Getting Your Team into the Flow

We've all experienced moments when things seem to be flowing extremely well. Sometimes this experience occurs for the whole team. In those moments everyone on the team is doing their part. Coordination happens seamlessly. Team members ' egos just disappear as they unite to conquer the team's tasks . Time flies by, and at the same time they clearly see each action and have no trouble keeping up. They feel like the team is in control, is concentrating , and truly "has its act together." They are focused on the moment and not worried about the future nor upset about the past. Those are wonderful moments.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990) and his associates have studied the experience of "flow" with thousands of individuals. He has speculated about the application of his findings to the design of jobs and the management of organizations. I believe his findings can be applied to helping teams feel the wonderful feeling of flow more frequently, too. The first thing he discovered about flow experiences is that the goals were very clear. He points out that having clear goals does not mean knowing only what the end result must beit involves knowing the tasks to be accomplished moment to moment. People need to focus on savoring the steps along the way, not just the completion. For flow to occur, we must receive feedback immediately so that we know that we know what we are doing. The thrill of flow occurs when there is a match between the challenges of the situation and the skills and knowledge we possess to meet the challenge.

Have you ever watched a slow-motion replay of a successful football play? Every player is in sync. They know the goal of the play, and each man knows the step-by-step movements that must be executed. They find out immediately whether their blocks or pass patterns are producing the desired results. They apply their skills to overcome the challenges posed by the opposing team, the weather conditions, and the time remaining on the clock. They are in flow. If you want your teams to experience flow at work, get their goals clarified. It won't be enough to clarify the long- term mission. The goals of the moment must be clear and in sync with that overall mission. Ensure that your teammates are receiving immediate feedback regarding what is working. Help them have that revelation that they truly know what they are doing even under difficult conditions. When goals challenge team members to exhibit their skills, the satisfaction of being in flow can occur.