motivation

Business Leaders – Got Flow?

August 21, 2024 By Patti Cotton Leave a Comment

Have you ever been so immersed in an activity that time seemed to fly by?

That’s what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow”—a state of complete immersion characterized by intense focus and enjoyment. In a flow state, your skills are perfectly matched to the challenge at hand, leading to effortless involvement and deep concentration.

Why Does Flow Matter for You as a Business Leader?

Flow is not just a psychological concept; it’s a game-changer for business leaders. When leaders experience flow, their productivity and creativity skyrocket. They work at their optimal level, managing stress and avoiding burnout by finding intrinsic satisfaction in their tasks.

Flow Activities for Leaders

You don’t need an exotic vacation to attain flow. Here are some activities that might surprise you:

Professional Activities: Strategic planning sessions, problem-solving workshops, innovation brainstorming meetings, and in-depth project work can all trigger flow.
Personal Activities: Painting, writing, playing a musical instrument, gardening, or sports provide a mental break and stimulate creativity, contributing to a balanced life.

How to Achieve Flow

Set Clear Goals

Flow begins with clarity. Set clearly defined, achievable goals to enter a flow state. Break larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps to maintain focus and motivation. For example, developing a new strategic plan can start with researching market trends, brainstorming with key team members, and then drafting the plan.

Balance Challenge and Skill

The sweet spot for flow lies in balancing your skills with the right level of challenge. Tasks that are too easy lead to boredom, while overly difficult tasks cause anxiety. Gradually increase the complexity of tasks as your skills improve. For instance, seasoned leaders might challenge themselves with new market expansion strategies, while newer leaders focus on improving team communication skills.

Eliminate Distractions

Create an environment conducive to focus, free from interruptions. Use time-blocking for deep work, focus apps to minimize digital distractions, and designate a quiet workspace. Communicate with your team about the importance of uninterrupted time for key tasks. If you experience consistent interruptions, note any trends and devise a plan to redirect these.

For example, one of my clients felt he could not block off two hours without interruption. We learned that many of these were instances where things could wait, and he taught his executive assistant to triage these and schedule or redirect them to someone else.

Outcome?

More than 90% of his interruptions disappeared.

Foster Intrinsic Motivation

Engage in activities that are inherently rewarding and align tasks with your personal values and interests. Intrinsic motivation sustains focus and enjoyment, making it easier to enter a flow state. Reflect on what aspects of your work you find most fulfilling and seek to incorporate more of those elements into your daily routine.

Benefits of Flow for Business Leaders

Enhanced Productivity

Flow leads to significant increases in efficiency and output. Leaders in flow complete complex tasks more quickly and effectively. For example, a CEO in flow might streamline operations or develop innovative solutions that boost organizational efficiency.

Improved Creativity

Flow fosters a mindset conducive to creative thinking and problem-solving. Leaders are more likely to generate novel ideas and innovative solutions. Consider a healthcare executive who experiences flow during strategic retreats, developing breakthrough strategies that position their facility as a leader in patient care.

Greater Job Satisfaction

Regularly experiencing flow leads to higher job satisfaction and fulfillment. Engaging in deeply rewarding activities contributes to a sense of purpose and achievement. Leaders who cultivate flow in their professional and personal lives often report greater overall happiness and career satisfaction.

Better Stress Management

Flow helps reduce stress and promotes mental well-being by providing a sense of accomplishment and intrinsic satisfaction. Leaders can use flow as a tool for relaxation and mental rejuvenation by engaging in hobbies or exercise that induce flow.

Enhanced Decision-Making

Flow improves cognitive functions essential for making sound decisions. Leaders in flow process information more efficiently and make more informed choices. For instance, a business leader might develop a comprehensive and effective response to a market shift while in a flow state.

Increased Resilience and Adaptability

Regular engagement in flow activities builds resilience and adaptability, helping leaders handle challenges and crises more effectively. Flow activities encourage a growth mindset, enabling leaders to view challenges as opportunities for development.

Stronger Team Dynamics

Encouraging team members to find and engage in their own flow activities can lead to improved collaboration and team performance. Creating a work environment that values deep work and focused engagement can boost overall productivity and morale.

Elevated Leadership Presence

Leaders who regularly experience flow are more inspiring and motivational to others. Their ability to focus and achieve results sets a positive example for their teams. A CEO who prioritizes flow activities may develop a reputation for being calm, focused, and highly effective, attracting top talent and fostering a strong organizational culture.

Practical Steps for Integrating Flow into Leadership

Incorporate Flow into Daily Routines

Schedule specific times for flow activities into your daily routine, balancing professional responsibilities with personal interests. For example, set aside an hour each morning for strategic planning or a favorite hobby before diving into daily meetings.

Assess Training and Development Programs

Implement workshops and training sessions on achieving flow for leaders and teams. Encourage ongoing learning and skill development to facilitate flow. Organizations can offer training on time management, mindfulness, and goal setting to help leaders and employees enter flow more easily.

Create a Supportive Environment

Design workplaces that support deep work and minimize distractions. Encourage practices that promote focus, such as quiet hours and designated deep workspaces. Foster a culture that values focus, creativity, and well-being by recognizing and rewarding employees who demonstrate flow and high engagement.

The Importance of Flow for Leaders

In summary, flow enhances productivity, creativity, job satisfaction, and stress management while positively impacting leadership abilities. Leaders who regularly engage in flow activities are more effective, resilient, and satisfied – a pretty powerful business case.

The Call to Action

Here’s your personal challenge: Embrace the transformative power of flow for leadership and personal fulfillment! Start small and gradually integrate flow activities into your life. Experiment with different activities and strategies to find what works best for you. And drop me a line to let me know how it’s working for you.

Reference

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

Redefining Success: Aligning Your Leadership Role with Personal Fulfillment

August 7, 2024 By Patti Cotton Leave a Comment

It’s been a rough four years. No matter where you stand with the events of today’s world, we have experienced unprecedented challenges.

And it has taken its toll.

More business leaders are leaving their roles than at any other time in our lifetime (McKinsey, Forbes). And that echoes the sentiment I am hearing from so many of you. It’s no longer enough for you to weather the proverbial storms in order to reach organizational goals. It’s not enough to persevere in hiring and retaining the right talent to do the job. It’s not enough to feel as though you averted another crisis, completed another long day, and made it through yet another challenge.

On a scale of 1-5, how fulfilled are you as a leader? In your work? Your life?

Perhaps it is time to redefine success.

In the past, success has often been defined by career achievements. But over the last four years, as we have faced unmatched crises and a new and seemingly foreign business landscape, this definition has fallen short. Business leaders are asking for more…not more money, not more opportunities, but for more personal fulfillment. They seek more ease in leading – and more of a personal reward for filling those big shoes.

The fact is, personal fulfillment doesn’t come from occasional exotic trips or long weekends to regroup and re-energize. True fulfillment encompasses both professional and personal aspects of life.

It doesn’t have to be this hard.

And lest you think that this is soft stuff, allow me to make a business case for your personal fulfillment.

Some outcomes from leaders who embrace this include positive energy and motivation, role modeling, improved communication, better decision-making, increased resilience, more empathy and understanding, positive culture, and higher employee retention. The list is significant.

James, CEO and founder of a tech company, had lost his motivation and energy despite his company’s growth and success.

“There’s no excitement in leading anymore,” he shared. “We reach goals, or we don’t – and the alarming thing is, I’m beginning not to care.”

James claimed an overwhelming workload and a constant pressure to perform. But after exploring this in depth with him, the real issue became apparent: there was a lack of alignment between his professional achievements and his personal values.

Digging deeper, I discovered that James’ definition of success was narrowly focused on business metrics, without having defined first his vision of personal fulfillment.

Further, after conducting a comprehensive assessment, it was clear that James did not know how to tap into his top strengths for energy, and his approach conflicted with his top values – a recipe for burnout.

This called for a coaching intervention to help James develop a new definition of success incorporating personal happiness and wellbeing alongside professional achievements.

The Jumpstart

As so many of my clients appreciate, we met for an initial two-day jumpstart away from the office to fast-track the process. This was helpful in elevating James’ sense of hope, energy, clarity, and direction. It was necessary to define James’ values, personal mission and vision before moving on to the business.

This is a key factor that is often missed and, if not done well, can create chronic conflict in the leadership experience. We redefined James’ strengths, as he had taken multiple assessments over time, some of which were not reliable and others which were limited in scope (note to the reader: assessments are not apples and apples – beware!) During that initial two days, we also created a strategic plan to align his daily activities and long-term goals with his newly defined success criteria. This plan addressed both his business leadership and life.

The Deep Dive

With this as our GPS, we then coached over the next year. This is deep and transformational work, including shifting habits and approaches formed over years of time, reshaping the stories that James told himself to open up more potential, and removing roadblocks and triggers that had previously held him in place.

The Result

James’ enthusiasm and joy of leading was re-energized. This had a cascade effect on his executive team and on the company, since a leader’s influence is significant on culture and outcomes. Some of the results for his company included increased productivity, better work-life balance, improved team morale, and overall business growth.

What about you? What is your personal definition of success?

Does it include both career achievements and personal fulfillment? Are you aligned in your values and tapping into your top strengths daily as you lead?

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

How to Prepare for Unexpected Change

November 6, 2019 By Patti Cotton Leave a Comment

Change is inevitable. As the world changes, so we must adapt. When you lead, this means change management on a large scale. When you aren’t in charge, it means that you must know what to anticipate so that you can lower your own stress and support your team through the process.

How do you plan for change, even if it’s unexpected?

Understanding the four stages of change will help you to meet it proactively so that you can avoid pitfall and accelerate positive outcomes.

The Change Curve – the Four Stages of Change

The Change Curve is a popular model that explains how organizations and people move through change. It’s helpful to understand so that you can help lead change – whether or not you are in charge. There are many variations of this, but we think that Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, well-known for her work on personal transitions with grief and bereavement, was the originator of the concept.

The Change Curve outlines four stages that people experience as they adjust and adapt to change. I’ve placed recommendations behind each of these to share how you can develop a framework for a change plan if and when change must occur.

Stage 1. Shock and Denial.

This is a time to reinforce trust. Keep the vision and mission in front and reinforce stability. Exhibit authenticity through open and timely communication throughout all levels of the business. The communications need to share what the change is, why it is needed, and the benefits to this. Share what you do know and what you don’t know. Built trust through sharing how and when they can anticipate more answers as you know them.

When you are in charge, you will want to make sure that these communications are shared in a timely way with your team, and that you allow time for questions and discussion. Be transparent by identifying those answers you don’t have, rather than trying to come up with a slick answer. Keep your door open. Remind them that change is constant, and that you are confident you and the team can work through this.

When someone else is in charge, be authentic through asking your questions during the group’s meeting time instead of doing this in corners outside the meeting. This keeps the team intact and allows all to benefit from discussing the topic and learning from it. Decide that you can use this change to showcase your knowledge and skills, and that if some of those are not yet learned, that this is an opportunity to do so.

Stage 2. Reactions and Resistance.

Understand that the threat of change can be real. People will wonder how they need to shift or change their way of working in order to remain effective. And some may even fear losing their position. This is a time when you will want to draw from empathy and compassion as performance may dip temporarily. Put yourself in the shoes of others and be tough on issues, tender on people.

When you are in charge, encourage your people by touching base more frequently with them, asking how you can help. Remember that as people struggle to adapt, they may exhibit additional stress in different ways. Stay focused on the issue and not the personality as you manage this.

When someone else is in charge, check your attitude. Keep the bigger picture in mind and support your colleagues through positive thoughts and language. If someone appears to have a rough moment or day, ask if you can help, rather than to avoid them.

Stage 3. Turning Point to Acceptance.

Change requires courage and humility. Taking on new ways of operating together, of performing work means making mistakes and pushing through until success is met.

When you are in charge, admit that mistakes will be made and that this is a time of learning. Show your courage and humility by sharing a bit of how you are learning as well. Continue to communicate frequently and to acknowledge wins and positive behaviors in the team.

When someone else is in charge, recall how you have successfully moved through change in the past and hold realistic expectations for your learning. Ask your leader how you are doing and check in as you need to in order to get a pulse on anything you need to do differently at this stage.

Stage 4. Embracing and Managing Change.

Motivation is key here (and of course, it is key all through the four stages!). Acknowledging wins and linking these wins to results needs to be stressed. As people master new ways of doing and operating individually and together, these culture shifts in mindset and behaviors can falter under stress. Sharing incremental wins and the results they engender is key.

When you are in charge, recognition is key here. Any incremental wins, results, in behaviors such as heightened teamwork, performance, mastery of a skill or effective problem-solving is fair game for celebration. Share these celebrations with your team as a way to motivate them and move them forward.

When someone else is in charge, pat yourself on the back as you master a step in a new process or way of doing. As you notice the positive aspects of working together on projects or initiatives, recognize this and acknowledge it to those involved. Celebrate to reinforce and motivate yourself and others.

Change can be challenging, but change can be exciting. It’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and to celebrate this. It can provide career opportunities, help the business to make greater impact on community and society. Making change should always mean making things better. Approaching this in a proactive way is always much more rewarding.

HOW MUCH

DO OTHERS REALLY TRUST YOU?

Learn the two vital parts to trust and how they can help you become a more highly effective leader.

GET THE INFOGRAPHIC

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

How to Retain Your Top Talent

April 3, 2019 By Patti Cotton Leave a Comment

What keeps CEOs up at night?

Lots of things.

But their #1 concern is attracting and retaining great talent.

And many companies do better at attracting this talent than keeping it.

How much are you losing if you can’t figure this out?

That depends. If you need to retain highly complex positions (managers, software developers and such), you risk missing out up to 800% more productivity, because superior talent is up to 8 times more productive (Keller and Meaney, Leading Organizations).

What is the answer?

Make your company so attractive that no one wants to leave.

Here are five ways to do this:

1. Develop a high-trust culture.

Trust serves as the foundation for all else. Trust is the incubator for healthy communication, collaboration, empowerment, productivity, profitability…in short, all components that support working at highest and best levels.

Does your company lean on “control and monitor” behaviors or heavy compliance?

These are early signs of a problem. How do you begin to turn this around?

It begins with you. Determine how trustworthy you are as CEO, because your company will rate no higher than its leadership. Download the trust infographic and rank yourself – and then ask those closest to you to do the same. Compare. Where do you need to begin developing more trust with your people?

HOW MUCH

DO OTHERS REALLY TRUST YOU?

Learn the two vital parts to trust and how they can help you become a more highly effective leader.

GET THE INFOGRAPHIC

2. Foster a company-wide growth mindset.

This kind of mindset is the stuff of motivation and innovation.

A fixed mindset reflects a closed attitude. Language includes phrases like, “That idea won’t work,” or “It can’t be done right now.”

Growth mindset attitude and language, on the other hand, will reflect phrases such as “How might this work? How might this be possible?” Failure is seen as a way to learn and not as a reason to stop trying.

If you notice there are just a handful of people always making decisions for everyone else, this is an indicator that you are not fostering a growth mindset in your employees.

Where can you start?

Begin by what is right in front of you – applaud all new ideas. When asking for input, make it a rule that whenever someone volunteers a new idea, that the first person to speak after that must say something positive about the idea, whether they agree with it or not. This sends the message that all people have something valuable to contribute, and it fosters creativity.

3. Recognize and reward the right things.

Are you emotionally biased toward certain employees and against others?

On a company-wide basis, make sure that your systems and processes for recognition are standardized. Form a taskforce to evaluate this.

And then, have this taskforce identify what should be recognized. Go wide! The way in which you acknowledge things such as caring and supportive behaviors can go a long way; these certainly are influences on business outcomes. And on a personal basis, please take the time to acknowledge contributions and jobs well done. It is free to mention people in meetings to thank them for their efforts – and this kind of approach fosters a caring culture that goes far.

4. Empower your people.

If you feel your people need higher accountability, it may be your systems and processes and not a lack of talent on their part. Start with the basics. Make sure you have clearly outlined expectations for their role and responsibilities.

Then, work together to agree on top goals and priorities for their area of responsibility. Can you show them how these support company-wide goals? Without this foundation, even the best in talent will operate somewhat hesitantly or begin to get lost in the weeds. Make sure you have agreed on a system of reporting that reflects these goals, and which relieves you from chasing your executives for answers (the latter of which is a real trust-killer). By setting this structure in motion, you will empower your talent to move forward with confidence and perform at their best.

5. Invest in leadership development at every level.

Learning and development is a key concern for companies world-wide. And company talent seeks opportunities for growth and career development. Providing employees at every level with leadership development opportunities meets both objectives well.

When you invest in this, you foster greater performance and contribution – and you can also more easily identify rising stars. And as your company talent receives this focused support, they will feel recognized by the company, and motivated by their growth and future opportunities within. It is surprisingly cost-effective to implement a company-wide leadership development effort. And the ROI is exponential (Note: Executive coaching typically yields an ROI of 4-10 times the initial investment; training with a group coaching component can yield similar results.)

Retaining your top talent requires a healthy and exciting culture. If your culture needs a “reboot,” please understand that this takes time and effort. The payoff, however, is exponential, being key to current profitability and future success.

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

Three Ways to Jump-start Team Creativity

February 20, 2019 By Patti Cotton Leave a Comment

Creativity is essential to any organization if you want to move your business forward.

But what do you do when you’ve taken great pains to foster a supportive culture for this, but your team doesn’t seem to follow?

Often, it’s a matter of just one small shift in the way that you put your heads together.

Here are three ideas to help jump-start team creativity.

1. Champion the new idea.

What happens when a team member comes up with a new idea?

Most often, others on the team will respond with a cautionary response, or reasons why the idea will not work.

Research shows that when this happens, the subtle message is that bad things happen when new ideas are expressed. Instead, get your team to commit to doing the following: when someone shares a new idea or possibility, the first person to speak up must say something positive about the idea. This doesn’t mean the speaker has to endorse the idea; he or she must simply make a positive statement. An example might be, “That’s one I’ve never thought of! I’d love to sit down to explore how it might work!”

Research is showing that this one shift is allowing the safe psychological space in which to incubate innovation.

2. Play the “what if” game.

When brainstorming on a new idea, spending time on reasons why something won’t work can stall creative energy. Frustration sets in, and the brain’s frontal lobe (where we do all our best thinking) shuts down – and usually ends the conversation.

To avoid this, confront the perceived roadblock when identified by stating, “And what if _____ (identified roadblock) were not an issue?”

This will quickly reanimate the conversation and, quite often, promote other ideas to work around the roadblock when all is said and done.

3. Practice “brain-writing.”

Brain-writing is an effective alternative to brainstorming, which was popularized in the 1970s. The genius behind it is that it helps participants to step out their normal mental framework to explore greater possibilities.

There are variations of brain-writing, but one example is to pass out Post-It^TM notes or index cards, and have each person write down an idea. These are then passed to the next person on the right.

This receiving person can do one of three things: use the written idea as a catalyst for a new idea, modify the original idea, or pass the card along to the next person. After a set time agreed upon by the team, ideas are gathered up, grouped, and evaluated. For more on brain-writing, click here.

As you begin to recognize the sparks of creativity begin to fly, remember to encourage this so that momentum grows. Think about rewarding the best suggestion or solution with something the team has previously agreed upon, such as gift card for dinner out, a pair of movie tickets, or extra time off. These are small prices to pay for the benefits creativity brings – increased engagement, motivation, problem-solving and productivity, just to name a few.

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.