And then, about flow and work

Dragon Mood? -- ???

So, while I'm talking about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and flow, he also wrote a book called Good Business, which I have not read -- yet.

Given all the bitching and kvetching I've done in the "pages" of this online journal (which is my blog) about my job, it seems appropriate that I may want to remember this book and perhaps even read it.

Here's what Amazon's review and reviewers say about the book:

The premise of the book is that our jobs are a primary component in our life and that when we are happy in our work we are the most productive and of the most value to our business.

Mihaly reviews the concept of "flow" from his earlier studies which is a state where we fully utilize our skills and capabilities and how we are able to reach that state and what inhibits us from reaching it. We also learn about our own development stages and how we improve through the combination of realizing our uniqueness and by valuing human relationships.

This book teaches us about good leadership qualities and how we (being led) can find satisfaction in our work.

Organizational leaders must clarify the goals of a business and ensure it is well communicated.

Three levers are available to managers to enable flow and create a great organization:

• make the environment attractive and comfortable;
• imbuing jobs with meaning and value;
• and by rewarding individuals who find satisfaction in their work.

Flow presents opportunity (such as finding more satisfaction) and challenge (as in the case of changing a job that sucks the life out of people). [I didn't even write that -- someone else did!]

An outline of the conditions for flow:

1. Clear goals - you know your tasks and have the appropriate skill
2. Immediate feedback - you understand the effect of your efforts
3. Balance opportunity with capacity - you always learn to seek opportunity
4. Concentration - don't over think
5. The present is what matters - you exist in the 'now'
6. Control is no problem - you become immersed in the work
7. Time is altered - you 'slip through the cracks in time'
8. Loss of ego - you focus on giving not taking or defending

Time to add this book to the Santa-baby, maybe?-list.