What Psychology Says about Building Optimal Performance and Wellbeing at Work

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Imagine you are in your company working on a really challenging task. Suddenly, you click and immerse yourself in the work. Time seems to disappear. You are fully immersed in your task, effortlessly delivering better work than expected. Has this ever happened to you? This is what we call the psychological flow state , and it’s a crucial concept in Enterprise Agility and companies exposed to accelerated change.

If you are curious, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is who described flow as a state of optimal experience characterized by complete absorption, intense concentration, and intrinsic motivation. In this state, people are completely immersed in an activity and focus their abilities on the challenge they are experiencing.

Imagine now a marketing professional working on a complex problem. The deeper she immerses herself in the task, the more she gets into this flow state, where she starts to develop ideas and find innovative solutions with little effort. The hours pass and she leaves work with a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction.

At the team level, this can happen during a team brainstorming session, where ideas are bounced back and forth and cross-fertilize each other. The energy in the room is palpable, and everyone is fully engaged and contributing their perspective. This collaborative flow state leads to great ideas and strengthens the team dynamic and the connection between people.

The science behind flow

From a psychological perspective, flow occurs when there is a perfect balance between the perceived challenge and one’s own abilities. This balance ensures that the individual feels neither bored nor overwhelmed and creates a disciplined focus . It promotes a sense of control and mastery in whatever one is doing. We call it eustress, which has different effects on the brain and motivation than stress.

Neuroscience sheds light on brain activity in a state of flow. If you are curious about scientific studies, you would be glad to find that flow is associated with increased activation of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for complex problem-solving and decision-making. Activity in the amygdala, the brain's fear center, also decreases. This allows people to take risks and explore new ideas without fear of failure or the feeling of losing something. This is crucial for companies that are exposed to highly changeable situations. This is also why the neuroscience of change is an important part of the Science of accelerated change in Enterprise Agility .

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It allows us not only to say what it is but also to know the physical and neurological effects of this state of flow.

Flow and workforce wellbeing

An organizational culture that fosters flow states has a profound impact on employee wellbeing (or Workforce Wellbeing Value , as we call it in the TriValue Company Model ). When employees regularly experience flow, they are more likely to feel engaged, motivated and satisfied with their work. This positive emotional state reduces stress and cortisol, increases creativity and improves overall job satisfaction. Employees with lower cortisol levels are also better able to assess situations.

In addition, flow experiences help to give meaning and purpose to work. When individuals are fully engaged in their work, they feel that their contribution is important and that they can make a difference. This alignment between personal values and professional tasks fosters a deep sense of fulfillment and wellbeing.

The psychological state of flow also plays a crucial role in improving an organization’s perceptual capacity (collective capabilities). When employees are in flow, they become more aware of their surroundings (sensing). They better recognize subtle cues and patterns that they might otherwise miss. This increased awareness enables them to anticipate change, identify opportunities and respond proactively to new challenges.

Did you know that a state of flow also encourages divergent thinking and creative problem-solving? If you are fully engaged in your work, you are more likely to develop new ideas and find innovative solutions to complex problems. This increased creativity and adaptability is essential for companies exposed to constant change and uncertainty.

How do you foster a psychological flow state in the workplace?

As a consultant or manager, you can take steps to create an environment that encourages flow experiences:

1. Offer challenging tasks matching employees’ skills and increase eustress instead of stress.
2. Encourage autonomy and give employees control over their work. And remember that autonomy requires visibility. If there is no visibility, individuals become stressed, and this does not allow a state of flow to flourish.
3. Give your employees clear goals and immediate feedback to keep them on track. Also, make sure they have the opportunity to ask for help as soon as they are blocked.
4. Minimize distractions and create dedicated spaces for focused work.
5. Foster a culture of psychological safety where your employees feel comfortable taking risks and trying out new ideas.

We know several organizations that introduced 20% time for innovation. This allows employees to spend part of their working time on self-directed projects. This autonomy and challenge have led to the development of innovative products. In the case of Google, it allowed them to create Gmail and AdSense.

There are other companies such as Patagonia. They encourage its employees to take “surf breaks” during the working day when the waves are good. This approach to work-life integration recognizes the importance of flowing experiences in and out of the office and results in an engaged and fulfilled workforce.

The flow state is also related to how well processes are structured and how quickly you remove obstacles in a system. You can’t be in a flow state if struggling with the system is frustrating. My good friend Wolfram Müller can tell you more about the state of psychological flow and its relationship to the theory of constraints.

The benefits of flow are obvious, but it’s important to recognize that not all tasks or roles are conducive to achieving this state. Some jobs involve repetitive tasks that don’t provide an optimal balance between challenge and skill.

In these cases, it’s important to find ways to create “micro-flow experiences” by breaking larger tasks into smaller, more challenging ones.

In a world of constant uncertainty and interruption, the psychological state of flow is no longer a luxury but a necessity. By fostering flow in the workplace, you can’t only unlock the full potential of your team and increase employee wellbeing but also set your business up to thrive in the face of challenges. Don’t forget that as a consultant or leader dealing with change, you’re investing in the resilience, adaptability, and long-term success of your business. The time to use flow is now — your team and your business depend on it. Hopefully, we can put you in a state of flow as you read this article :-)

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