Week 1 – Review questions and practical applications

PVGCO

As you wait for today’s class to start:• Try to sit in silence and just be with yourself• List 5 things (or more) in your notebook that you feel grateful for today

Group 21411014 Biplab Mandal1411310 Nirmal George 1411311 Nished Singhal 1411333 Sumedh Vishwas Vidwans1411359 Apte Sneha Shivram

Review Question(s): Group 2

• To be able to convert work into flow can be very beneficial to every individual. However, what steps/processes should one follow to achieve that state of flow in one’s work?

• Can there be a state when an individual is neither happy nor unhappy?

• Accept that work is not exclusive of enjoyment (from the Ant and Grasshopper story)

• From the ‘The Paradox of Intention’– Prepare goals but don’t be attached to them– Invest in effort, not the outcome– Enjoy the journey and be happy before goal is

reached• Work on inner world and outer world

simultaneously to attain ‘flow’

Practical applications: Group 2

PVGCO

Submitted byGroup 3 : S MukundaAnoop B SPavel GuptaNitesh LalKrishnasree Saikia

Question for week 1: Group 3

• Assume you are in a relatively more demanding career than others in terms of work hours, like IB or consulting. You are on a good growth path with a vision of becoming a partner in the organization. You are also enjoying your work, resulting in a state where you are experiencing flow. However, this is taking a hit on your personal life – you do not spend enough time with your family and your health might take a hit in the long run. These are things which you value in life.

• When such a conflict arises between your personal values and your cherished vision, what would you prioritize? Your vision or your set of values?

Practical Implications: Group 3• What is Flow?We have so far achieved a lot in our lives and we have done so using goals and targets. We have felt happy only after achieving them and have been constantly advised by our parents and friends to persevere and not let up until we have achieved those goals. We have been introduced to the concept of Flow now and also about the paradox of intention. We are very intrigued by this and would want to know how to detach ourselves from the goal and still feel happy while doing them. And this happiness that we derive, would it be because of knowing the fact that we are in the path of achieving the goals or is it derived from achieving smaller goals set by us to reach the ultimate goal that is our vision. • Try and avoid multi-tasking as much as possibleMulti tasking reduces the chances of getting into the state of flow. This obviously means that focus on one thing at a time and then move on to the others. However, we have spent the whole last year at least if not our whole lives multitasking. • Revisit fables from AesopSome of us felt that stories like the Ant and Grasshopper one taught us very essential moral values which we may have forgotten or unconsciously steered away from during the course of life. We would like to go back and read them. Even though they are taught to small kids, they contain more value and meaning than most of what we learn as adults.• Live in the moment. Target will get achieved in the long-runThis is another interpretation of flow that we thought of. We think that to detach ourselves from the goal and to really feel happy one must just focus on the present and keep doing our karma and we can attain our targets in the future.

Group-4 Submission: Week-11411020- Hari N P | 1411042- Pooja | 1411043- Prakrin | 1411181- Sivapoorni |1411194- Gowtham|

Reflection Questions: Group 4

1. Suppose we are in the ‘flow’ state, and we are at peace with our inner world. However, at times there would be various external factors such as family or

work related issues, which would be arising and disturbing our ‘flow’ state. What can be done under

such conditions to sustain the ‘flow’.

2. We come across ‘autotelic’ personalities in our daily lives who are in the flow state most of the times and

we naturally repel them envying their seemingly happy state rather than seeking their company which could motivate ourselves to a similar state. How can

we resolve this conflict?

Practical Implications: Group 4Practical Implication of Single-tasking in attaining ‘FLOW’As discussed in the class, our vision is made up of small activities that we carry out through the course of our daily lives. However, when we try to multitask, we end up getting distracted by one while doing the other and are unable to reach the flow state in any of them. Under this situation if we just take up one activity at a time, and keep all the other distractions away for the time being, we can reach the flow in all such small activities while moving to the next one swiftly.

PVGCOReflection Question and Practical Implications

Week 1Group 4

Nitesh JainSuryaansh Makked

Ashutosh PathakVinothkumar

REFLECTION QUESTION

“Necessity is the mother of invention!” The greatest inventions of mankind have been made when one has been pushed into a corner. Discontentment or dissatisfaction with the current state is the key motivation behind progress and having a vision for the future. However, the Paradox of Intention states that happiness cannot be tied to accomplishment of goals. But, dissatisfaction with the present provides an impetus to work for the future (eg: Renaissance in Europe after Dark Age). Thus, how can these two contradictory states be combined to form the divine state of ‘Flow’?

The FLOW model assumes that absence of happiness is sadness. We believe that there has to be a middle state of equanimity. A person cannot be truly productive if he cannot keep his extreme emotions in check.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The practical implications involve defining the following: At what stage is our productivity maximum – is it true

happiness, or contentment with the current state, or discontentment, that spurs productivity?

What are the steps to attain the “flow” stage and how do we know if we have reached this stage?

What should be the office environment to sustain and support the state of flow (maximum productivity and happiness) in individuals?

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Submission for Week One

Group details:Pawan Kumar 1411114 Kannan T G 1411162Kapil Verma 1411163Yogesh Shivange 1411191 Sashi Kumar C 1411052

Submitted to:Prof. Ramya RanganathanIIM Bangalore

Summary of Session 1&2

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We learnt how one can work for one’s future and remain happy at the same time. It’s true that there are trade-offs between working for future and enjoying the present. But we got to know how we can achieve happiness and minimize stress.

We also learnt about different states of human mind i.e.• Negative Spiral• Current Reality Trap• Stress and anxiety• State of flow

In fact, we could relate how everyone of us were in different states at different point of time. Example, failure in exam, enjoyment of friendly conversations, successful implementation of project work in previous organization, solving complex client problem at some point of time etc.We learnt how to achieve state of flow (depicted in adjacent figure) and how one can do away chaos in mind (psychic entropy) with concentration. To be in flow, proper combination of skill and challenge is very important. When one with good skill set confronts with good challenge, one achieves flow. Otherwise he/she may get bored.

Acquire skill set

Confront a challenge that matches the skill set

Concentrate of the job at hand

Don’t worry about instant gratification but take feedback

Achieve flow!!

Reflection Questions & Practical Implications

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Reflection Questions1) In life, there can be times when external factors are uncontrollable like bad health of beloved ones,

failed marriages etc and we may not be able to concentrate on the job at hand. Is the concept of ‘Flow’ still applicable? If yes, how?

2) Isn’t idea of happiness over emphasized? Sarojini Naidu, in ‘The Soul’s Pray’, wanted to experience every facet of life before death. Is the idea of ‘Flow’ devoid of uncertainty associated with life?

3) Suppose one doesn’t achieve final result of the task but is still happy as he/she enjoyed the task. But this way one can’t achieve the long term goal of building a good career. Will “being happy” still valid? Can ‘being happy’ restrict us to have a career growth in life as we are contended and happy with our current state?

4) Sometimes we are contended with what we do now and have vision that is not related to our current job. Should vision always be professional? If no, how we can achieve flow in these cases?Practical Implications

1) Sometimes students take courses that seem to be easy. But these courses may not be appealing to them. In such case, they don’t enjoy reading these courses and fail to concentrate. It leads to bad grade. Rather students should set their goal and take courses that appeal to them or help them in achieving their goal. In this way, they will be able to concentrate in what they are doing or will achieve ‘Flow’.

2) In work life, people want to get good promotion and that’s why fail to say ‘no’ to their bosses for a project that doesn’t appeal to them. It leads to lack of concentration and may not sometime end up with desired result. In contrary, we should go for projects that appeal us. In this way, we will be able to enjoy doing our job and will achieve flow.

3) Students study hard to get good grades in IIMB. But sometimes they do not get the expected good grades and feel depressed. In this case, if they enjoy the process of studying hard, getting a good grade will be an additional reward. Even if a student get an average grade, he/she can still be happy as he/she had enjoyed the process of studying hard and gaining knowledge.

Submitted By:

Group-9Deeksha Chugh 1411220Dhritiman Mallick 1411089Kalpesh Wani 1411099Suraj Menon V 1411335Vishwas Sharma 1411137

Preliminary thoughts and reflections: Group 9

• State of “Flow” defines a harmonious combination of happiness in the present, coupled with a vision for the future. But, how is flow impacted by any perceived failures along the journey? Can flow be lost after failure? Should a person realign his short-term and/or long-term

goals to re-achieve flow? Does it depend on personal characteristics?

• Is the state of “flow” always a desirable state? Many times individuals distance themselves from other avenues of happiness like

friends, family etc. while being in a state of flow. Can “flow” divert you towards a narrowed state of self-consciousness?

• A common man faces high levels of psychic entropy in his everyday life. Our thoughts and actions are always swaying from one extreme (hard work, stereotyped by “Ant”) to another (fun and frolic, stereotyped by “Grasshopper”) How can a common person optimize his inner entropy to achieve a fulfilling life? A state with no psychic entropy – Is it a deeply fulfilled, positive state or a numb,

vegetative one?• Is it practically possible to defeat the paradox of intention?

How can a person re-align his/her sense of motivation from the goal towards the journey?

Few examples and Practical Insights: Group 9

• Often when individuals, who are deeply immersed in experiencing their journey, find failures/set-backs, may feel disappointed and a need to re-align their goals to achieve a sense of flow again For example, Steve Jobs, when asked to leave Apple Inc., re-aligned his goals to start

Pixar For example, a student may re-evaluate his liking for a highly fulfilling course, if his

performance in few examinations is not satisfactory

• Professionals and corporate leaders often get immersed in their work-life flow so much, that they ignore other facets of life, which they may hold dear and realize later on their deathbeds1

• Control of senses through discipline and self-restraint, leads to a state of no entropy. However fulfilling it may be, a state of no entropy can debar an individual from smaller surprises in life. In the corporate world, people with an entrepreneurship spirit exist often because of

their inner chaos and an exalted state of psychic entropy

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/10/18/the-25-biggest-regrets-in-life-what-are-yours/

Group members:Karan DhaparShiv PrakashPreetam HYSomak BeraNaseef KPO

Question:As it has been understood from the class as well as the articles, flow is a state of heightened focus and awareness. But how can we relate this to attaining happiness (as happiness itself is dependent on the individual; that is things which create happiness in one’s mind will be different for different individuals )?