The Power of Synergy
Creating Flow on Your Team
The directions were simple.
At least, that’s what our clients thought a few weeks ago when I met them in Scottsdale, Arizona to facilitate an in-person team-building exercise.
The goal was for their team to collectively bring a tent pole, that rested upon each of their outheld fingers, from the height of their hips to the ground. Sounds pretty simple, right?
But simple doesn’t always mean easy. Even the most straight-forward of tasks, when done as a team, requires having certain structures in place in order to be completed successfully (but more on that later).
Case-in-point: collectively lowering the pole proved to be a whole lot more difficult than anyone expected. Instead of it dropping easily to the ground, the pole kept floating higher and higher as people struggled to keep it balanced on their fingers, rising beyond some peoples’ reach altogether. Frustration increased with the pole’s lack of stability, as the team struggled to move it in unison while it seemed to take on a mind of its own, snaking around the room and continuing to rise toward the ceiling rather than the floor as instructed. With this increased frustration we saw team members falling away from the task or simply losing interest as their goal seemed increasingly out of reach with no apparent solution.
“Come on people, where are your hips?” one team member roared, reminding them that the instructions were to start at hip level. As you can see from the image below, though, the pole is nowhere near their hips…or the ground.
As leaders guiding our teams towards shared goals, this is the last thing we want to happen; for our teams to flounder in frustration, to abandon their tasks, to lose hope of there being a solution. And yet, we’ve all been there at some point – the pointing of the fingers, the blaming, the confusion, the looking up and down the line and
yelling commands that ultimately just yield even more frustration and confusion. No matter what industry you’re in, you’ve likely seen a version of this in some capacity, because this is real-life stuff.
Is there a better way, though?
You bet. And it’s likely that many of us have found it, even if fleetingly or only during certain tasks or projects: Flow. That most enigmatic of states where alignment abounds – where our minds are too focused to worry, our tasks are just challenging enough to excite but not completely overwhelm us, and we find joy and ease in the process of reaching our goals.
Oftentimes, the idea of flow is associated with athletic or artistic pursuits – when people find their groove and seem to glide through a game or the creation of something without a hitch in the fabric.
I’d argue, though, that flow can be found in many areas of life, and that the workplace in particular is a place where we can set our teams up to find it. But how?
Remember those structures I mentioned near the beginning of this article? The not-so-secret secret is that it’s all about the structures of support that we put in place for our teams. Things like:
Ensuring everyone is being driven by the same sense of purpose, working towards a collective vision (meaning everyone’s clear on what the end result looks like) and with a shared set of values (meaning everyone’s on board with why you do what you do)
Clear communication and understanding of roles (meaning everyone is clear on the actions they need to take in order for the team to reach its goals)
Foundational support (like systems and processes that allow teams to get from point a to point b while effectively managing their resources)
A sound culture (meaning an atmosphere where people are mentally and emotionally supported to show up as their best, most productive selves)
When these kinds of structures are missing – when people aren’t working with a shared sense of purpose and defined values, don’t know the details or importance of their individual roles as related to the whole, don’t have the systems or processes they need to function in an organized way, and don’t have a culture that supports them as human beings – you get tent poles hovering in the air when they should be squarely on the ground (which, to be clear, did eventually happen, as this resilient team actually works great together, as evidenced in the photo below).
When you do have these structures in place, you get people who are equipped with the knowledge, resources and support they need to show up fully and allow their teammates to do the same; you get people who are empowered, energized by their work because it challenges them in a way that’s exciting, motivated to do their best because they understand what they’re working towards, and engaged in the process because they know the importance of their roles.
And when all of those pieces come together, you’re much more likely to get the aligned feeling of flow, which not only leads your team in the right direction, but may also offer a whole host of benefits for individuals – such as increased happiness, enhanced cognitive function, and reduced stress and anxiety, according to an article from Vail Health.
In an age of chronic burnout and on the heels of the Great Resignation, it’s become more important than ever for companies to strive for more than mere survival or the bare minimum of basic productivity; we have to set our sites on thriving, on leaning into what supports us as people and mirroring that in how we support our teams.
If you’re interested in an easy-to-use tool to assess the health and functionality of your own team, I invite you to take a look at our free PRIDE Assessment. It’s a great tool to determine where to focus in setting up those support structures (Purpose, Roles, Infrastructure, Dynamics, Execute) so that everyone on your team can thrive and find flow in their work.
Integrated Growth specializes in organizational effectiveness and leadership consulting. We build award winning leadership development programs, facilitate strategic planning and team development initiatives, and provide coaching for leaders and their teams.
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AUTHOR – Gretchen Reid is the Founder and Chief Change and Leadership Architect for Integrated Growth. She has spent over 25 years coaching leaders and creating award-winning Leadership and Talent Development Programs, directly contributing to multiple awards for her clients, including Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Forbes America’s Best Employers List, Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, and ASTD BEST. She is an Adjunct Professor of Change Management in the Strategic HR Masters Program, Denver University, University College. (MS, Career and Human Resource Development, Rochester Institute of Technology, BA, Psychology & Business Management, University of Rochester)