Illustration by: iStock.com/maruco
No matter what you call it — dialed in, locked in, in the zone — you’re likely familiar with that state of concentration where distractions don’t matter and the task at hand almost seems to accomplish itself. Whether it’s a work project, sport, or creative pursuit, you’re fully immersed in the process and at your most productive. You’re in a flow state.
David Melnikoff, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, focuses his research on flow states. Melnikoff co-authored a study with Ryan W. Carlson at the University of Chicago and Paul E. Stillman at San Diego State University that identifies the components necessary to achieve a flow state, and lays out a computational model to turn this abstract concept into a more concrete and achievable goal.
So what makes up a flow state, and what can you do to get yourself or others in your organization into it more easily?
Understanding Flow
Melnikoff explains that flow isn’t about perfection, or consistently acing a task; it’s about getting into a zone of maximum focus and concentration. It can happen with everyday tasks as well as with aspirational goals and higher-stakes projects. “Goal-pursuit doesn’t always need to be a grind,” he says. “It can happen effortlessly or even automatically.”
It’s typically a struggle to keep working toward a goal. Think about trying to stick to an exercise regimen or eat more healthfully — it’s hard work, and it’s easy to stop. Getting into a flow state is different. “In flow, stopping is the hard part due to the natural momentum you build,” Melnikoff points out. You achieve your goal more easily, you’re more engaged, and you feel good about your accomplishments.
The X Factor of a Flow State
The traditional thinking was that flow resulted when a person’s skill level was compatible with the difficulty of the task they were trying to accomplish. But Melnikoff and his fellow researchers conducted multiple experiments involving computerized coin flips, slingshots, and other games, and concluded that another element is necessary to achieve flow: uncertainty.
Suppose an employee is tasked with analyzing the data behind a recent marketing campaign and creating a presentation of the findings for a stakeholder meeting. An experienced data analyst knows they will do it well. Someone new to this kind of task, on the other hand, will make mistakes. In both cases, the outcome is clear — and this lack of uncertainty translates to a lack of flow state. “For flow, we believe someone should feel like, ‘I might nail this, or I might flounder. Let’s find out,’” Melnikoff says. The task needs to fall between “routine” and “unreachable,” and, he emphasizes, “It needs to spark your curiosity about what the outcome is going to be.”
Decrease Uncertainty As You Progress
While uncertainty is essential to entering a flow state, setting a goal that seems completely unattainable will only lead to frustration. The key is to start out with a high degree of uncertainty and to pair it with actionable ways to reduce the uncertainty as you progress toward your goal. Striking that balance offers the greatest likelihood of entering a flow state.
Reducing uncertainty in your goal-pursuit is about “eliminating possible futures,” according to Melnikoff, or gaining increasing control over the outcome of the tasks as you proceed. An employee working on a challenging project, for example, will have the uncertainty about a high-quality outcome reduced with each successful step, as it becomes clearer that they might reach their objective.
If a task doesn’t already have reducible uncertainty built in, Melnikoff suggests developing processes that inject it and create curiosity about the outcome. This could be as simple as changing a sales competition from a “winner-takes-all” format, which most people assume they won’t win, to one with a less predictable outcome. “If there are lots of prizes and the size of the prize depends on where you rank,” Melnikoff says, “now there’s a lot of uncertainty.” You might also consider switching up some assignments or adding timed challenges, like a rapid brainstorming session.
Putting Insights into Action
Whether you’d like to get into a flow state more often yourself or help others in your organization do the same to increase their engagement and satisfaction, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
- Try to introduce more stretch goals or offer a team member the opportunity to do a project outside their usual area of expertise. Remember to strike the right balance between routine and unreachable.
- Keep in mind that the uncertainty required for a flow state needs to be paired with the ability to reduce it through actions. Support the team with the resources they need to make measurable progress toward their goals.
- Identify workstreams or projects where you could inject uncertainty to make people more curious about and invested in the outcome. Is there a way to gamify a task, add a timed element, or introduce a new challenge?
