Career advancement and workplace success can be enhanced by the motivated worker's successful effort to understand flow and utilize its positive benefits. "Flow" is a term coined by positive psychology researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD.
Csikszentmihalyi, who has researched the flow experience for many years describes flow as an experience characterized by intense concentration, high productivity, and personal fulfillment. Though these descriptors typically apply more to most people's hobbies and after-work recreation than to work situations, the person who successfully integrates flow opportunities into work assignments stands a good chance of enhanced employee performance evaluations.
The Benefits of Flow
The flow experience is highly satisfying. People engaged in flow feel totally immersed in an activity, often describing it as being "in the zone" or "at one" with the activity. The combination of intense concentration and total immersion yields high quality, high productivity results. Participants lose track of time and are unaware of surrounding sounds and other stimuli.
A person in a flow experience is said to be in a near out-of-body state, losing track of time, filled with boundless energy, immune to pangs of hunger and feelings of drowsiness. Flow is immensely satisfying, yet seldom available on demand.
For more information on flow and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, see Personal and Professional Development Tip from Psychology Studies.
In the workplace, the flow experience promises high productivity, insightful bursts of creativity, high quality, and intense satisfaction. A motivated worker successfully experiencing flow in a work situation is likely to achieve strong workplace success and career advancement.
Conditions Conducive to Flow from Psychology Studies
Positive psychology studies have determined several conditions important to supporting a flow experience, which are:
- Appropriate Challenge
- Appropriate Skill
- Continuous Learning
- Ability to Concentrate
- Utilization of Personal Strengths
- Goal clarity
- Progress Feedback
Though flow is complex, an activity conducive to flow might be summarized as containing an appropriate balance of challenge and participant skill, affording the opportunity for concentration, utilizing the participant's strengths, carrying very clear end-result and interim goals, and inherently providing feedback of successful progress.
A Balance of Challenge and Skill for Workplace Success
Flow does not occur when tasks are routine and easily accomplished. Routine tasks can be boring at worst, or something that can be done while thinking of other things at best.
Flow exists at that point of delicate balance when a task is challenging, but within reach of one's current skill set. A challenge too far beyond skills will cause anxiety and fear of failure.
Continuous Learning and Concentration Enhance Flow
The person motivated for workplace success will foster a mind set for seeking ever-increasing challenge, while simultaneously engaging in continuous learning and skill improvement. Without continuous learning, one's skill set will fail to keep up with increasingly challenging assignments.
An employee may have limited ability to modify the physical arrangement of her workspace. Since the flow experience is one of deep and intense concentration, frequent interruptions must be avoided or minimized. There are some interventions that can improve concentration without physical rearrangement of the workspace. Studies find that many interruptions are self-initiated by frequently checking email and voice mail. Concentration opportunities can be improved by checking email and voice mail only twice each day at specified times. When adopting this suggestion, notify co-workers, family, and friends of the schedule, and provide a means of emergency contact.
Even in a bustling, close-proximity work station environment, there may be opportunities to utilize a spare office, an unused conference room, or sound-deadening headphones. A thoughtfully crafted sign requesting uninterrupted time to complete a project may also provide full concentration opportunities.
Utilizing Core Strengths for Career Advancement
Work activities which utilize one's personal and professional strengths are likely candidates for flow. Core strengths — often called signature strengths — are those abilities at which a person excels. When using signature strengths, an employee's performance is high, earmarked by high productivity, quality and creativity. Utilizing signature strengths is also very satisfying. Readily available online assessments provide an easy way to clarify and reinforce one's understanding of core or signature strengths.
With a good understanding of core strengths, the motivated employee will be creative in applying her signature strengths to her work responsibilities, finding new ways to utilize strengths, therefore promoting opportunities for the flow experience. A conscientious worker may wish to enlist the support of management in adjusting work assignments to better utilize her strengths.
Clear Goals and Immediate Feedback Foster Flow
Activities likely to provide a flow experience must have crystal clear goals and immediate feedback. Though many work assignments may carry only general goals of improvement and quality, those offering a flow experience will be very clear and specific, with immediate progress feedback at each step of the process.
An employee seeking workplace success and strong performance evaluations will help determine clear goals and foster means for immediate progress feedback.
Career Advancement Through High Performance
Improving one's performance at work need not involve spending more hours. By utilizing psychology studies on flow, the motivated employee can deliver high performance and workplace success while actually enjoying the process.
Sources:
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. International Positive Psychology Association presentation, "Flow and the Quality of Life," April 5, 2010
Jerry Lopper - IPPA member, business and engineering degrees. Jerry's passion for personal development shows in 5 books, hundreds of articles & ...
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