We’re all still trying to figure out how to perform at a high level while navigating constant change and uncertainty. With so many teams working remotely, the boundary between work and life continues to blur. Yet the demand on workplace productivity is only increasing, leaving teams stretched to capacity and burnout at an all-time high.
As a top sports agent for more than 15 years, I was able to learn what makes high achievers tick and understand how energy management sets them apart from the pack.
High-performing athletes ask this one question that we should all ask ourselves: Where will I focus my energy?
Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? Here are some tips on energy management from my book The Energy Clock to help your team optimize their energy and prevent burnout:
Do an energy audit.
During a time when most people are working harder and balancing more demands than ever before, let’s be mindful as leaders that engagement starts with clarity and alignment. Help your people get clear on what gives them energy and what drains it by performing an energy audit. Focus on three key areas:
1. Energizers: What brings you energy? Do more of this.
2. Drainers: What makes you exhausted? Delegate or delete this.
3. Neutral: What simply exists? Automate, streamline or delegate.
This energy baseline gives you a much better picture of what you need to change to get more energy.
Schedule your energy.
For most people, what gets calendared gets done. If you have a meeting Tuesday at 10 a.m., you show up. Lunch on Thursday at noon? You’re there. We schedule so much: Why not look at your schedule through the lens of energy?
Take your completed energy audit and open your calendar. What items on your calendar are energy drainers? Maybe it’s a meeting you don’t need to attend that you automatically accepted. Great! Decline the invite, share why with the organizer if necessary, and ask for a meeting recap afterward.
What brings you energy? Add those things to your calendar. If yoga is something you love, schedule it. If you need a 15-minute afternoon walk after a meeting you know might be draining, schedule it. Whatever energizes you, schedule it or it won’t happen.
Here’s the reality: If you don’t decide where your energy goes, the world will decide for you. So, own your calendar and give your team the freedom to maximize their energy to beat burnout. This will build a resilient and high-performing team that can thrive in any business climate.
Molly Fletcher was one of the first female sports agents, negotiating more than $500 million in contracts and representing over 300 of sports’ biggest names. She is the author of five books, host of the Game Changers With Molly Fletcher podcast and founder of The Molly Fletcher Company.
Image by George Peters/iStock
