time, attention and habits are aligned to the vision that they have for their lives.
If management can provide an environment in which such experiences can flourish, the organization will run efficiently, and the staff will recognize that, instead of stifling them, the job supports their growth. If flow is absent, work turns into drudgery, and the worker loses his or her creative initiative.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Sources:
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Good Business: Leadership, Flow and the Making of Meaning. Coronet Books 2003
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