Those most responsible for the success of a company are people who spend the least time with company executives – middle managers and individual contributors. Middle managers orchestrate the change. With innovation and the application of the principles of positive psychology, results can be substantial. Get individual contributors to tap into their “Flow” is a secret to success. In this session, Pam Noreault and Tara Knapp will step through their methodology of transforming disparate individuals into a cohesive “storming” team.

1. Got Flow?
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

2. Hello!Pam Noreault
I am here because I love to share
stuff with rock stars + present
with Tara.
pnoreault@sdl.com
pamnoreault@gmail.com
@pnoreault
Pam Noreault (LinkedIN)
Tara Knapp
I love discussing quirky ideas &
hanging out with with brainy
people like Pam.
tara.knapp@lfg.com
taraknapp@gmail.com
@tara_knapp
Tara Knapp (LinkedIN)
(And the obligatory who are we)

3. Let’s talk about flow
▪ What is it
▪ Signs of it
▪ Ways to get into it
▪ Challenges to staying in it
▪ What kills it
▪ What can managers do
▪ What managers shouldn’t do
▪ Storming teams
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

4. “Flow, aka the zone, is when a person
performs an activity and is immersed,
focused, involved, and happy.
Complete absorption in a task that
results in a lost of time. “
Perfect harmony doesn’t feel like work.
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

5. Signs of no flow
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

6. Ways to get into flow
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

7. What
have you
done to
get and
stay in
flow?
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

8. Challenges to staying in flow
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

9. 87 interruptions a day
That’s a lot of distractions
18% tasks never revisited
What a waste!
23 minutes to refocus
And a lot of time
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

10. Unplanned work - the silent
WIPflow killer
Get unplanned work into work flow!
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

11. The process
is easy
Let go Freedom Trust
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

12. Manager no-no list
▪ Micromanaging
▪ Not listening
▪ Not letting employees
fail
▪ Assigning unplanned
work
▪ Avoiding candid feedback
▪ Unclear goals and rules
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

13. Create your own flow
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

14. How to make
flow happen Fewer
Meetings
Shutdown
Email
Smaller
Chunks of
Work
Track
Results
Productivity
Set Rules
Flow
Small
Wins
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

15. Flow results
▪ Increased productivity
▪ Engaged employees
▪ Healthy debate
▪ Self -satisfaction
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

16. ▪ Flow happens in bursts
▪ Flow needs a break
▪ Set your own flow
expectations
A flow break

17. Flowing right along
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

18. Storming teams
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

19. What did you
take away?
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

20. Thanks!
!
Pam Noreault
pnoreault@sdl.com
pamnoreault@gmail.com
@pnoreault
Pam Noreault (LinkedIN)
Tara Knapp
tara.knapp@lfg.com
taraknapp@gmail.com
@tara_knapp
Tara Knapp (LinkedIN)
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon

21. Resources
▪ Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery
and Invention. Harper Row, 2013.
▪ Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The psychology of optimal experience.
Harper Row, 2009.
▪ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
▪ https://hbr.org/2014/04/help-your-employees-find-flow
▪ https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS741US741&biw
=1869&bih=905&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=getting+into+flow&oq=getting+i
nto+flow&gs_l=psy-
ab.3..0j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1l8.4506.8220.0.8416.17.14.0.0.0.0.291.1242
.0j4j2.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-
ab..11.6.1242...0i67k1j0i10i67k1.0.G3uJpzVhWSo#imgrc=Pxftdk6IFne
LnM:
@pnoreault @tara_knapp #LavaCon