“Flow is 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.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Why is it that some people find meaning, purpose, and value in their day-to-day jobs, while others do not? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Hungarian-American Psychologist, attributed this difference to a concept he called “Flow”. Csikszentmihalyi suggests that when you are in psychological flow at work, you are immersed and thoroughly involved in your daily tasks and projects. Being in psychological flow, means that you have the right skill and ability to deal with the challenges or complexity faced in the role. Individuals are likely to become bored and disengaged in a role where their skills outweigh the level of difficulty or complexity (challenge) of tasks that they are required to deal with on a day-to-day basis. On the other hand, individuals tend to experience high levels of stress or anxiety if the level of difficulty or challenge of their role exceeds their skills or abilities. If you are currently in a position where you are not enjoying your job, either because you feel disengaged or bored, Csikszentmihalyi suggests that you should ask yourself the following: “How could I make this job more interesting and rewarding for myself?”. If you can answer this question and put the necessary steps in place, you are likely to be in flow with your job.
Furthermore, being in flow with your job means that you will likely have great inner clarity on what exactly needs to be done in order to be successful. “Flow” suggests that you will likely be confident in your ability to successfully execute your job, and you will most probably have high levels of intrinsic motivation to successfully complete tasks and projects (i.e., being motivated to perform a task because it is rewarding to you). Moreover, research suggests that employees who feel as though they are in a trusting work environment where their needs are being met, are likely to feel more in flow with their job. It is the responsibility of the leaders in organisations to ensure that there are available opportunities for employees to engage in, in order to feel a sense of flow with their work. When leaders allow employees to do what they can do well, they are likely to enjoy their work more as well as perform better. Being in a state of flow with your work can increase your overall productivity and sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Psychometric Assessments offer valuable insight into an individual’s capabilities and personality preferences. This information is useful to guide people into roles where they are likely to feel in flow with the complexity of tasks that they are required to deal with.
“Flow is that elusive state of absorption in a meaningful challenge or a momentary bond, where your sense of time, place and self, melts away.” Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist
Links:
Micaela Helders, Psychometrist