The Triple Helix of Flow: The Flow System Playbook with John Turner, PhD and Nigel Thurlow | Ep 51
Oct 24, 2023
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In this podcast, Ponch talks with John Turner, PhD and Nigel Thurlow about the upcoming Flow System Playbook. They discuss the importance of applying the methods and techniques of the Flow System to unique contexts and how their diverse backgrounds have shaped the playbook. They delve into the Triple Helix of Flow and its role in achieving flow through complexity thinking, distributive leadership, and team science. The discussion also covers the significance of organizational coaching, distributed leadership, and the wealth of knowledge contained within the playbook.
The Flow System Playbook offers practical methods and techniques to address complex problems in organizations based on their unique context.
The Flow System Playbook is grounded in empirical data and bridges the gap between theory and practice by incorporating diverse research and practical insights.
The flow system provides a holistic approach to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness in knowledge work environments by focusing on flow, team dynamics, and distributed leadership.
Deep dives
The Flow System Playbook: Understanding the Intention and Implementation
The podcast episode discusses the upcoming release of the Flow System Playbook and addresses concerns about its potential failure. The hosts emphasize that the Flow System Playbook is not a one-size-fits-all framework, but rather a system of learning and understanding. They stress the importance of context and the need to actively engage in change, rather than simply buying into a framework. The playbook provides various methods, tools, and techniques for understanding and operating in different environments and contexts. It emphasizes the interconnection of the three helixes of flow: complex systems thinking, distributed leadership, and team science. By utilizing the playbook, organizations can develop a deeper understanding of complex problems and apply a combination of methods based on their unique context.
From Theory to Practice: Building trust in the Flow System
The podcast explores the trustworthiness of the flow system, considering its evidence-based foundation. The Flow System Playbook references a wide array of research from leadership, complexity, and team science fields, as well as practical insights from Toyota. By incorporating these diverse streams of research and practice, the playbook bridges the divide between theory and practice. It offers methods, techniques, and tools that are proven to work based on empirical data, rather than relying solely on opinions or case-based results. The playbook provides clear guidance on how to apply these methods, encouraging teams to adapt and customize solutions based on their specific problems and context. Thus, it emphasizes praxis, the practical application of knowledge, rather than a rigid methodology or prescription.
The Relevance of the Flow System in Today's Organizational Challenges
The podcast examines the relevance of the flow system in today's organizations, particularly in the field of knowledge work. It acknowledges that traditional agile frameworks often fail to address challenges related to organizational design, constraints, and bottlenecks. The flow system offers a holistic approach that combines principles from complexity thinking, distributed leadership, team science, and the Toyota production system. By focusing on flow as a construct, the flow system helps organizations identify and alleviate constrictions to value flow within their unique contexts. It emphasizes the importance of team dynamics, learning, and removing bottlenecks to achieve flow. As organizations have been implementing agile for years with limited success, the flow system provides a fresh perspective and a more effective way to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness in complex knowledge work environments.
Importance of Internal Capability and Qualified Coaching
Having internal capability is essential for the success of the flow system, as relying solely on external capabilities is not effective. Additionally, the lack of qualified coaching poses a significant challenge. It is crucial for practitioners to have real-world experience and expertise in the areas they coach. Superficial training and certifications can be misleading and do not provide the necessary depth or practical knowledge to drive effective change within organizations.
Distributed Leadership and its Role in Organizational Capacity
As organizations grow and become more complex, traditional top-down leadership models are insufficient to deal with the challenges. The flow system emphasizes the importance of distributed leadership, where decision-making is shared across all levels of the organization. This approach allows for better handling of complexity and enables individuals at every level to develop the necessary skills to address problems effectively. Building organizational capacity requires training and empowering individuals at various levels, from self-leadership to functional and executive leadership, to create a culture of shared responsibility and ownership in problem-solving.
Ever wondered how to bridge the gap between theory and practice when dealing with complex problems in your organization? Are you searching for practical and evidence based solutions that address human factors, human performance, and mental health? As we discuss the upcoming Flow System Playbook, set to release in November, we take you on a deep dive into the evidence-based approach of the Flow System. We highlight the importance of comprehending how to apply the methods and techniques to your unique context.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn as we, Ponch, Professor John Turner and Nigel Thurlow, reflect on our diverse backgrounds, from flying fighter jets to working on the production line. We share insights on how these experiences have shaped the Flow System Playbook. We also discuss the Flow System's potential in bridging the gap between theory and practice when dealing with complex problems. We delve into the application of the Triple Helix of Flow in interconnecting the complexity thinking, distributive leadership, and team science to achieve flow. The conversation doesn't stop there as we also highlight the importance of adapting in organizational coaching and the critical role of distributed leadership.
Finally, we explore the wealth of knowledge contained within the Flow System Playbook, the role of the practitioner, and the power of understanding this knowledge. We highlight the new Hexi Tool included in the book, which allows for exploration and facilitating workshops. We also shed light on free tools and resources provided to help organizations get started with the Flow System. So come, join us, as we navigate the fascinating concepts of the Flow System Playbook and discover how it can help you and your organization handle complexity with ease. Get Flow Trained The Flow Guide (Free download) The Flow System John Turner, PhD on Linkedin
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