Achieving peak performance in the workplace is certainly a goal that Toyota, Microsoft, Ericsson, Patagonia all have in common. Do you know something else they all have in common?

They have all adopted the principles of 'Flow; which Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes in his many books and in particular Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning

"Flow" is that space where time stands still - hours fly by in minutes - as you are totally absorbed in what you are doing. Your lose all sense of self and you push yourself to the limits of your capability.

When someone is in a complete state of Flow, they make the difficult look easy (think ... a surgeon ... a rock climber ... a pilot ... a painter ... a singer ... who is at peak performance). There is no space for distracting thoughts, worries, irrelevant feelings ... no worrying about the future or the past ... just total absorption in the task at hand.

Mike says that Flow can be achieved many times throughout the day, but it is not usually sustainable throughout an entire eight-hour day.

For yourself and your team members to experience flow - which improves happiness and innovation in the workplace - you want to set up these conditions:

• The ability for people to use their signature strengths,
• A clear set of goals,
• Prompt feedback and
• Challenges that stretch and mesh with the ability to meet them
• A sense of control

Think of your best work experience. Whilst at the time you may not have felt happy - now looking back on it, you might well say it was the best of times.

Certainly I can recall a time when I was one of the key leaders in the start-up of a factory. We were working long hours, the work was extremely challenging and right on the edge of my capability, yet now as I reflect back to that time, I felt so very alive and so absorbed in what I was doing. It was certainly one of my peak work experiences - even though at the time if I'd been asked I probably wouldn't have realized it.

The graph below shows that there is a fine balance between flow and frustration.

Too much challenge/complexity and not enough skill level results in frustration and paralysis. Too little challenge and use of a person's skills will probably lead to boredom. Particularly if it is repeated day-after-day.

Most people want to feel that they have contributed and made a difference. That their gifts, talents and strengths are being made use of.

The more regularly you can design your (and your people's) day-to-day life with activities that create that feeling of flow, the more fulfilling work will become and people will be able to achieve peak performance in the workplace.

Flow Can Lead To Personal Growth.

Referring to the diagram above you will see that Arousal and Control are two very important states if you want to tip someone into peak performance.

Suppose you are in the area of Arousal. This means you are probably mentally focused, active and involved, but you are probably not feeling very strong, cheerful or in control. How can you get to a flow state? ... Simply by learning new skills.

Or suppose you have a team member in the state of Control. This person would probably be feeling happy, strong and satisfied, but tending to lack concentration, involvement, and may be feeling that what they are doing is not necessarily all that important.

So how do you get them into a state of flow? ... By increasing the level of challenge.

A Profit For the First Time in 120 Years

According to Fast Company, Green Cargo, one of the largest transport companies in Scandinavia,

turned a profit for the first time in 120 years, two years after implementing a program that required all its Managers to utilize the principles of Flow with his or her team!

Might that be a good reason for you to do some more reading on Flow and how to implement it in your workplace.

Breakthrough Reflection

1. So what is it that totally absorbs you?
2. What is it that you love to do and when you are doing it you become completely lost in it?
3. Use the Align Yourself Playsheet to help you think about your strengths and how you can use them on a regular basis in your workday.

Additional Resources