In my recently co-authored book, “Flow of Work and the Company’s Fortunes” I promote the idea of Flow of Work as a central idea that all business owners and managers want. It is about productivity in a company and everyone working together to attain optimum output. When you see this occurring in a company it is perfectly clear. When it is not occurring it is perfectly clear in a negative way. By spending time as an observer (or a customer) you get an immediate feel that a company is, or is not, flowing.

When a company is flowing people get along, communicate well and aggressive competitive feelings are directed outward rather than within a company. People are relatively content and work is completed in a timely fashion. Customers feel that employees are responding to them and are inclined to return and tell others of their positive experience.

When a company is not flowing employees don’t get along, communication is poor and aggression is directed inwards. There is tension and latent hostility in the form of absenteeism, lateness and customers leave with the feeling of not being served well and are not inclined to return and tell others of their negative experience.

My company, Group Dynamics USA, has developed 18 skills that can be assessed and measured and that significantly contribute to Flow of Work. These skills are basic components of successful group dynamics and can be readily learned. They are:

18 skills to improve productivity

1.  Modeling: flowing in a way that others will follow you
2. Cueing: giving clear & helpful instructions, notes and directions to increase flow
3. Praise: “catching” people as they flow more
4. Strategies: choosing a wide range of techniques and avoiding punishment
5. Cautioning: using warnings to increase flow
6. EQ (Emotional Quotient): focusing on feelings that increase flow
7. Bite-Sized Pieces: breaking down complex jobs into easy steps
8. Little Steps: a lot of positive feedback as new behavior is being mastered
9. The Big Picture: increasing flow by understanding the parts and whole of the company
10. Informational Feedback: praise that also teaches and increases flow.
11. Positive Presence: acting as a reinforcer in your own right
12. Reframing: reducing stress by providing a different view
13. Shifting: fast on your feet, trying something new when you are blocked
14. Peripheral Vision: processing possible distractions to increase flow
15. Resilience: maintaining flow in the face of stressors.
16. On-Task: staying focused on what’s important
17. Creativity: selecting new performance that will increase flow
18. Before & After: changing behaviors from start to finish

In future articles I will write in greater detail about each of these skills and what your company can do to improve flow of work and improve productivity.

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