Flow at Work

In his seminal book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced Me-High Chick-Sent-Me-High) describes the process through which people can become fully focused on the task at hand, experiencing a sense of energized focus, deep enjoyment, and optimal performance. We’ve previously discussed the concept of flow and its role in motivation, but in this article, we will explore its importance to workers and their managers.

In a chapter devoted to the subject of finding flow at work, Csikszentmihalyi tells the story of Joe Kramer, a welder in a South Chicago railroad car assembly plant who stood out among his peers due to his exceptional skills and knowledge on the job site, yet turned down every opportunity given to him to advance within his company’s ranks. To quote Csikszentmihalyi:    

Some questions arise from this excerpt:

• What character trait did Joe possess that made him so remarkable among his fellow workers?
• Why was he able to see an engaging task in what others may see as mundane or beneath them?
• How was Joe able to become the most valuable employee at the plant with only a fourth-grade education?

According to Csikszentmihalyi, “In the entire railroad plant, Joe appeared to be the only man who had the vision to perceive [challenges as] opportunities for action. The rest of the welders [Csikszentmihalyi] interviewed regarded their jobs as burdens to be escaped as promptly as possible … .”

Balance Between Challenge and Skill     

The cultivation of flow states requires one to increase challenges while simultaneously increasing skill. If one’s skill is far superior to the task at hand, one becomes bored. If the task is too difficult for one’s skill level, the challenge may seem impossible and too daunting to undertake.      

Joe’s case is particularly remarkable because he was able to continually raise his skill level while simultaneously finding novel ways to challenge himself within the same position for more than three decades. Joe understood that he could experience flow and find enjoyment in his profession by increasing the complexity of the job and that he was responsible for finding opportunities to do so.

Action and Awareness

Csikszentmihalyi’s research on flow, as well as his story about Joe, are noteworthy to business owners for several reasons:

• A workforce that finds flow is more productive and efficient. In his research, Csikszentmihalyi found that whenever people are in flow and challenges and skills are both high, they feel happier, stronger, and more active; they concentrate more, and they feel more creative and satisfied. These findings are true for both low-level and managerial workers alike.
• Flow can be cultivated by matching rising skills with rising challenges. When an employee demonstrates increasing levels of competency over his or her duties, workplace challenges should be gradually increased as well. This does not mean managers should simply give employees more work as they get more adept – more doesn’t always equate to harder. Nor does it mean managers should present workers with overly difficult tasks for which they are underprepared. Instead, helping employees find flow could involve offering them more autonomy to handle projects and decisions on their own or asking them to find new and creative ways to troubleshoot issues for the business. Joe had both of these elements in his daily work and thrived because of it.
• Flow can play a role when evaluating new hires. Not every employee can be like Joe – even Csikszentmihalyi recognized how rare a personality like Joe’s was compared to his peers. Nevertheless, Joe’s appreciation for challenge and desire to increase his skills are character traits that can be found more broadly in the workforce, albeit in lower quantities.

  To help identify such workers, instead of focusing a majority of the interview process on past performance and knowledge, businesses may benefit from adding interview questions regarding applicants’ propensity to go the extra mile or improve their expertise in the future. 

  Alternatively, employers could also directly ask applicants when they find flow in their working environment and how they best cultivate this state of mind. Businesses may benefit from prioritizing hiring such candidates – after all, while many skills can be learned on the job and through additional employee training and other educational resources, it is much more difficult to cultivate an employee’s intrinsic motivation and work ethic. 

• When it comes to proficiency and promotions, consider when employees report experiencing flow, and leverage that information. Joe was fortunate in that he had an employer that was willing to allow an overly skilled employee with decades of seniority to remain in a low-level position. Had Joe been forced or persuaded into management, it’s unlikely he would have found equal satisfaction and enjoyment from his managerial duties as he did from the hands-on work he specialized in. Not only would removing Joe from his best and highest use be a detriment to the plant’s best worker, but it would have disrupted the overall productivity and proficiency of the business.

  Similarly, Joe’s employer was fortunate that a worker with Joe’s curiosity, skills, and self-drive was willing to remain a welder for his entire career at the plant. It’s natural for a high-performing employee to turn his or her attention to future opportunities and the path toward them rather than focus on day-to-day obligations in a current role. 

  The lesson for employers and employees alike is to think outside the box when considering why and when an employee should be taken out of a position and placed into another, often more senior, role. Just because someone excels at the tasks they’ve been given should not automatically mean it’s beneficial to all parties to promote him or her. And simply because Joe could fix anything in the railyard does not mean he would be equally skilled at managing others to do the same. 
  

  Both parties benefited from accepting an alternative outcome that didn’t follow the typical long-term employment path. While this specific tradeoff won’t work for many workers, it nevertheless highlights that for some, autonomy, working on interesting and creative projects, and flexibility in one’s work can be attractive employment opportunities. 

  Furthermore, for employees that are more motivated by financial incentives but have a skill set that is best utilized in a lower-level position, an employer may be better situated creating a new role or re-evaluating its pay structure for that individual to keep him or her satisfied while also reaping the benefits of their skills without sacrificing them to a higher position that isn’t well aligned with their abilities. 
  

Conclusion

Flow in the workplace can benefit not only employees, but also employers and business owners. Csikszentmihalyi’s research shows that if your employees feel stimulated, challenged, and satisfied by their work – thereby creating a feeling of flow – this can lead to greater happiness, efficiency, and productivity in your business.