In my manager README it says:
"I value flow highly. I like to feel that a system is running smoothly. I am sensitive to when this isn’t happening, though I might not know why."
This is true. But it isn't actually the whole story. I do value flow. However, there are two types of flow. And although they are complementary, they do mean something different.
The first type of flow is systemic flow. This is the feeling that a system is operating smoothly. It's just warm enough that things are ticking along nicely, but not so hot that stresses build up and things start going wrong. This is the sustainable pace of the Agile Manifesto, the predictable takt time of Lean, and the drum-buffer-rope of The Goal.
In software development this flow is not necessarily metronomic like a factory production line. But the variance is low. The team feel like they could continue at this rate indefinitely. They might even consider increasing the rate as long it's sustainable.
There is another type of flow which is just as important. That's the "flow state", which you may know as "being in the zone" or the "unpronounceable psychologist state". This is when an individual feels most productive and is working at their best. It's when previously impossible tasks are completed, and distant goals come closer than you ever thought possible in an hour, a day, or a week. A day passes in productive time and you feel you've really achieved something.
The lesser-spotted expansion of individual flow is team flow, those rare moments where everyone and everything clicks, and a team work together to achieve something hitherto unimaginable. A bit like this.
Sadly, I'm on the manager's schedule most of the time, so these moments of extreme productivity are fleeting and short. But I do know how it feels, and I know that this time is vital for software engineers.
One of a manager's jobs is to identifying opportunities for creating these two types of flow for their team. Systemically, managers should help by identifying blockers and coaching teams into achieving a sustainable pace. Individually, managers should be helping their team to carve out the time and mental space to maximise their chances of hitting peak flow state.
A manager's job is also about identifying times when you can't have both types of flow. For a lot of service delivery work such as maintenance and support, systemic flow trumps individual flow. And for highly creative exploratory work in the chaotic and complex domains, it's better to optimise for individual flow over anything systemic.