Understanding and applying neuroscience to ancient wisdom can enhance human performance.
Positive psychology practices like gratitude and mindfulness lay the foundation for flow.
Group flow can be achieved through shared goals, concentration, ego blending, familiarity, and open communication.
Finding the right balance between challenge and skill, autonomy, and present moment attention is crucial for flow and optimal performance.
Deep dives
Eastern traditions and modern language
Mind you, eastern traditions have been discussing similar concepts for thousands of years, but now we are able to understand and work with these ideas using modern language and scientific understanding.
Positive psychology and flow triggers
Positive psychology offers a baseline for high performance and happiness, with practices like gratitude, mindfulness, and cultivating personal strengths. Flow triggers, such as passion, purpose, risk, novelty, and complexity, can enhance the experience of flow.
Group flow and creativity
Group flow, such as in improv comedy or collaborative creative endeavors, can be achieved through triggers like shared goals, complete concentration on the present moment, blending egos, familiarity, and open communication. Creative triggers, such as pattern recognition, can also lead to flow experiences.
Challenge-skill balance and achievement
Finding the optimal challenge-skill balance is crucial for flow. By increasing the challenge just slightly beyond our current skill level, we can enter a flow state. Balancing autonomy, clear goals, and attention to the present moment can also contribute to achieving optimal performance.
The Toyota Manufacturing Process and the Importance of Autonomy
Toyota introduced a fabled manufacturing process that revolutionized productivity by upping the challenge skills balance. Workers were encouraged to improve the production line and had autonomy to do so, leading to increased flow and higher job satisfaction.
Facebook's Hack-a-Month Program and the Importance of Job Autonomy
Facebook implemented the hack-a-month program, allowing employees to move horizontally and explore different roles within the company. This program increased novelty and complexity in the challenge skills balance, leading to higher levels of flow and greater contributions to different departments.
Immediate Feedback and its Impact on Flow
Immediate feedback is crucial for achieving flow. Examples include action sports, where performance is immediately observed, and software development, where releasing products with limited features allows for user feedback and continuous improvement. Immediate feedback enhances performance and increases flow.
TODAY´S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FLOW RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Are you an entrepreneur, a leader, or a knowledge worker, who wants to harness the power of flow so you can get more done in less time with greater ease and accomplish your boldest professional goals faster? If you´ve answered this question with “hell yes” then our peak-performance training Zero to Dangerous may be a good fit for you. If this sounds of interest to you all you need to do is go to getmoreflow.com right now, pop in your application and one of our team members will be in touch with you very soon.
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“Eastern Traditions have been saying similar things… for thousands of years, now what we’re getting is things turned into a modern language. Where we can understand what people are talking about and actually work with more and understand that neuroscience is sitting at the heart of this.” ~ Steven Kotler
ABOUT THE GUEST:
STEVEN KOTLER is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and Founder and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance.
His books include The Art of Impossible, Stealing Fire, and The Rise of Superman. His work has been translated into over 40 languages and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, The Harvard Business Review and Forbes.
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If you order Steven's new book, The Art of Impossible, right now, you’ll get $1,500 of free bonuses immediately dropped into your inbox. They include secret chapters he has never released, masterclasses on key skills to help you jack up motivation, heighten creativity, and accelerate learning. You’ll also get an entirely free training to help you fight distraction and spend more time in flow. So click the link here, snag yourself a copy of The Art of Impossible, and let’s get after it. 👉 https://www.theartofimpossible.com/
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