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The Real Energy Crisis
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The Real Energy Crisis

As I listen to the ongoing debate in the media about the national energy crisis, I'm often reminded of a different energy crisis that receives far less attention—the crisis of energy that faces many of us on a personal level.

I see it every day in my coaching practice—leaders who drive themselves to overperform, believing that if they just put in enough time, they will become more successful. In reality these leaders often find themselves becoming exhausted or burned out by long days, which in turn strains their ability to perform rather than enhances it. What these leaders are facing is not so much a time issue, as an energy issue.

This was the case for one of my clients, “Dan,” a director at a manufacturing firm. Dan regularly put in 60-hour work weeks because he believed that more time at work equated to better performance and effective leadership. But the more time Dan put in, the more he began to feel rundown and overwhelmed. As we worked together, Dan discovered the idea of focusing less on whether he had enough time in a day and more on whether he had enough energy. When Dan made some changes to keep his energy up, he began to feel more motivated and productive at work and more satisfied with his life overall.

What is energy management anyway?
I like to describe energy as the fuel you need to run. Unlike cars, though, which can function perfectly well until the gas tank is all the way on empty, we humans start to lose performance as our energy levels decrease.

So, if you want to perform at a high level, you need to recognize when to refill your tank—long before you ever reach empty. That's energy management: refilling your energy reserves at regular intervals to offset energy drain that takes place throughout the day or week.

Energy management isn't just about offsetting energy drain, though; it goes well beyond damage control. At its best, energy management involves spending the majority of your time focusing on activities and roles that fulfill and satisfy you—that naturally generate in you more desire to engage and act.

Energy Project consultants Schwartz and McCarthy note four areas of personal energy: physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional.* If you find yourself feeling low on energy in any of these four areas, the following two-step process offers some possible ideas on how to manage your energy better in the future.

Step 1: Identify energy drains and energy sources.
To become better at energy management, you can start paying attention to the state of your energy throughout the day. What happens when you interact with certain people? What happens when you attend certain meetings? How do you feel when you play the role of manager versus teacher versus counselor?

After you've spent some time observing the state of your energy throughout the day, take note of which people, activities, and roles energize or drain you. The answers to these questions will give you valuable guidance for how to manage your energy better as you go forward.

Step 2: Make adjustments to increase your energy. Once you develop a sense of what renews your energy versus diminishes it, you can think about making some changes. If, for example, you discover that one of your regular meetings is always unproductive, you might come up with a strategy for improving the quality of the meeting so it leaves you and your staff feeling energized rather than frustrated. If you discover that certain people in your organization motivate and inspire you, look for ways to work more closely with them, while reducing the time you spend with people who complain a lot, are overly needy, or bounce off walls like adrenaline junkies.

Try to remember, too, the things that energize you outside of work. My client, Dan, decided to spend more time on his boat with his family because it was an activity that energized him. As he started to take care of himself and invest more in his personal relationships, Dan had more energy at work and even lost thirty pounds.

A luxury or a necessity?
A lot of my clients worry that energy management is a luxury that they can't afford. In response, I ask them to consider the effects of poor energy management: When people manage their energy ineffectively, they can physically wear out, become unpleasant to be around, make poor decisions, and lower their own and others' productivity. In truth, energy management ends up benefiting everyone because a leader who manages energy well actually maximizes his own and others' performance.

Consider the following benefits of energy management. When Wachovia employees engaged in an energy-renewal program, they increased revenues from deposits by 20 percent compared to employees who didn't participate, according to Schwartz and McCarthy. Program participants also reported increased productivity and performance. These are just a few examples of how energy management provides tangible benefits to the organization.

Many of us strive to be excellent multitaskers. Instead, consider the possibility of becoming an excellent energy manager. Doing so may help you increase performance and productivity, experience a renewed enjoyment of work and personal life, and even maintain the resilience needed to handle challenging times.

As I said in last month's issue of this newsletter, resilient leaders take care of themselves—and, at the heart of it, energy management is also about taking care of yourself. If you find yourself thinking about how to become a better manager of your own energy and want to play with the idea a little bit more, give me a call.

To check the state of your own energy management skills, visit Harvard Business Publishing's online energy audit.

Link’s Links

"Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time"
by Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy (Harvard Business Review). Schwartz and McCarthy explore the concept of managing personal energy to deliver an improved bottom line.

"In Praise of Dullness"
by David Brooks (New York Times). Mr. Brooks comments on recent research showing how the best leaders are, above all else, masters at executing.

"Mission Statement"
(The Economist). The Economist brings a refreshing perspective to the importance—and the pitfalls—of devising a mission statement.

A great resource for men (and the women in their lives), as they move through the sometimes disorienting stages of midlife and midcareer. This entertaining and enlightening book shares wonderful insights into the triumphs and tribulations experienced by men as they transition through various life stages.

If you find yourself secretly pondering questions such as: How can I be the father I wish my father was? or How can I survive a job change, downsizing or economic downturn? or How do I reinvent myself? then you'll enjoy reading the author's insights gleaned from conversations with hundreds of men who have done the same.

The International Coach Federation (ICF) recently awarded Kansan Tim Link with its highest level credential, Master Certified Coach (MCC). Tim is just the third Kansan MCC and one of only about 600 such designates around the world.

The ICF is the world's leading organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession worldwide, with over 17,000 coaches across 90+ countries. ICF credentials are awarded to coaches who have met stringent education and experience requirements, and have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the coaching competencies that set the standard in the profession.