Session #5 - Flow
Session Purpose
In this session, participants will learn what flow really is and how to achieve it at work.
Agenda & Pre-Session Guidance
| Session Component | Allotted Time |
|---|---|
| 1. Sharing (reflections on prior week’s emotional intelligence exercises) | 10 min |
| 2. Teaching: core definition and properties of flow | 20 min |
| 3. Methods to increase flow at work | 20 min |
| 4. Group reflection | 10 min |
Instruction: Participants should keep a notebook to record key takeaways and unanswered questions from the session, for use in follow-up communications.
1. Sharing Round
- Process: Participants take turns speaking clockwise around the table to reflect on the previous week’s emotional intelligence practice, including:
- Which emotions appeared most frequently during meditation
- Whether they were able to apply meditation techniques in non-meditation situations
- Facilitation Rules for Trainers:
- Allow each participant to speak until they are finished; do not rush reflections or steer their sharing
- Do not force participants to share details about their inner states or the causes of those states; treat personal sharing with sensitivity
- Prioritize creating a safe, trusted space for voluntary sharing, as deep sincerity in this space drives most training breakthroughs
- Require participants to leave phones and laptops outside the session space to build trust and respect for the personal nature of the training
2. Teaching: Core Concepts of Flow
Key Characteristics of Flow
Flow is a high-performance psychological state defined by three universal traits:
- Loss of awareness of time
- Enjoyment of the activity being performed
- Active effort/pushing of personal ability
Benefits of Flow for Teams
Maximizing flow states across a team directly increases both individual well-being and overall team productivity, making it a high-priority work practice.
Prerequisites for Achieving Flow
Three conditions must be met to enter a flow state:
- The activity must feel meaningful (tied to individual or team purpose)
- The activity must be appropriately challenging (tied to mastery development)
- The individual must work completely undisturbed
Trainer Note: The first two conditions align with common workplace priorities of Purpose and Mastery, while the undisturbed work condition is the most challenging to implement in typical modern work environments, which are structured to encourage constant digital and physical distraction.
3. Methods to Increase Flow at Work
Core Intervention: Daily Flow Hour
- Start small: Implement a 1-hour daily undisturbed work period for all team members. This can be completed remotely (home, coffee shop) or in-office, as long as no interruptions are permitted.
- Tactics to eliminate digital distractions:
- Shut down email clients during the flow period
- Use distraction-blocking tools (e.g., Freedom, Self-Control) to disable internet access or block specific websites
- Batch email processing: Work offline to draft responses to all pending emails, then send all messages at once when reconnected to the internet
- Context: While this intervention appears simple, participants in prior trainings consistently report no desire to return to constantly interrupted work, and many extend their daily flow time beyond 1 hour over time.
Connection to Meditation Practice
Meditation addresses inner distractions that can break flow, complementing external distraction-reduction tactics for individuals who struggle to focus even with digital/physical restrictions removed.
Group Homework
Schedule a 1-hour daily flow period for all team members, with no phones, optional internet disablement, and a strict ban on physical distractions (e.g., book a private conference room for in-office flow time).
4. Closing Reflection Round
- Process: Participants take turns speaking counter-clockwise to reflect on flow, including:
- Level of excitement about implementing the daily flow hour
- Whether the team already has sufficient Purpose and Mastery foundations to support flow, or if those areas need improvement first
- Facilitation Rules for Trainers:
- Allow each participant to speak until finished
- Answer all participant questions, and document any unanswered questions to follow up on
- Inform participants you will remain after the session to answer 1-on-1 questions
- Close the session by thanking participants for their time and attention
Extra Guidance & Additional Material
- Flow can be more easily achieved in high-stakes/high-engagement activities (e.g., mountain biking); ask participants to share where they already experience flow in their personal lives (e.g., video games, gardening) to build personal connection to the concept.
- Disable all non-essential phone notifications, and delete non-essential apps/email accounts (only add them back if they are proven necessary for work) to reduce baseline distraction risk.
- Implementing a daily flow hour requires adjusting team communication habits: teams must plan ahead to identify needs from colleagues in advance, rather than interrupting immediately.
- Recommended flow-aligned communication hierarchy:
- Email: For requests with a 1-2 day response timeline
- Slack: For requests needed within 1 hour
- In-person interruption: Only permitted for active crisis situations
Navigation
Session #4 - Emotional intelligence | Team Awareness Training | Session #6 - Company culture