mock qc survey - comprehensive team breakdown

“Our jobs determine to a large extent what our lives are like. Is what you do for a living making you ill? Does it keep you from becoming a more fully

realized person? Do you feel ashamed of what you have to do at work? All too often, the answer to such questions is yes. Yet it does not have to be like

that. Work can be one of the most joyful, most fulfilling aspects of life. Whether it will be or not depends on the actions we collectively take.”

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

SAMPLE RESULTS March 6th, 2015

Comprehensive Organizational Flow Analysis

Csikszentmihalyi quote — Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience page 1 of 38

http://www.amazon.com/Flow-Harper-Perennial-Modern-Classics-ebook/dp/B000W94FE6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1425247639

— Section 1 of 4 — Overall Creativity

“Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

source Csikszentmihalyi quote — Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention

http://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Psychology-Discovery-Invention-Perennial-ebook/dp/B000TG1X9C/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

Section 1 — OVERALL CREATIVITY

Where does your typical day fit on this spectrum? — Is most of your time utilizing your problem-solving/creative side or repeating the same steps while operating a system?

I.a — Workerbot? Perception of their work.

I.b — Workerbots? Perception of organization.

How close do you think these percentages are to reality?

This is contrasting the creative value people think they bring to the organization and the value others bring to the mission. The low end of 1.b is “anybody can do the work being done here”. The high end of the creative spectrum is when your team has an enormous respect for the value each person on the team brings.

workerbot perception

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Where does your organization as a whole fit on the workerbot/creative spectrum? — Estimate the percentage of all jobs in the organization that relies on the problem-solving/creative side vs system roles.

organizational average:


— takeaway —

100% workerbot: I am operating a system.

100% creative: Always tackling new challenges.50/50

100% workerbot: We are all operating a system.

100% creative: everyone is expected to flex our creative

muscles every day.

50/50

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on a 0 to 10 scale ... Rate how you feel on a typical day. 0 if you always feel rushed to ship (turn in, publish, etc) your work before it is finished and/or ready?

NOTE: Think of 6-8 as the range of optimal creativity. Where we feel the sense of urgency but still have enough time to do great work.

1.c — optimal creative rhythm

We promote the zone of 6-8 here for optimal creative flow. This is similar to the skills/challenges ratio we are testing in the next two sections but here we want to focus on perceived deadlines.

The bottom of the scale is when apathy sets in as we lose hope. A 9 or or 10 can show a lack of urgency. We at our best when we are growing a little bit per day.

Pressure to ship can be a very positive trait in organizations but the negative stress and anxiety can quickly fill both ends of this spectrum. This is why we believe it is an important metric to understand and monitor.

shipping pressureSection 1 — OVERALL CREATIVITY

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Never enough time to create my best work.

More than enough time for me to complete my work.

— the takeaway —

page 4 of 38

Rate where your typical day fits on this spectrum: Are you usually putting out fires while doing mostly reactionary work? - OR - Are you empowered to spend the day on your own schedule and priorities?

1.d — reactionary vs proactive

Hard to flex our creative/problem solving muscles when we are living in reaction mode for someone else's priorities.

No question - a high rating here is difficult to maintain as organization’s scale. But a commitment to living in the now, and creating our own path can be a huge driver for stretching our creative muscles each and every day.

driving the tempo

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Section 1 — OVERALL CREATIVITY


100% reactionary. Wonder what is on my plate today?

100% proactive. I control my own day.50/50

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— Section 2 of 4 — Individual Flow

“To overcome the anxieties and depressions of contemporary life, individuals must become

independent of the social environment to the degree that they no longer respond exclusively in terms of its rewards and punishments. To achieve such autonomy, a person has to learn to provide rewards to herself. She

has to develop the ability to find enjoyment and purpose regardless of external circumstances.”


“In 2 hours of flow, I can accomplish tremendous things. It’s like there is no challenge I can’t meet.”

Richard Branson

sources Csikszentmihalyi quote — Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Branson quote: Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World

page 6 of 38


http://www.amazon.com/Bold-Create-Wealth-Impact-World-ebook/dp/B00LD1RZGM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1424898311

focused - daily - clear - goalsSection 2 — INDIVIDUAL FLOW

2.a — individual daily goalsFinish the sentence. I start my day with …

Choose the answer that best describes your typical day.

NOTE: Clear goals are essential to finding our personal zones of optimal experience. We aren't talking about the long-term "we are going to do X this quarter or Y this year" goals. This is more like the great writer understanding she needs to sit down and write a couple great paragraphs in the next hour.

To get in her optimal creative flow, she definitely can't start stressing about writing a great book or even a great chapter. Starting the day with clear goals is definitely a challenge, as this is often something that is out of our personal control at work.

A … 1-3 challenging but achievable things that I know I must get done on a typical day. 63%

B … way too many projects and an endless to-do list. Never know what to attack first. 27%

C … walking into the unknown, my workload is determined by others. 9%

D None of these. My day is filled with repetitive non-challenging tasks. 1%

How can you help drive more people toward focused, clear, daily goals?

27% of your team is living in the home of the never-ending to-do list. This can be a hidden but scary driver of stress and anxiety. We have to grasp the small victories each day to find the zones of optimal flow.

Clear goals lead to clear accomplishments. Clear small victories.


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real-time feedback meter

2.b — ‘editor’ or ‘wait and ask for help’Which describes your typical day - are you usually working in "editor mode" or constantly stuck in "wait and ask for help" mode?

NOTE: Think of the great writer who is editing her work in real time or shortly thereafter. Or the tennis player who understands what caused the fault immediately and what she needs to improve on for the next serve. No coach needed.

This is where clear goals align with skill level and you can constantly recognize small errors and correct them as you go.

This is a difficult metric to optimize every day but important to understand how people feel about the question. It is really a gauge of how each person assesses their skill level and comfort with their specific value.

You have 15% in the wait for ask for help zone. A high number in this zone can simply because of fast growth and new hires getting used to their role. This can be an interesting metric to monitor over time as it can highlight the positives and negatives in our orientation process for new hires.

A Wait and ask for help - still in learning mode and need others help often. 15%

B Usually can edit on the fly myself. My gut tells me when and where my work can be improved. 76%

C No editing needed by me or anybody else. Just repeating a simple system everyday. 9%

Section 2 — INDIVIDUAL FLOW


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challenges/skills ratio

2.c — bored, stretching or snapping

Staff turnover lives in the anxiety and boredom categories here. This might be the most important actionable question on this survey. Talk to each individual one on one on this topic. Really try to understand where they feel they fit on this spectrum.

How do you feel on the typical day — are you usually bored, stretching or snapping?

NOTE: This question relates to how our daily challenges compare to our skill level. The sweet spot is when our daily challenges are just slightly greater than our skill level. Too high of a challenge leads to anxiety. Too low leads to boredom.

The goal is to stretch each and every day without snapping.

Think about an amateur at chess playing games against a world champion all day long. The beginner would surely get frustrated quickly while the expert would surely be bored all day long. Neither of them would be in their respective flow channels.

A Snapping. Just too much anxiety. Just too big of challenges each day for me. 29%

B Bored. Not challenged here too often. Pretty basic, boring routine. 9%

C Usually stretching. Optimal amount of work that is definitely challenging but manageable. 62%



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concentration

This is one of the hardest drivers of optimal experience in today's world of endless distractions. It is far too easy (addicting) to simply stop our work and glance at Facebook/twitter/instagram/snapchat etc, etc.

Combine that with everyday office annoyances, coworker/boss interruptions, etc and you can see why this might be the hardest driver of the flow state to optimize in 2015 and going forward. 6.78 is actually a pretty good score here.

No easy solutions for this one but it is definitely wise to be conscious of the importance that concentration has on getting in - AND STAYING IN - the flow state of mind.

2.d — personal focusAgree or disagree - My work environment is set up for personal focus whenever I need it.

NOTE: When an email, a notification or just somebody loud on their phone sitting across from you interrupts our train of thought, it can take up to 15 minutes to get back into the zone of personal flow. This question is all about the environment you work in on the typical day and its impact on your ability to concentrate. The biggest obstacle these days? We think it’s the constant urge (addiction) to glance at Facebook, twitter, Instagram, snapchat, reddit, etc, etc….

Be honest here, how distracted do you get?


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Strongly Disagree — Way too many distractions.

Strongly Agree — Easy to get in my personal zone and block out everything else.

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motivation

2.e — why I do the work

2.f — clock watching or …

A Where did the time go?! I got lost in a great zone today and should celebrate a great day. 68%

B Is happy hour ever going to get here?!?! This day is moving soooooo slow!!! I could use a drink and/or a vacation. 32%

Where does my work fit on the intrinsic/extrinsic scale?

NOTE: This is a good way to think about the importance of your work.

DEFINITIONS -- Extrinsic motivation occurs when we are motivated to perform a behavior or engage in an activity in order to earn a reward or avoid a punishment. This is an IF/THEN motivation. If I do x today, I might get Y tomorrow. Intrinsic motivation involves engaging in a behavior because it is personally rewarding; essentially, performing an activity for its own sake rather than the desire for some external reward.

What statement best fits your mood on a typical day. Choose the statement that occurs most often. Just a gut feeling answer.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

takeaway on next page


50/50100% extrinsic — Example: I am here for the paycheck, need to pay the bills.

100% intrinsic — The work itself is always my ultimate reward. The paycheck is a bonus for getting to do this every day.

page 11 of 38

A 7.06 rating on the intrinsic/extrinsic scale is positive but very important to understand. This is just a baseline number but one we’d love to monitor over time and help you find ways of getting this to a consistent 8 or 9.

32% of your team is in clock watching mode. This is well below normal (studies show that more than 80% of Americans are disengaged with their work) but definitely can be improved.

Below normal but 32% of the team is secretly - but desperately - seeking an escape from the day and their work.

We believe that finding the root cause of that “need for escape” feeling can lead to the elimination of losing quality team members to competitors. Something else to think about here … many clock watchers are simply going through the motions each and every day to collect a paycheck.

Intrinsic/extrinsic motivation is a core overall theme of the survey because of its essential impact on team morale, growth and optimal experience. So let’s dig deeper to see if we can help you uncover what is driving these important numbers.

Let’s first dig deeper on the 3 top intrinsic motivators - AUTONOMY, MASTERY, & PURPOSE…

motivation (cont’d)Section 2 — INDIVIDUAL FLOW


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autonomy

1.92 bosses is a pretty normal score here but how does that align with the goals of the organization? This can be a good indicator of how in control people feel.

Every organization has a unique management structure but it is important to match the individual’s opinion of who is looking over her shoulder with the organizational intent. Do you think your number should be lower?

This is a interesting question to compare with 1.a (workerbot vs creative) and 1.d - (time allotted to reactionary vs proactive work). All 3 questions can be good indicators on the important perception of autonomy.

2.g — looking over the shoulder - daily tasks

0 1 2 3 4 5

How many bosses do I really have?

NOTE: Don’t think about the actual organizational chart. Instead, think about your typical day. How many people do you think are looking over your shoulder and directing your actual daily workload?


Five or more.Nobody is looking over my shoulder. I control my own day.



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mastery

2.i — Enough $$$ for continuing education?Agree or Disagree — This organization gives me a SUFFICIENT BUDGET for my continuing education (books, classes, etc.) so I can keep growing/expanding my skills and knowledge while staying current with quickly evolving technology.

2.h — Enough time for continuing education?Agree or Disagree — I usually have PLENTY OF TIME for my continuing education (books, classes, etc.) so I can keep growing/expanding my skills and knowledge while staying current with quickly evolving technology.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly Disagree — Time for a book? Time to pick up a new skill? Hah. Not me, not here.

Strongly Agree — Encouraged to keep learning & growing here and they

make sure I have enough time for it.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly Disagree — Only if $ comes out of my pocket.

Strongly Agree — Encouraged to keep learning here and they put up the $ to prove it!

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mastery (cont’d)

Is the perception matching up with the reality of your continuing education goals? 5.98 & 3.40 are both a little low but might simply be an opportunity for you to educate the team about current programs and/or empower your team to dedicate time to this essential driver of growth.

These two questions will become more and more important as technology in all industries continues to advance quicker and quicker.



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purpose

6.58 is an above average score here as it is often very difficult to see and feel the impact that our day to day roles have on the big picture mission.

This is another important question to chat about in one on one meetings. This can be more of an educational opportunity than anything else - really showing how essential every single role is for achieving organizational-wide success.

How can you help each person connect those dots?

2.j — perception of individual impactAgree or Disagree — I clearly see how my specific daily role impacts and advances the big picture mission of our organization.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly Disagree — I don’t see the big picture impact of my day to day tasks.

Strongly Agree — What I do definitely matters.


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— Section 3 of 4 — Optimal Group Flow

“The task is to learn how to enjoy everyday life without diminishing other people's chances to enjoy theirs.”


Csikszentmihalyi quote — Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience


Section 3 — OPTIMUM GROUP FLOWshared - clear - daily - goals

3.a — starting the day in syncAgree or Disagree — We start our day on the same page with clear objectives.

NOTE: The individual can't get in her optimum creative flow by stressing about writing a great book or even a great chapter right now. Similarly, the baseball team can't find a daily group flow when focused on winning a world series 3 months from now. They simply need to concentrate on the quality of the play in today's game to play their best today.

Remember, this is about challenging but manageable daily goals that are broken up into clear objectives. SKIP THIS QUESTION IF YOU RARELY WORK IN TEAMS

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly Disagree — We rarely have the same daily objectives.

Strongly Agree — Always on the same page with my coworkers to start the day.

Another question to think about how can you help drive more people toward finding focused, clear, daily goals.

In question 1.a, 27% of your team said they are living in the home of the never-ending to-do list. This question looks at the typical day spent working in teams and a 7.96 average here is definitely a positive indicator of group flow. One thing to note: this could be a sign that people feel a little more in control when working with teams than on their own. Something to monitor as both are equally important.

As we said before, clear goals lead to clear accomplishments. Cheers to more daily victories as a team.


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group feedback

A Wait and ask for help - many of us are still in learning mode and need others help often. 10%

B Usually can edit on the fly ourselves. Only stop for high-level questions. 81%

C No editing needed by our group or anybody else. We are repeating a simple non-challenging system everyday. 8%

D N/A - I rarely work in teams. 1%

3.b — the team editorWhen working co-worker’s on a project/task - on average - Do you edit well as a group or are constantly stuck in the "wait and ask for help" mode?

NOTE: A similar question in section 2 referenced the great writer who edits her work in real time or shortly thereafter. This section is about the football team understanding how a play can be run better without the head coach stopping practice and talking them through all that went wrong.

The coach in this scenario can be your CEO, Board, manager, etc — someone that is not involved in your typical daily task.

Section 3 — OPTIMUM GROUP FLOW

Compare the 15% in the wait for ask for help zone in the individual section and the 10% waiting to ask for help while in group mode. This is common as it is usually easier to edit as a group.

Remember that this trigger of optimal experience monitored over time can say a lot about the effectiveness of the orientation process for new hires.


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challenges/skills ratio: co-workers

3.c — bored, stretching or snapping: co-workersThink about the co-workers that you work with most ... where do you feel the majority fit on the skills vs challenge graph on an typical day?

NOTE: Remember, the challenges vs skills ratio might be the most important driver of optimum experience. It applies to group flow too. The sweet spot of optimum experiences is when our challenges are just slightly greater than our skill level.

Where we can collectively stretch each and every day without snapping.

A Snapping. Too much daily stress and anxiety. Just too big of challenges each day for the people I work most often with. 17%

B Bored. Doesn't feel like my co-workers are challenged very often. Most people have a pretty basic, boring routine. 9%

C Always stretching. Feels like most people here have a challenging but achievable workload. 74%


74% believe they are stretch as a team compared with 62% stretching while working on their own. This is another sign of more comfort working in teams than on our own. The goal would be to have these two numbers rising together.

Low scores here would be a sure driver of poor team morale as it is a clear indicator in our confidence of co-workers ability to create and execute.


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motivation: perception of co-workers

3.d — Why do they do the work?On average, where do you feel your co-workers fit on the intrinsic/extrinsic scale? Think about those you work closest with. Where do you feel they fit on the motivation scale?

NOTE: Think about those you work closest with. Where do you feel they fit on the motivation scale?

3.e — Is everybody staring at the clock?Choose the statement that occurs most often when directly working with your colleagues on projects/tasks.

A Where did the time go?! We got lost in a great zone today and should go celebrate a great day. 73%

B Is happy hour ever going to get here?!?! This day is moving soooooo slow!!! We all could use a drink. 26%

C N/A - I rarely work in teams. 1%


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


50/50100% extrinsic — Example: I feel most people are here for the

paycheck, need to pay the bills.

100% intrinsic — The work itself is everybody's ultimate reward. The paycheck is a bonus for doing this

type of work every day.

Compare the 7.06 rating on the intrinsic/extrinsic scale in the individual section to the 6.55 here. Perception of co-workers motivation is a little low. 32% of your team is in clock watching while working on their own compared to 26% clock watching in group mode. Is it a question of purpose? Let’s ask…


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purpose: perception of co-workers

3.f — co-worker impactAgree or Disagree — The majority of people I work directly with clearly understands their daily impact on the big picture mission of our organization.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly AgreeStrongly Disagree

Your 7.01 score here is close to the 6.58 in the last section. Again, it is often very difficult to see and feel the impact that our day to day roles have on the big picture mission.

We commented that this is an important question to chat about in one on one meetings but could even be more important to discuss as a team.

Why not help each and every person connect the dots from their individual value to the overall mission? BONUS: By doing this, we can improve the perception and understanding of what every person on the team contributes … boosting the previous questions!


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familiarity: the language

Now we start asking about a couple drivers that weren’t discussed in the last section but are essential to optimal group flow. Familiarity is the first one. 8.86 is very high here, another positive indicator of how well your organization works in teams.

NOTE: Over time this can be another great indicator of an effective orientation process. One of the scariest parts of being the “new person” is being the outsider when it comes to the lingo. We often just nod along and remain very uncomfortable for far too long.

3.g — understanding the lingoAgree or Disagree — The co-workers I work most with usually speak and understand the same product/industry language.

NOTE: Everybody has a unique background and a unique skill level inside an organization. Finding optimum group flow relies on understanding our colleagues. Imagine a group of chess masters talking strategy. A beginner can't even comprehend what they are talking about, but each of the masters clearly understands the language. When insights arise from the masters conversation, momentum is not lost due to the need for a lengthy explanation.

Think about the conversations you have most with your co-workers. Are you like the group of chess masters solving problems in the same language?


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



page 23 of 38


familiarity: the uniform perception

3.h — one or two uniforms: individual perception

A I wear one uniform, all the time. I'm the same Sue (or Jim) at home and at work. 78%

B Two distinct uniforms. I keep "work me" and "home me" very separate. Nobody here really knows the Sue/Jim side of me. 22%

Which best describes you -- Are you the same person at work that you are with family and friends? Or is there a clear difference between Mr. James Johnson while at work and Jim at home? Ms. Susan Swanson at work and Sue at home?

Or are you simply Jim/Sue everywhere?

3.i — one or two uniforms: co-workersWhich best describes the people you work closest with?

A I feel most people wear one uniform here, all the time. Everyone is simply Jim or Sue. 64%

B Two distinct uniforms are the norm here. Everyone keeps "work me" and "home me" very separate. 28%

C I don't know enough about my coworkers to accurately answer either A or B. 8%



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familiarity: the uniform perception (cont’d)

A huge part of familiarity is the levels of trust and transparency in the workplace.

While we don’t say those two words on the survey, we developed these questions with those essential aspects of group flow in mind.

The old school way of work was separation. That is what most of us grew up with.

Studies show that the majority of Americans still prefer this work/life separation mindset but is that the best mindset going forward? We believe that the trends of transparency and accountability that the internet is driving is going to answer this question for itself. Can your organization embrace this mentality while boosting group flow?

NOTE: We definitely don’t want to promote people (men) acting like they are working and living in a frat house. This is actually about having a sense of who the real person we are working with actually is. Compassion, empathy, trust, transparency is the goal.

Just our opinion … The separation mindset leads to the asshole mentality much more than the integration mindset. Assholes get weeded out in the world of transparency.



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3.j — equal voices

blending egos

This question is definitely closely linked to the uniform questions. Mr. James Jackson has the only voice in the meeting. He craves the power.

Jim listens.

Agree or Disagree — Everybody I work with has an equal voice.

NOTE: The classic ego question. When some voices drown out others, group flow & optimum problem-solving can not exist. This is the collective version of humility. A strongly agree scenario here? Egos are blended, everyone is thoroughly involved in the conversation.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10




page 26 of 38

team listening/concentration

This is a group take on the focus question. Another hard question to admit too but most of us are addicted to those handheld supercomputers. We like to see the honesty of your 4.90 average here but hope to drive consciousness around why this is such a big detriment to group flow.

3.k — How important is the phone on the table?Rate on a 0 to 10 scale — On average, when you are working on projects/tasks with teams/coworkers - how present & focused is everyone on the task at hand?

NOTE: We all love our hand-held supercomputers that live in our pockets. In meetings and group projects, the mystery of the notification or unknown incoming email via the phone on the table often becomes more important than the actual person across the table (or on the other end of a remote meeting).

This doesn't have to be about the phone. People can disrupt group flow by simply thinking about the witty thing to say next instead of truly listening. This question is about combining the art of concentration with the art of close listening.

In general, how focused do you feel those you work closest with are when working together?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



We all live are in our own worlds.Group

listening? Maybe half the time.

We are usually able to stay present & focused on the

task at hand. Zero tolerance for avoidable distractions.


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the improv rule

We learned about this key driver of group flow in the excellent Steven Kotler book - The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. (Our opinion: an essential book on understanding the importance of finding our flow state!)

“‘Always say yes,’ means interactions should be additive more than argumentative. The goal here is the momentum, togetherness, and innovation that comes from ceaselessly amplifying each other’s ideas and actions. It’s a trigger based on the first rule of improv comedy. If I open a sketch with, ‘Hey, there’s a blue elephant in the bathroom,’ then ‘No, there’s not,’ is the wrong response. With the denial, the scene goes nowhere. But if the reply is affirmative, ‘Yeah, sorry, there was no more space in the cereal cupboard,’ then that story goes someplace interesting.” Steven Kotler

3.l — Yes and… - OR - Nah, forget it.Agree or Disagree — When working on a project/task, we usually have an improv mentality!

NOTE: The Jonathan Ives quote about how Steve Jobs approached new ideas explains this better than we can. We know...yet another Steve Jobs business lesson, but this really fits here, promise!) :)

"Just as Steve loved ideas, and loved making stuff, he treated the process of creativity with a rare and a wonderful reverence. You see, I think he better than anyone understood that while ideas ultimately can be so powerful, they begin as fragile, barely formed thoughts, so easily missed, so easily compromised, so easily just squished." Jonathan Ives

This is the improv rule of group flow. Saying "YES, and..." to every situation in improv comedy always leads to something interesting. Saying NO kills the conversation and the comedy routine in seconds.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly Agree — Ideas are never immediately squished here, the conversation always continues.

Strongly Disagree — We have an "always say no to new ideas mentality".


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http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Superman-Decoding-Ultimate-Performance-ebook/dp/B00BW54XVO/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1425427319

— Section 4 of 4 — Optimal Environment

“We cannot deny the facts of nature, but we should certainly try to improve on them.”


source Csikszentmihalyi quote — Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Business-Leadership-Making-Meaning-ebook/dp/B002J05GPS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-9&qid=1425247639

Section 4 — OPTIMUM ENVIRONMENTnegative fear/risk

Negative anxiety is the kryptonite of the flow state and overall creativity. When the base of Maslow’s pyramid isn’t covered, it is nearly impossible for us to be focused on anything else. IMPORTANT: Does perception match up with reality on these two questions? Perception might be more important than reality.

4.a — fear of losing jobAgree or disagree? Most of my colleagues come to work fearful of being laid off any day (no matter the performance).

4.b — covering the bottom of the pyramidOn a scale of 0 to 10 — How satisfied do you think most people in the organization are with their combined overall salary & benefits compensation?

NOTE: When we are worried/stressed about salaries/benefits/etc., the focus is taken off daily goals, the creative process, big picture mission.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly Agree — fear of layoffs right now is everywhere.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Strongly Disagree — Zero fear of layoffs in this organization.

100% of people I work with are happy with overall compensation and/or

benefits package here.

100% of people I work with are extremely frustrated about perceived

low compensation and/or benefits here.50/50

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4.c — artistic risk

positive risk

Agree or disagree? This organization is all about empowering truly creative risk takers.

Artists must be willing to be scorned & despised by critics and still push on. Does your organization allow/empower people to be that type of artist?

Section 4 — OPTIMUM ENVIRONMENT

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



— the takeaway —8.78 is definitely a high score here. Cheers for empowering your team to be the artists they can be. Can you get this to a 10?

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perceived mission complexity

Complexity can be another interesting driver of optimal experience.

Think about the surfer at the top of her game. Focus, creativity and all her energy have to be there when she is tackling the biggest of the waves. This is such a complex form of art that she is literally risking her life to solve the puzzle.

That is an extreme example, but you can see how complexity drives us to perform at our best. That is, if our skill set matches up with the difficulty of the challenge.

The results of the perception of mission complexity compared with the skills/challenge ratios of the previous two sections can definitely lead to some groundbreaking innovation.

6.91 is a positive baseline and another number we’d love to monitor over time.

4.d — rocket scienceon a 0 to 10 scale ... how complex are the problems that you are collectively attacking?

NOTE: Okay, you don't have to be colonizing Mars but give it a 10 if you feel your organization is attacking extremely difficult problems.

This is extremely complex! Its like we are trying to colonize Mars here!

Pretty simple stuff. Basically serving tasteless hamburgers here.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



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4.e — the players in the gameon a 0 to 10 scale … Rate the novelty of the core problems your organization is attacking.

NOTE: In other words, are there many others working on this mission the way your organization is? Just a gut feeling answer here. Again... no need to actually be colonizing Mars. Give it a 10 if you feel like your mission is extremely rare.

perceived mission novelty

Great organizations can prosper all over this spectrum but the flow state of your team is definitely optimized when perception is high.

7.17 is a good score for novelty.

We all understand that success brings competition. Not a bad thing.

Consistent innovation is always the best way to keep this number high despite the copycats. Easier said than done. The copycats never know the innovative roadmap and are always 2 steps behind.

We believe this can be an interesting metric to track to see if the team truly believes you are staying ahead of others in the industry.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


We are extremely unique. Not many are trying to colonize Mars in our way!

Pretty common problem/business/operation. Many are attacking this like we are.


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perceived mission unpredictability

Unpredictability forces all attention to be brought into the now. It forces all attention on solving today’s problem. It forces everyone to flex their creative/problem-solving muscles daily. This is a difficult flow driver to harness but embracing the unknown is one of the best ways to avoid disruption while promoting consistent organization-wide innovation.

There can be obvious benefits of predictable/consistency in an organization — SO THERE IS NO PERFECT SCORE HERE! — but too much predictability can leads to the workerbot - bored mentality which can quickly lead to disruption from competitors

The classic “innovator’s dilemma” is an increasing challenge for all organizations operating in today’s never before seen speeds of technological change.

4.f — 5 years from now? Ask me in 5 years. on a 0 to 10 scale ... Rate the unpredictability of your organization’s mission.

NOTE: One of the major drivers of unpredictability is fast moving technology and its impact on how you attack the core problems that the team is trying to solve. Another example is constant changes to the way you operate due to a constantly changing legal and/or political environment. One more example, competition is fierce in your industry and your organization is having to constantly innovate to stay ahead.

How unpredictable are the challenges of your organization's mission? Just a gut feeling answer again here.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Very predictable. Same challenges every day. Little technology/etc. change here.

Extremely unpredictable environment. Every day is a new adventure here.


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http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation-ebook/dp/B00E257S86/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1424900296

organizational mission passion

4.g — the most important question

“People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.”

The powerful Simon Sinek quote — from his great book Start With Why — highlights the importance of this question and its impact on every aspect of a business.

We asked many questions about purpose here - it is one of the true drivers of getting into our zones of optimal experience. Purpose is key for intrinsically motivated activities, activities that drive flow.

8.71 is a very good number here as it shows great overall communication of the important mission you are collectively attacking.

Your high percentage here can be extremely difficult to maintain during a rapid growth phase but crucial for eliminating constant staff turnover and overall staff anxiety and boredom.

This might be the most important category to strive to be a consistent 9 or better.

You rated an can be proud of but not rest on. The goal should be a

consistent 9 or 10 over time. A great challenge.

Agree or Disagree — Overall, I’m really proud of our organization’s mission and the problems we are trying to solve every day.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Strongly Disagree — I just don't see the value we add

beyond the paycheck.

Strongly Agree — This is very important to me

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http://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone-ebook/dp/B002Q6XUE4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1424897372

You rated an can be proud of but not rest on. The goal should be a

consistent 9 or 10 over time. A great challenge.

The final ? — THE FOCUS TESTthe real-time distraction meter

We added this last one to help ourselves understand our “time to fill out metric” but realized it adds an interesting overall look at how easily distracted our work can be in the age of notification urgency.

Hopefully this can spark some thoughts and conversations about the importance of focus and overall optimal experience.

Cheers to many amazing Mondays ahead!

“Control of consciousness determines the quality of life.” ― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

YES - Multitasking 76%

NO - I was FOCUSED! 24%

Yes or no? Were you working on multiple tasks while completing this survey?

NOTE: Only answer NO if your attention was exclusively focused … okay, mostly focused on this super interesting survey. :)



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Questions?

We have a couple options for a much more in-depth conversation about this data.

1) A 15-30 minute call/video hangout with Greg to chat about the results & how best to utilize this data. INCLUDED IN OUR PAY WHAT YOU WANT MODEL.

2) A full week dedicated to working with your team to help find ways to improving each of the metrics. Email for the cost of this option as $ varies based on size of organization & the level of engagement requested.

— for more info — [email protected]

canvita.com/quantifiedculture

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mailto:[email protected]

http://canvita.com/quantifiedculture

“The mystique of rock climbing is climbing; you get to the top of a rock glad it’s over but really

wish it would go on forever.

The justification of climbing is climbing, like the justification of poetry is writing; you don’t

conquer anything except things in yourself…. The act of writing justifies poetry. Climbing is

the same: recognizing that you are a flow.

The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in

the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing; you move up to keep the flow going.

There is no possible reason for climbing except the climbing itself; it is a self-communication.”



GET YOUR ORGANIZATION STARTED HERE

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http://canvita.com/quantifiedculture

mock qc survey - comprehensive team breakdown

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