Appendix

See Tables 1 and 2 .

Table 1

The Team Flow Monitor (TFM)

Team flow constructs	Cronbach’s Alpha	Question items (“In the team in which I participate…”)
Prerequisites of team flow
Collective ambition The extent to which the same ambition is collectively shared (CA)	0.83	…we share the same ambition
		…we form a team from an inner drive to accomplish things together
		…we feel that engaging in the team process is intrinsically rewarding
Common goal A collective goal that is endorsed by everyone (CG)	0.80	…we endorse the established goals
		…we agree on clear goals
		…the shared goal offers a suitable challenge
Aligned personal goals The presence of personal goals that also contribute to the common goal (APG)	0.82	…we are stimulated to determine a personal goal
		…personal goals are derived from the common goal
		…personal goals are important to the team
		…personal goals are compatible with those of the team
High skill integration The arrangement of individual merits into a collective strength (HIS)	0.84	…every team member takes up a suitable challenge
		…we make use of each other’s skills
		…individual skills are integrated to form a coherent whole skill
Open communication : Openness in communication with one another	0.88	…we receive feedback from one another that lets us move forward
		…we provide each other with feedback whenever we can
		…everyone receives clear feedback
Safety : The level of psychological safety needed to engage in action	0.92	…we each feel that it is safe to perform our tasks
		…there is a safe climate for learning
		…we each feel that it is safe to take risks
		…there is positive climate in which to perform
Mutual commitment : The level of commitment towards one another	0.84	…we pay attention to each other’s activities
		…we know from one another who does what
		…we concentrate on smooth collaboration
Characteristics of team flow
Sense of unity : The extent to which the team acts in unity	0.95	…we feel as one with the team
		…we are fully involved with the team
		…the team acts in unity
Sense of joint progress : A collective feeling of accomplishment	0.88	…we collectively make progress
		…I feel that we make joint progress
		…together we achieve more
		…actions naturally flow in quick succession
Mutual Trust : The level of mutual trust in the cooperation	0.91	…we have trust in each other to collectively complete our task
		…there is an atmosphere of trust among us
		…we, as a team, trust that we will be able to complete the task successfully
		…we have trust in each other to collectively complete our task
Holistic Focus : The extent to which everyone focuses on the common goal	0.86	…everyone is completely focused on the shared task
		…the team as a whole is in focus
		…everyone is fully focused on executing his/her task for the team

Note The use of (parts of) the Team Flow Monitor for any commercial purpose is expressly prohibited. The use of the Team Flow Monitor for scientific purposes is permitted if the collected data is shared with the author of this paper. The Dutch version of this survey is available from the author upon request

Table 2

Comparing the elements of five different conceptualizations of plural flow with individual flow

Team flow element	Related element(s) of…
	Interpersonal flow a	Group flow b	Social flow c	Mosek’s d team flow	Individual flow e
Collective ambition	Feeling a shared sense of identity Enjoyable and intrinsically rewarding		Emergent challenges are important and meaningful to the entire group Joy, elation and enthusiasm felt and shared throughout group performance The experience builds meaning and a collective sense of purpose The group desires to repeat the experience	Game plan Team autoteletic experiences Team optimal arousal	Intrinsic motivation
Common goal		The group’s goal		Clear goals	Clear proximal goal(s)
Aligned personal goals				Clear goals	Clear proximal goal(s)
High skill integration		Blending egos Equal participation Familiarity	The collective competency of the group is sufficient to dispatch challenges Group members are uniformly highly competent	Team challenge-skill balance	Challenges matched to skill level
Open communication	Having his/her perspective broadened by the other person	Close listening Familiarity Communication	Group members have task-relevant knowledge and skills Task feedback is clear and immediate Task feedback is primarily cognitive and secondarily affective Social process feedback is primarily affective and secondarily cognitive Emotional communication during group work	Team unambiguous feedback Team communication Coaching style	Clear and immediate feedback
Safety	Not worrying about what outsiders think	The potential for failure		No fear of failure/A sense of control	No fear of failure/A sense of control
Mutual commitment			Group members focus on each other as well as the task to receive feedback	Team concentration	Total concentration Oblivious to distraction
Sense of unity	Not feeling self-conscious with each other Feeling a shared sense of identity	Blending of egos	Shared intense absorption in and engagement with the task Less awareness of self Surrender of self to the group Emotional contagion within the group and observers outside the group	Merging of action and awareness	Loss of reflective self-consciousness
Sense of joint progress	Feeling able to respond almost instantly to presenting situations as a pair	Moving it forward		Merging of action and awareness	Merging of action and awareness
Mutual trust		Being in control		No fear of failure/A sense of control Team confidence	No fear of failure/A sense of control
Holistic focus	Total concentration on the shared activity Time passing differently than normal (faster or slower)	Complete concentration	Group members focus on each other as well as the task to receive feedback Shared intense absorption and engagement with the task High attention to group members or teammates Loss of sense of time	Time transformation	Distorted experience of time passing Complete concentration
Elements that should not be considered elements of plural flow			The unit of performance is a group or team Tasks require interdependence, coordination and cooperation Tasks are conjunctive and require complementary participation f Rituals may be established to institutionalize social flow g
Elements that are taking place outside of the control of the team				Team external factors Coaching style of the coach Support from supporters

^a Snow ( 2010 )

^b Sawyer ( 2007 )

^c Walker ( 2010 )

^d Mosek ( 2017 )

^e Csíkszentmihályi ( 1990 )

^f These are characteristics of the team, and thus part of the definition of a team, not team flow

^g This is not an element but more an intervention to foster team flow

References

1. Csíkszentmihályi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience . New York: Harper and Row.
2. Mosek, E. (2017). Team flow: The missing piece in performance. Doctoral dissertation. Victoria University.
3. Sawyer, R. K. (2007). Group genius: The creative power of collaboration . New York: Basic Books.
4. Snow, K. Y. (2010). Work relationships that flow: Examining the interpersonal flow experience, knowledge sharing, and organizational commitment . Doctoral dissertation. Claremont Graduate University. Retrieved from http://​gradworks.​umi.​com/​34/​36/​3436590.​html .
5. Walker, C. J. (2010). Experiencing flow: Is doing it together better than doing it alone? The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5 (1), 3–11. Crossref