Do you feel satisfied at work? The data shows that you have a less than a 50% chance! A Conference Board survey of the American workforce in 2007 showed a decline in job satisfaction among workers of all ages and across all income brackets. Only half of all Americans surveyed said they were satisfied with their jobs, and this was down from nearly 60% ten years before. Moreover, among the 50% who said they were content, a mere 14% said they are “very satisfied.” Unfortunately it seems likely that this will deteriorate further given our current economic woes. But I have to believe (maybe naively) that there are organizations out there that still consider that improving employee satisfaction is important! But how to achieve it? One idea that is gaining traction is put forward by Dr. Csikszentmihalyi, a professor at Claremont Graduate University. The Professor advocates creating a work environment that will encourage employee to enter their “Flow”. As he describes it, when people are in their “Flow” they are fully immersed in what they are doing. They have a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and expect success in what they are trying to do. They are, in fact, happy. According to the Professor, for the “Flow” to occur certain conditions apply. First there needs to be clear goals; second there needs to be immediate feedback; and third there needs to be a balance between the challenge and the individual’s skills. I believe the professor has a point! These conditions seem to apply to me when I have been totally engrossed in an activity. For example I was sailing my little sail boat recently on a very windy day and trying not to capsize. I was certainly engrossed in the process and it seems like I was experiencing “Flow” as described by the good professor! I used my sailing skills (balance of challenge and skill) to stay dry (achieve a clear goal) and I could see my progress (remaining dry). Thinking back on that experience it was challenging but enjoyable. Yes, I was “happy”. So how about organizations considering this simple three step model to improve employee satisfaction? – Step 1. Challenge people to develop and use their skills to meet appropriate challenges. Step 2. Give them clear goals to achieve, and Step 3. Tell them how they are doing. Maybe it’s not rocket science after all!