Have you ever seen a photograph of a waterfall and it looks like the water is flowing? How different to the same photo when the water is static?
Technically a few settings on a camera will generally do the trick. It is not a technically complex effort, it just takes some practice and of course technique. The key in creating flow is to make sure you compose the photo, adjust the speed at which the picture is taken and make sure the camera is stable. Those three ingredients, equally important, produce a great result.
In business we are often confronted with dichotomies and problems that seem completely insurmountable. We get stuck into the issue, and get unstuck without really understanding how we will ever get to the answer. Most of us are rushing from the one issue to the next, not ever having the opportunity to see where we are going. Making progress feels slow, and we feel that our situation is out of control. In this scenario we are unable to step back and look at the issue from different angles.
Is there not an option to start creating some kind of flow? Flow that will give much-needed respite and get things moving?
I think there are three ingredients in creating flow:
- Composure – work in the right areas, don’t waste time on issues or problems you have no control over
- Get stability – get a good understanding of your list of issues, and really look at prioritizing your priorities
- Reduce speed – take a step back, look at different angles. Get some data and do analysis. Maybe just let the problems sit for a day or two. It is incredible how often it happens when we just leave an issue for a day or two that somehow a solution appears out of nowhere. It is when we stop pushing for answers that we are able to see a few other solutions
When we are able to create flow around us, we create movement. When we have movement, we get things done.