Have you ever found yourself in a state of near effortless focus? Where you aren’t paying attention to your phone or other tasks and instead are hyper-concentrated on a particular project or job. This situation is what it is like to be in a state of flow.
Long-time followers of our work at ELI will know that the “Godfather of Flow Psychology,” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, has profoundly influenced our work to understand the entrepreneurial mindset. Building off of his work, researchers have found 22 “flow triggers” with the potential for many others. In this interview with Big Think, author Steven Kotler breaks down how to get into a flow state using these triggers and breaks down the critical intrinsic motivators within all of us.
Researchers often cite high-performing athletes and successful artists since these people are often entering into a flow state. But what’s encouraging about this state is that we all contain the fundamental motivational factors that could enable us to enter the flow. Moreover, it isn’t specific to any domain or situation. We can practice getting there by learning the flow triggers that impact us. Knowing how to tap into this state could prove extremely useful when setting out on an entrepreneurial discovery journey.
So, what changes can we start to make to get ourselves into a state of flow?
Effectuation, or as we at ELI, like to say, “go in order to know,” is a crucial feature of an entrepreneurial mindset. For decades, MBA students and budding entrepreneurs have learned to analyze market research, create a business plan, and look for ways to predict all outcomes for a future endeavor. But for most entrepreneurs making a go of it on their own, the exact opposite logic is often applied. The theory of effectuation, developed by researcher Saras Sarasvathy, has opened the door to understanding this logic.
Most successful entrepreneurs take action quickly, reducing the risk factor by often experimenting with their existing means. In this overview of effectuation, we learn of a worldview and four guiding principles that most “expert entrepreneurs” take. By embracing and practicing these principles and the underlying worldview, entrepreneurs enter into an effectual cycle. By instilling these principles in their early startup, entrepreneurs also enable their teams to enter the cycle, further reducing risk to the venture. This model is something anyone can embrace and has immense value even beyond a startup.
When considering how to get into a state of flow or to use effectuation, perhaps the most important first step is to focus on what we individually have control over. Are you focusing on what others do to you, or are you looking at how your choices and behaviors guide you into the future? These types of questions are central to understanding one’s locus of control.
A term from social learning theory and social psychology, one’s locus of control is essentially how much control you believe you have over your life. Those with an external locus of control tend to believe that, despite their actions, their life is determined by fate, chance, or powerful others. An internal locus of control, however, implies that you take ownership of your life and its outcomes. You focus on what you can control.
For successful entrepreneurs, an internal locus of control is, in many ways, a prerequisite. What is encouraging, however, is that we can work to change our outlook on life. It is important to focus on what we can control to take the first step toward discovering an opportunity. While some of us may not default to this belief, beginning to practice letting go of what we cannot control can help to build the belief within ourselves.
If we are going to tap into the virtuous cycles of effectuation, collaboration, and flow, we need to start by believing in ourselves.
To wrap up this month’s Top of Mind, let’s turn our attention to groups and organizations. While individuals can clearly benefit from things like the flow state or learning to use effectual reasoning, how can an organization better embrace this energy too? The short answer is innovation.
Now a buzzword used by all manner of marketers, salespeople, and large companies to imply forward-thinking, many organizations are leaving significant potential on the table when it comes to actually being innovative.
In this white paper written and researched by the American Management Association (AMA), we learn that “Innovation is simply the creation, development, and execution of new and valuable processes, services, or products. It can range from modest changes that improve a single individual or team’s work processes incrementally to radical new ideas that can have impact across an entire organization. Both incremental and radical innovation have their place in gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage.”
So yes, while the term is often overused, innovative teams are still advantageous and, in many ways, necessary to adapt. But what does it take to become more innovative? In large part, it’s about creating a space for employees to tackle challenges in their industry head-on, promoting a sense of autonomy and mastery in their roles. An innovative, agile company shares many characteristics with an entrepreneurial person. By promoting things like experimentation, curiosity, and collaboration, managers can help move their teams toward innovative, entrepreneurial solutions.
Download this white paper to review what the AMA believes are critical ways to develop a more innovative team and organization.
