How to reach your team’s full potential

We all know what it feels like when a group is just not clicking: ideas stall, conversations loop, and energy fizzles. In fact, most groups underperform due to this fizzle.

But sometimes, teams hit a collective rhythm; contributions are quick and energizing, work feels effortless, and performance peaks. In these moments, we suggest that the team is in a state of group flow, and in our article Group Flow: A Theory of Group Member Interactions in the Moment and Over Time, we reveal the micro-dynamics that give rise to and comprise these moments of exceptional work.

What Is Group Flow?

Group flow is a state that can emerge when the members of a group are working together in the moment, and it is characterized by members being in synchrony as they swiftly build on each other’s contributions, while feeling energized and paying full, yet seemingly effortless attention.

In group flow, members aren’t worried or bored; instead, they’re locked in the moment. When group flow ends, group members experience a flood of positive emotions, filled with accomplishment and connection, which we call the afterglow.

Why Group Flow Matters

When groups experience flow, they don’t just produce better outcomes—it also enhances their well-being and commitment. We suggest that group flow fuels three key dimensions of effectiveness:

Peak collaborative performance With members feeling energized and devoting full attention, ideas develop more fluidly, and groups are more likely to reach peak levels of creative output.

Individual growth Not only does the group’s output increase, but individual members feel mastery and competence based on their sustained progress and effective coordination.

Group viability The positive emotions and strong bonds that result from group flow make people want to keep working with each other.

How To Foster Group Flow

Most teams get stuck “idling” when they collaborate—talking past each other, waiting too long, or critiquing too soon. Interactions feel scattered, attention drifts, and progress is minimal.

Group flow arises when members start contributing additively, meaning they find something from the prior contribution to build on (e.g., yes…and), instead of diminishing someone else’s contributions, by focusing on something that may be wrong. Sustained, additive contributions validate group members and create a burst of progress that generates a shared sense of momentum. Momentum is what energizes the group to continue developing, increasing the swiftness of contributions and the synchrony between them.

But how do you get to group flow?

Surrender control. None of this is possible if group members cannot surrender personal control. If members can temporarily surrender personal control to the group by making additive contributions, the group ends up sharing a transcendent sense of total control when they reach flow. Removing power hierarchies and training people for no immediate judgement are two ways to enable this. So too can culture or framing the task around open mindsets like curiosity or playfulness.

The role of time. Long pauses break synchrony and limit momentum. Thus, it is critical to have people working together, at the same time, and in person, if possible, to generate the emotional processes that underlie momentum.

Protect attention. If attention wavers, so does flow. Remove distractions like phones and people. Time can also serve to protect attention from the distraction of other tasks, whether it is letting people settle in from what they were doing prior, or scheduling to ensure that there is enough time and that people are not worried about something coming up.

Be prepared. Off-track comments will derail momentum. Helping everyone prepare for the meeting, ensuring they understand the task and related information will help to protect against momentum-killing contributions.

Harvest the afterglow. Be sure to gather the fruits of your labor; the positive emotions in the afterglow. Letting people reflect, connect and savor what happened will help increase their desire to re-engage and get into flow again.

The takeaway: momentum is the hidden driver

Group flow emerges when people work together and contributions are both additive and timely, creating momentum, an energy that propels the group in the moment and in the future. Organizations that focus on how people interact in the moment—not just how often—can create the conditions for extraordinary collaboration and group cohesiveness. Group flow doesn’t have to happen in every meeting, but helping your employees experience group flow more often at work will have significant benefits.