News Archives - Flow Group

EP 45: Finding Flow in Chaos

Last month saw the passing of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow – the seminal work that describes the human state of happiness, optimal experience and high performance. The book (and his research) has subsequently influenced everything from office design, to how to train soldiers, website and video game design amongst everything else. In this episode, I commemorate the author by synthesizing the essence of his work (in less than 15 minutes!) and describing how the Flow state is an absolute panacea for the 3 symptoms of our present COVID “hangover”.

Insights include:

Why finding Flow is at the very heart of Leadership
What is the Flow state?
Why enterprise became interested and what it discovered
The conditions you need to know as a Leader to create Flow
How Flow is a panacea for the 3 symptoms of our pandemic hangover
Flow’s naughty neighbours : Boredom & Anxiety

Related Episodes

Episode 34 : Finding Meaning in Chaos

Episode 26 : The Leadership Contribution

Episode 12 - 14 : Motivation in Chaos

Episode 5 : Clarity in Chaos

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:09+00:00November 3rd, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 44: Do The Right Things

According to Peter Drucker – if management is about doing things right, then leadership is doing the right things. I took a break from the Podcast for some Zooming Out time during summer but, since my return, have found it a very big challenge to return to the discipline of the broadcast because of competing pressures. This episode uses this most typical challenge to ask (and answer!) the question : “How do you get to do the things you need to do but just can’t find the time?” Insights include:

How to identify (and remember) the Right Things
Differentiating the Important from the Urgent
Why the To-Do List doesn’t help you
How to translate intentions into action and make it stick
The 2 sub-skills you need to master to Do the Right Things

Related Episodes:

Episode 32 : Planning & Prioritising in Chaos
Episode 26 : The Leadership Contribution
Episode 19 : Zooming Out in Chaos

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:09+00:00October 11th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 43: Building Trust in Teams – Part 1

In this sub-set of the mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos I focus on Trust. Isn’t it peculiar that whilst everyone agrees that Trust is a crucial ingredient to growing high performance in a team, I have never - in almost 30 years working with teams globally - been asked to host a conversation to discuss the topic specifically. In this episode I explore why this is. I also share a more workable definition of Trust and its component parts, that helps turn the abstract into something more tangible and therefore more manageable.

Insights include:

Why Trust is more important than ever in our evolving hybrid working world
Moving from abstract to specific - The 3 Legs of the Trust stool
How to reflect on your Trust levels with your significant relationships in a way you can work with
Starting to diagnose your own trustworthiness as a leader

Related Episodes

Episode 8 : Building Trust
Episode 28 : We Need to Talk About Conversations
Episode 29 : Deepening Connections in Chaos

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:09+00:00July 1st, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 42: Leading Teams in Chaos – Part 4

In this fourth part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos I reflect on how nearly all leaders know what it’s like to be part of a highly effective team, but very few know how to build one. I also consolidate the 5 Agreements a team needs to make, and explore the 4 Commitment Cards to arrive at those agreements so that the team members feel committed, not just compliant. Insights include:

How knowing effective teams is not the same as building one.
Consolidating the 5 Agreements of a Team and how to get started if you’re stuck
Moving from My Version to Our Version
The 4 Commitment Cards and the Conversation Box

Related Episodes

Episode 20: Commitment in Chaos
Episode 28: We Need to Talk About Conversations
Episode 29: Deepening Connections in Chaos

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:09+00:00June 10th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 41: Leading Teams in Chaos – Part 3

In this third part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos as leaders look to Reset, Realign and Refocus their Teams, “Agreeing the How” concentrates on the importance of common understanding and commitment to How we best work together to get things done. Insights include:

How Behaviour is the orphaned child of Effectiveness.
Why Task is consistently prioritised over Behaviour.
Why talking about Culture empties the room.
How to agree Ways of Working that gets commitment and lasts.

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:09+00:00May 12th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 40: Leading Teams in Chaos – Part 2

In this second part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos as leaders look to Reset, Realign and Refocus their Teams, “Agreeing the Why” concentrates on the importance of connecting a team to its purpose, as a chief source of meaning and motivation. Insights include:

Why Purpose and Mission gets a bad rap (and why it’s richly deserved).
Why it’s so important to approach it right & the pay-off if you do.
The relationship between the Why and discretionary effort.
Why (most) leaders ignore the Why.
How to get started with your Team – or Restarted – on a compelling Why.

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:10+00:00April 15th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 39: Leading Teams in Chaos – Part 1

In this first part of a mini-season on Leading Teams in Chaos, Part 1 observes how the Covid story is writing itself, chapter by chapter, and how the latest chapter is giving grounds for optimism, as Leaders are gradually now looking to Reset, Realign and Refocus their Teams. This mini-season focuses on helping you with the how and why. Insights include:

The 5 Chapters of Covid (so far!)
The source formula for Leading Teams E = Cl X Co
Establishing Clarity through the Where, What, Who & How
Clarity’s impact on Commitment
Direct Vs Consult – Ask or Tell?

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:10+00:00March 25th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 38: How Now From Here – Part 4

It’s been a year like no other. To commemorate one year on from the first Covid case in Ireland and the first Leadership in Chaos podcast episode I have Zoomed Out to look back over the past year and look forward to answer the question “How Now From Here?” In 4 connected episodes/parts I summarise and highlight the best principles to help navigate our way forward from here. Insights include:

Reviewing the context for Leadership
The Neurology of Leadership in Chaos
The 5 Cs of Being your Best when things are at their Worst
Leaders eat last…but they gotta eat!

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:10+00:00March 4th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 37: How Now From Here – Part 3

It’s been a year like no other. To commemorate one year on from the first Covid case in Ireland, and the first Leadership in Chaos podcast episode, I have Zoomed Out to look back over the past year and look forward to answer the question “How Now From Here?”

In 4 connected episodes/parts I summarise and highlight the best principles to help navigate our way forward from here.

Insights include:

Reviewing the context for Leadership
The Neurology of Leadership in Chaos
The 5 Cs of Being your Best when things are at their Worst
Leaders eat last…but they gotta eat!

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:10+00:00March 4th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments

EP 36: How Now From Here – Part 2.

It’s been a year like no other. To commemorate one year on from the first Covid case in Ireland, and the first Leadership in Chaos podcast episode, I have Zoomed Out to look back over the past year and look forward to answer the question “How Now From Here?”

In 4 connected episodes/parts I summarise and highlight the best principles to help navigate our way forward from here.

Insights include:

Reviewing the context for Leadership
The Neurology of Leadership in Chaos
The 5 Cs of Being your Best when things are at their Worst
Leaders eat last…but they gotta eat!

Support the show (http://flowold.effectordev4.ie/)

By admin|2021-11-24T14:11:10+00:00March 4th, 2021|News, Podcast|0 Comments