I recently read a book called The Power of Full Engagement*. Below are a few thoughts about what I learned about managing energy.
Managing
Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal
Most of us just push information all day long. A client comes in, we take information and then we give it back. For the first time the worker and the equipment are the same. Any company that has equipment knows how important it is to keep the equipment in good working order spending some down time and a tune up. Today’s workers also need down time and a tune up in order to keep their energy and enthusiasm. There are four principles in becoming fully in engaged. I would like to discuss two of these principles now.
Principle 1:
Full
engagement requires drawing on four separate but related sources of energy:
physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
“Subtract
any one from the equation and our capacity to fully ignite our talent and skill
is diminished, much the same way an engine sputters when one of its cylinders
misfires.*” Without emotional
support we can become very drained. Physically:
I have always struggled with weight. I
have found that when I am overweight, even 10 pounds, my energy level is not up
to its potential. Try this, take a
ten pound weight and carry with you for just and hour and see how much that can
drain you. The authors say organizations
that have taken an interest in their workers’ health and physical condition
have saved both in sick days and health costs, greater then the financial input.
Spiritual life in this book is defined as having a cause greater then
yourself. In our industry we can
work to retire or work to help people and then retire.
We must have a cause greater then just going to work or we will burnout
real fast. Example: Focusing on the goal of helping others or focusing on things
like paper work. This is similar to
a parent that focuses on changing diapers, instead of the future of their child
and his / her potential. Lastly,
mental energy, being able to focus on what are the real issues.
Focusing on the memo you got to day or focusing on your gratitude of
having a job.
I would be interested in what your experiences have been in this area.
What is your greater cause of working or what keeps you going?
Principle
2:
Because
energy capacity diminishes both with overuse and under use, we must balance
energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal.
Most people
today live their life as if it were a marathon rather then a series of sprints.
If we do not find a way to retreat after a hectic day we will eventually
loose all energy and enthusiasm. If
you are familiar with strength training, you know that if you work on the same
muscle everyday, it will on weaken
the muscle. It must have 24 to 48
hours of rest period in order to grow. On
the other hand not using a muscle will also weaken it.
What kinds of things do you do to
relax after a hectic day or even after meeting a client or fellow worker that
create negative issues or feelings? If
you have something that you do let me know and I will share them.
What helps you to unwind? Does
your office recognize that people need bre
Principle
3
“In
order to build connection we must push beyond our normal mode of operation.”
•
(We build emotional, mental and
spiritual proficiency the same way we build physical proficiency.)
To meet increased demand in our lives, we must learn to build and
strengthen muscles where our capacity is insufficient.
•
Discomfort has the potential to
expand our capacity-physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Remember
we are working on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual stress.
We all have a mode of operation in all four of these areas.
I have been working on the following to help me to have more endurance in
the mental side. I have a very hard
time focusing and tend to constantly stop and start back up with writing.
In the last few months I have attempted to continue writing when I
usually take a break, for me it is stressful. My endurance level has increased. I
know people who have real bad tempers; they are working on not reacting as
quickly as they normally do. On the
emotional side I am working on my sometimes negative judgments when people cut
in front of me or don’t follow my rules of driving.
I have a friend who is a social worker who is working on not getting
caught into negative co-workers who want to spread their discontent.
On the physical side I have been using a treadmill in the mornings for
some of my exercise. I am keeping
records and going a little farther each day.
Also I have cut back on my Mocha Frappuccino
from Starbucks They are in every
airport so I have been passing them one by one only to have one every once in a
while. On the spiritual side I have
been working at focusing on the bigger picture of life and not all the little
stuff that I am required to do. I
have failed at all of these but am getting better everyday.
They are all one small step for mankind but a giant leap for me.
I feel better and more energized.
•
What
kinds of things have you worked on to stretch your tolerance?
Principle
4
n
“Highly
specific routines for managing energy-are the key to full connection and
sustained high performance.”
For
years I have struggled with exercise and weight, I tried self discipline and
that failed, then a friend of mine invited me to participate with others to
exercise every morning. I went and
found it really refreshing. In
addition I found some new friends and they encourage me to show up. Actually
if I slept in, my phone would ring off the hook.
I got in the habit going and now it is not a matter of self-discipline
but it has become a ritual. No
longer do I have to think about it. If
you have to think about something every time you do it more then likely you will
stop doing it. I have done the same
thing about eating. I have the same
thing every morning. At lunch I have been having a salad my weight has decreased
and my energy has increased. I
don’t have to think about what I am going to eat I know a day in advance. I
would love to tell you that I am always like that but every once in a while I
eat the wrong things. What
kind of rituals have you developed that have helped you gain energy?
Responses
to Energy
My energizers are:
1. Meditation/visualization and prayer
2. An excellent vitamin
3. Focusing on goals of program
4. Remembering my personal goals
5. Stay away from negative people
6. Eating healthy foods
7 Respond and not react to things and other people's issues
8 Not to get involved in office politics or gossip
Mary Howard GA
What kinds of things have you worked on to stretch your tolerance?
- try new things that are uncomfortable, but in a safe environment (with co-workers, friends, etc.). This could include doing presentations, doing activities to develop new skills, admitting your weak areas and pursuing activities to work on those things.
- Recently I had staff try three different exercises, each designed to demonstrate a different communication styles;
1 - Groups of 3, each person gets opportunity to make a statement about what they like about their own self (i.e - "I like that I am creative). Following the initial statement, the other 2 participants ask Yes or No questions only (i.e. "Do you mean that you paint pictures?) to get to the full meaning of the statement made. Once they get the true meaning the person whom made the statement lets the other 2 know that they have done it and the next person starts with their statement until all three have made statements and finished the questions.
2 - In a different group of 3, each person starts their part by making a single statement of something that they would like to improve about theirself (i.e. "I would like to improve my vision"). The other two participant take turns re-stating the first statement as how they understand it to have been meant (i.e. " I understand you to say that you would like to have 20/20 vision"). Unless the paraphrase is correct, the first person will continue to make additional statements, one at a time (i.e. "I meant that I would like to have a better anticipation of what is in my future") until the statements made back match what they meant to say.
3 - In a group of 2, the first person will make a single statement and continue making clarifying statements afterwards until they feel they have expressed exactly all of what they meant by the statement that they first stated in this section. They stop only once they feel they have adequately expressed theirself. The second person says nothing until the first person has said everything. Then it will be their turn to do the same. There is no specific topic for this exercise.
After completing each of these exercises the facilitator should ask them what they found to be easy or difficult in each exercise and what made them uncomfortable about each.
After all three are done, the facilitator should put the exercises in context of the different kinds of communication needed in our various tasks. # 1 is useful in an interviewing situation when a specific "Yes" or "No" answer is necessary. # 2 is more useful when you are trying to determine the exact meaning of a person's statement or when you need clarification of a yes/no question. # 3 is more useful when you need to allow a person to vent, or sometimes by just providing silence, you get more information as people feel compelled to fill the silence.
The participants can use this as a diagnostic to determine where they need to improve their communication style. For instance, if someone was very uncomfortable in being quiet and letting the other person speak until they ran out of stuff, they may need to be more aware of when they need to force their self to be quiet and just listen. It is important for participants to realize that these are all necessary techniques in communication and they need to build the skills to use them, learn when to use them and how to transition between them.
* What kind of rituals have you developed that have helped you gain energy?
- I enjoy walking, but hate to do it alone. If alone, I prefer to swim.
- Don't let work get in the way of life. I hear people say that they could get so much more done if they could stay at work longer. We should find a healthy balance and stick to it.
- Be creative: Find the things that you like to do as extra-curricular activities at work that are not necessarily part of the job. For me it is doing mini-training sessions, editing our own in-house newsletter, holding staff meetings in a park or restaurant or writing these kinds of ideas as a resource for other staff. Richard N CA
I
too, have found that developing opportunities for exercise with friends is great
for mental and spiritual as well as physical wellness. Some bike, some play
racquetball, I run. If you give yourself something to shoot for like an
organized running event (10K, half-marathon or marathon) it makes things more
interesting. Running is kind of boring - but if you do it with friends, and
change your route a lot, the training can be more fun that the
run you're working toward. PS - if you really get into it, then you don't have
to worry about what you eat - your body does a great job of keeping and
disposing - and you just naturally tend to stay away from the really greasy
stuff, because you don't feel as good after eating it.
On dealing with negative energy in the workplace, if you remember what you have
control of and what you don't, it makes things more manageable. Too often people
try to change things that they can't, at least not in the ways people normally
think they should be able to. The only thing we have control of is our own
behavior. Like many of us, I believe that it is really important for me to work
with positive people - they energize me and I try to return the favor when I
have the opportunity. If you know that there are people you work with that are
always going to run you down with negativity, treat yourself to opportunities to
work with the positive folks once in awhile, and it makes a big difference. The
natural tendency when working with someone who is negative is to respond in
kind, - you absorb the negativity energy nurture it and return it, contributing
to the cycle. There are ways that one person can impact the overall positive
energy of the
workplace through their own behavior. I don't know who this philosophy came
from, but I've found it profound - "when you give someone the benefit of
the doubt, you support them in being as good as they can be". Finding the
best possible reasons for the positions of others demonstrates the best way to
resolve conflict and strengthen working relationships. I know this "Zen
philosophy of workplace efficiency" can be very hard for the rugged
individuals out there - but if the environment doesn't support everyone
winning then no one wins. This is a lot easier said than done, I know - and
sometimes you are faced with situations where you feel that you can't stay true
to this philosophy, so you go into a "damage control" mode - these are
judgments that we always must make, but - by keeping with this philosophy you
can impact how others around you work. ( and often in conflict - it does give
you an opportunity to learn through your efforts to
see the other side). Another thing
that is important in handling negativity is to remember that there is always the
likelihood that we could be wrong - so keeping a little humility is another way
of maintaining dialogue that is important in conflict resolution. Doug
IA
Interesting
how when we actually HAVE some time we can develop some routine things that
really do help our health, both physical and mental health. I am on
the road ALL the time with no routine I can actually follow - other than rent a
car, drive, run a workshop, rent a car, drive, monitor my other site which is
250 miles away, rent a car, drive, etc. etc. Not very healthy. Some
day I plan to actually have like a week or two off (will have to wait for my
formal retirement I realize, but it's a fantasy goal) and be able to do
something consistent every day for 7 or 8 days. It might cause even more stress
on my body because it's been years since that luxury has popped up in my life.
Many social service people are overweight and I think its because every meeting
has some type of food involved, or a luncheon appt., or you are SO stressed from
meeting with a client that the first thing you head for is food or your
Frapachinos (sp?). Anyway, I appreciate your ideas and am jealous that you
can actually look forward every morning to exercising with your friends...or
that anyone even knows when you are missing!! My friends and family never
know when to reach me because I never know from week to week where I will be,
depending on the crisis at hand determines my schedule. This sounds like
complaining as I re-read what I just wrote, but its not. Its just a
difficult thing to exercise and eat right in a rental or at airports. Any
suggestions on exercise in the car? Maybe those people you are complaining
about who drive funny are actually trying to exercise and it just LOOKS like
they are out of control or cutting you off. Maybe it was a cramp that
caused the swerving. One never knows....
G in
Thank
you for providing me with food for thought rather than food for mouth.
Sometimes we have to stop and think about changing some of our habits. It
will prove to be calming and reduce stress. I actually found myself taking
a Yoga class and I found that I became calmer....who would of thought????
Bea ME
"New
ways to tolerance" I am like the Social Worker in the article, I avoid
those who I deem to unpleasant, negative,
or otherwise just downers. And these just my fellow co-workers.
With participants it is a different set of rules. They come to us negative, sad,
angry, resentful to say the least. They are like a cactus plant or a rose,
protective of there inner selves with thorns anger, or negative verbiage..
What
I find works for me is not to get into a "pissing contest" with
people, co-workers or participants. Tim NY
Funny you should bring this up about energizing ourselves. We were just having this discussion last week. Anyway one of the ways I energize myself is through prayer, and it really works. My spiritual side is very important in my work life as well as my personal life. Prayer always works. I also listen to music and that also works for me and I usually have soft music playing in the background when I have clients and it seems to work with them as well. Puts them in a better frame of mind. I also go work out when the stress gets too much, lunchtime or after work. That in itself will energize you just to release the tension that comes from our respective jobs. Just go for a walk at lunch time, that has helped me. Those are the ways that I energize myself and hopefully it will help someone else. Have a great week. Michael OH
Getting ready it during morning time is very stressful for me due to the fact that I have little ones. So what I do is :
1.- Prepare our clothes (children, husband and me) one night before new date begins
2.- Prepare baby bottles, dippers, pacifier, changing clothes at night time.
3.- Look at the freezer one day previous to defrost meet and look at the pantry and select items for dinner time for next date
4.- Place all events to come in my calendar also place a copy of schedules in the refrigerator for my husband at home.
5.-
Get with two hours previous to
6.- Have pre-cook breakfast for the family.
7.- Load the vehicle with my children's back-pack, dipper bag, my portfolio, etc.
8.- Turn all lights out, TV, Stereos, Satellite's receiver, etc.
9.- Set the alarm and go.
10.-
at
Maria AR
The things that I do ritually and help motivate me, is I never start my day without saying: Good-morning heavenly Father, thank you for sparing me to see another day! I then pick up my Bible and read a Chapter and meditate on it for 30 minutes before starting to get dressed for work. At first it wasn't easy. I never had time! I heard a minister speak several years ago about sewing seeds. I sewed a seed for time. I started out reading the Bible for 5minutes everyday and then would say a quick prayer. By reading just for 5 minutes, I found myself getting interested, and it became longer! That was about 20 years ago, and now I have to cut myself off from 30 minutes in the morning to get ready for work!
Reading
God's Word puts my entire day into perspective, and makes for a wonderful day
knowing that I and my heavenly father can handle anything! You might want
to try it sometime also! Have a great Week. Bernice
CA