Flow
Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is one of the greatest psychologists of our age, a legendary pioneer of Positive Psychology, whose brainchild is the world-famous Flow theory. Flow is a mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment. Flow theory became of interest to positive psychology when Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was studying the creative process during the ‘60s. Watching an artist at work, Csikszentmihalyi became intrigued by their single-minded, unique focus, and persistence to continue with the painting, in spite of any discomfort, tiredness, or hunger. On finishing the painting, however, the artist entirely ceased showing any interest in the completed work.
Prof. Csíkszentmihályi about the Flow status:
“…being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
The elements of Flow status according to Csíkszentmihályi:
- Balance between skills and challenge
- The melting together of action and consciousness
- Clarity of goals and immediate feedback
- A high level of concentration on a limited field
- The feeling of control
- Effortlessness
- An altered perception of time
- The autotelic quality of flow-experiences:
Experiencing Flow at regular intervals is the difference between a great team and just any team. It is the difference between great performance and adequate performance. It is the difference between a fantastic day at work and just a good day at work. Facilitating Flow is a crucial condition of good leadership and is vital in sustaining business productivity. Not only do our productivity levels soar, but we experience a deep sense of satisfaction. Work becomes a source of enjoyment. Flow means being in a state in which optimal performance is made possible. If your employees experience Flow in your business, staff turnover and employee complaints are reduced. The work becomes a source of enjoyment and personal growth. Your company will become a place that people will look forward to being a part of.
For Flow-promoting leaders who truly care about the bottom line in the broadest sense of that term, the first priority is to eliminate obstacles to Flow at all levels of the organization and to substitute practices and policies that are designed to make work enjoyable.
How? Get to know more about our Online simulation program!
