Ever experienced focus so intense that you:

• Accomplish an amazing amount of high-quality work in a short period?
• Are impervious to distractions?
• Feel virtually unstoppable?

Then you’ve been in a state of “flow.”

Flow is a state in which you feel and perform your best. And it’s more than just a catch-phrase; studies validate its benefits in the workplace:

• McKinsey research cited in this Forbes.com post indicates that when employees are in a state of flow, they’re 5 times more productive than normal.
• According to research cited in this Harvard Business Review post, flow has been tied to improved performance by increasing both concentration and motivation. And it’s no surprise. With an average of 87 interruptions in a typical work day, and an average of 23 minutes to get back on task, it’s a wonder any of us accomplish anything at all!

What impedes flow in the workplace?

Bureaucracy. Cumbersome, restrictive workplace policies and processes. Lack of direction and communication. Frequent, unnecessary interruptions. In other words, anything which prevents people from doing their best, most important and most impactful work.

And how can you improve flow to drive engagement?

Not all workplace interruptions are bad; policies, processes and hierarchy are not necessarily the enemy, either. By the same token, locking your employees in quiet rooms to work isn’t a panacea, either.

So where should you focus your efforts to enhance flow – and increase your team’s engagement? Here are a few practical tips:

• Get your whole staff on board with the idea. Flow may be a new concept for many of your employees. Explain what it is, why you’re promoting it, and how they stand to benefit.
• Establish clear goals for your organization that cascade down into projects and positions. Then, work with each employee to create actionable objectives to achieve their goals. When individuals know what to do, as well as how their work fits into your organization’s “big picture,” it gives their work more focus and meaning.
• Embrace a “hacking” mindset. While not every initiative is suitable for this approach, look for opportunities where unconventional problem-solving methodologies could be applied. Create shorter, more tangible challenge-and-reward cycles for these projects to drive focus and teamwork.
• Limit distractions. Create practical policies that encourage employees to intentionally minimize interruptions (email and phone calls are huge culprits). In this earlier post, we provide great tips for getting twice as much done in half the time.
• Eliminate unnecessary meetings. Meetings can be a huge time-suck that disrupts all participants’ flow. But when meetings are essential, improve planning to increase efficiency. Distribute a clear agenda in advance with discussion items, required preparation, and a rough timeline, so that everyone gets the greatest return on their invested time.

Bottlenecks and open positions hindering your organization’s flow?

Exact Staff provides flexible access to the talented people you need. Whether you need to temporarily increase your capacity or grow your core team, our workforce experts are ready to meet your local or national staffing needs.