The importance of team flow in the practice of professional organizations

Being innovative, creative, and productive as an organization requires effective collaboration in small teams. Flow is a state we experience when we are fully absorbed in an activity, accompanied by a motivated and energetic focus. In a moment of team flow, we experience this together while performing mutually dependent tasks for the team's interest. Research on flow has shown that flow leads to better performance, more job satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness, creativity, and meaning. If the right conditions are created to put everyone's strengths into flow, members of teams and organizations could together express their maximum potential. Therefore, wouldn't it be great if, during team collaboration, people experienced flow together?

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Blog

The importance of team flow in the practice of professional organizations

Being innovative, creative, and productive as an organization requires effective collaboration in small teams. Flow is a state we experience when we are fully absorbed in an activity, accompanied by a motivated and energetic focus. In a moment of team flow, we experience this together while performing mutually dependent tasks for the team's interest. Research on flow has shown that flow leads to better performance, more job satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness, creativity, and meaning. If the right conditions are created to put everyone's strengths into flow, members of teams and organizations could together express their maximum potential. Therefore, wouldn't it be great if, during team collaboration, people experienced flow together?

Being innovative, creative, and productive as an organization requires effective collaboration in small teams. Flow is a state we experience when we are fully absorbed in an activity, accompanied by a motivated and energetic focus. In a moment of team flow, we experience this together while performing mutually dependent tasks for the team’s interest. Research on flow has shown that flow leads to better performance, more job satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness, creativity, and meaning. If the right conditions are created to put everyone’s strengths into flow, members of teams and organizations could together express their maximum potential. Therefore, wouldn’t it be great if, during team collaboration, people experienced flow together?

Team flow is thus the moment when all team members experience flow together during the performance of their interdependent personal tasks, resulting from optimized team dynamics. This optimal team dynamic is formed by 11 elements that can be distinguished into seven conditions and four experience characteristics. In the team flow animation below, the genesis process of team flow is made clear.

Team flow thus arises from the awakening of a collective ambition that then crystallizes into concrete, challenging shared goals with task divisions where everyone is at their strongest. This optimal form of cooperation proceeds effortlessly and energetically, and one enjoys moments of team flow long after.

Based on scientific research, we have a team development program to guide teams toward an optimal climate of cooperation. In practice, this program has already proven itself with many teams. It is simple, positive, and to the point, and that is why it works.

As a team coach, do you want to independently use the Team Flow Model and the methodologies and tools in the Team Flow Trajectory within your own organization or that of your clients? Then, follow one of our courses or trainings from the Team Flow Academy!

Want to read more? Here are some publications you might like.

Jef van den Hout
1 Dec 2016
Jef van den Hout
1 Dec 2016
teamflow

Summary Thesis in the Journal of Positive Psychology

The first issue of the 2017 Journal of Positive Psychology contains a nice description of my research on team flow.
Jef van den Hout
28 Aug 2018
Jef van den Hout
28 Aug 2018
teamflow

The Conceptualization of Team Flow

In August 2018, Jef van den Hout, Orin Davis and Mathieu Weggeman published the article “The Conceptualization of Team Flow” in the scientific journal “The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied.” This involved an extensive literature review which led to a generic model with propositions for research on the relationships between individual flow and team flow.
Jef van den Hout
5 Dec 2022
Jef van den Hout
5 Dec 2022
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SPOTLIGHT: Team Flow Coach Lies Verstraete

Flow Concepts offers training to become a certified Team Flow Coach. In the SPOTLIGHT section, we always shine our spotlight on one of our affiliated Team Flow Coaches. In this blog, we do so on Lies Verstraete. Lies was our first Belgian participant in the Team Flow Training, after which we immediately gave her the confidence to independently market the team flow philosophy and related tools of Flow Concepts in Belgium! She now does this with great compassion, pleasure, and satisfaction!

Wondering how we can increase the likelihood of team flow within your organization?

Let’s schedule an intake session to see how we can help you move forward.

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