Recently, while walking our dog, Fae, I was watching some kids play tennis and it made me wonder how most people seem to enjoy playing a game - be it in real life or in the virtual world.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow, describes the common characteristics of an optimal experience to include: "a sense that one's skills are adequate to cope with the challenges at hand, in a goal directed, rule bound action system that provides clear clues as to how well one is performing. Concentration is so intense that there is no attention left to think about anything irrelevant, or to worry about problems. Self-consciousness disappears, and the sense of time becomes distorted. An activity that produces such experiences is so gratifying that people are willing to do it for its own sake, with little concern for what they will get out of it, even when it is difficult or dangerous."
Clearly, games can provide a Flow experience, where the person plays the game and enjoys it for its own sake. It might be harder to see how we can Flow at work. If we do find a way to Flow at work, though, we would find a greater sense of joy and, as a leader, create a greater sense of gratification for our team. So let's look at each of the three components of a Flow experience more closely:
A sense that one's skills are adequate to cope with the challenges at hand: As an individual, we sense anxiety or tension the moment our work becomes too challenging for our skill level. This may be a good time to reach out to your manager or colleagues for help, ramp up your skill-set to match up to the challenge, or if the gap seems too much, then seeking support to split or reduce the task intensity. The opposite is also true: if the work is beginning to seem too easy, it is time to ask your manager for a bigger challenge or widen the experience by helping a colleague who might be struggling. As a Leader, we can look for signs of stress and check-in with our team members to gauge if the tasks are reasonably within the skill range for our team members: tasks that are too difficult will lead to stress and if they are too easy it will lead to boredom. Both conditions may encourage quiet quitting and hence need to be addressed.
...In a goal directed, rule bound action system: As an employee, when we find clarity in our goals, and the rules of the road are clear, it helps us to focus our psychic energy into the task at hand. If the goals are unclear, we owe it to ourselves to seek greater clarity. Similarly, if the rules are seeming to be blurred, it is best to understand from managers and more experienced colleagues about the written and unwritten rules that make up the culture of the organization. Of course, as a Leader, goal setting and building clarity of culture is a key task. Simple feedback conversations to dipstick surveys can tell the leadership if the goals, direction and rules are clear or fuzzy. Making behaviours that are encouraged and those that are discouraged as explicit as possible can be helpful for employees.
…That provides clear clues as to how well one is performing: Finally, as an employee I want to know consistently whether I am on the right track or not. How well am I performing? Usually the key source of feedback is my immediate manager, and a good manager will give explicit cues to their team sharing how each one of them is performing. If you are not lucky enough to get the feedback then ask for it - so you are clear. Ask as often as you need for it to be a flow experience for you! As a Leader, you can set the tone from the top by leading by example and giving frequent feedback as well as by encouraging your direct reports to give consistent feedback to their team members individually. Closing the feedback loop is a key component of a Flow experience - that is why our hearts are racing whenever a goal is scored or a wicket is taken! Can you imagine watching a game without any way of knowing the score!
Three signs to test if the FLOW system is working:
Concentration is so intense that there is no attention left to think about anything irrelevant, or to worry about problems
Self-consciousness disappears.
The sense of time becomes distorted.
Do you see yourself fully focused and engaged in your work? If yes, great! If not… good to check which of the above three components of Flow is not working for you? As a leader, do you see your team mostly engaged by their work? Or are they more interested in office politics and gossip? Of course, the 80-20 rule applies! If you are seeing the signs of Flow 80% of the time then you are in great shape!
"An activity that produces such experiences is so gratifying that people are willing to do it for its own sake, with little concern for what they will get out of it, even when it is difficult or dangerous." This explains why surgeons, solo rock climbers and tight rope walkers may experience Flow each time they perform. While our work may not be as dangerous as all that, we may often feel that the task we are up against is like climbing a 200 ft steep rock face. If we have adequate skills, we are clear about the goal and rules, and our feedback system is in place…then we are well set to experience Flow at work!
Source: Inspired by "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Photos: by Moises Alex and Cade Prior on Unsplash
The author, Anuj Chadha, is Founder of Three Circles - Coaching to create the Life that you love! At Three Circles, we come with a deep understanding of what it takes to navigate the challenges that life throws at us. We partner with our clients, listen to their life aspirations, and support them to break through the obstacles that seem to be holding them back. Life is too precious to be unhappy, unsure, or unfulfilled. Give us the opportunity to partner with you as you re-imagine and re-create the Life that you Love!