Do you go with the flow?
Flow, as described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a state of optimal experience where individuals are fully immersed in an activity, feeling focused, energised, and deeply engaged. It’s a state of complete absorption, often accompanied by a sense of timelessness and effortless involvement.
Or to put it simply, flow is like being in the zone! It happens when we’re engaged in an activity that perfectly matches our skills and challenges. When the task at hand is challenging enough that you don’t get bored, without being so difficult that it stresses you out, you enter a flow state where your abilities are fully utilised, giving you a feeling of deep satisfaction and enjoyment.
During flow, our attention becomes fully focused on the present moment, and we experience a sense of complete concentration. It’s that state where we lose track of time because we’re so engrossed in the activity.
But can you make flow happen, just like that?
To achieve a flow state, you have to find a balance between your skills and the level of challenge presented by the activity, so by seeking activities that match our abilities and provide a sense of challenge, we increase the likelihood of entering the state of flow.
Which might seem relatively easy when you’re looking at it at a personal level and all you need to do is tap into your own motivations, but what if you’re managing a team? How can you make sure your people are facing enough challenge to stay engaged, but not so much that they start to burnout?
Finding flow within a team requires creating an environment that fosters collaboration, engagement, and shared goals, and that’s what I’ll be talking about at this month’s Wiser Wednesday, when we’ll be talking to Jay Brown, who has a wealth of experience coaching teams at renowned organisations like Facebook and Airbnb and is eager to guide you in effortlessly unlocking your creative potential.
Enjoy the discussion above!
