getting high energy results

Stop for a moment and reflect on when it is that you get your best results. You know, those times when you are brimming with energy, you seem to just cut through what’s at hand, ideas flow, time passes quickly, you’ve enjoyed yourself, and at the end of it all, you’re still raring to go.

Can you remember? What is the common thread linking all those times?

I would bet my bottom dollar that they had some, if not most, of the following traits.

• You were doing what you are naturally good at
• You were doing what you enjoy
• You were enjoying yourself and having fun
• If there were other people involved, they were good to be with
• You were in a good mood to begin with

And on those occasions, didn’t you just fall into bed that night and marvel at how wonderful your day had been, and how good it would be to have even more days like that? Just imagine how full of energy you’d be if you woke up knowing that the next day would hold just the same promise.

So what does this mean for the workplace?

Well, imagine if every single person in the workplace were in this high-energy state most, if not all, of the time. Imagine that the entire organisation felt good, firstly about itself; and because everyone was feeling good about themselves, they couldn’t help but be in a good mood, which positively affected the working relationships within the company, as well as the interactions with people outside of the company.

Imagine what kind of reputation this organisation would have.

Others would want to work for the organisation. The people who are already there would want to stay and carry on doing what they enjoy. Customers would tell others about the positive experiences they have with the company. Suppliers want to provide a good service because of the good interactions they have.

What impact would this have on the bottom-line? Do you think that this kind of company would more easily grow its revenue than have to cut its costs? Do you think that this kind of company would be more able to pay its employees well because its customers were willing to pay a premium for the level of service they receive? What about the costs of hiring and staff turnover?

In short, how attractive would you find a high-energy organisation – an organisation brimming with energy, radiating good-nature and, dare I say it, happiness – from all perspectives, whether as customer, employee, manager, CEO, supplier, or even, a friend or partner of a member of staff? And have you also noticed how much easier, quicker and happily we do what we do then?

To put it another way, not only does the organisation feel good, but so does everyone who comes into contact with it. And here’s the thing – it all comes down to how we feel – right from the inside of the organisation all the way out.

I’ve often emphasised the benefit of being healthily selfish – looking after oneself first and then radiating that out. The concept here is similar.

So, how do you make others feel good? Or more to the point, what makes you feel good? Practise on yourself first, and then do the same with others.

Create the environment where instead of having to come to work, you and your people get to come to work.

Action Points

1. Start with self-awareness – what makes you feel good? Doing what you enjoy? Getting adequate rest? Being noticed for what you do? Being involved? What else?

2. Manage your thinking and how you choose to respond – see the article Whatever Does This Mean?

3. Become aware of others and how they are feeling.

4. Help them to feel good, firstly about themselves, using the learnings from your own awareness you’ve gleaned.

5. You may also wish to work with a coach, especially in the area of self-awareness. Many of us have blind-spots, simply because it’s hard to see ourselves in action. Coaches can help you gain a different perspective and/or help you uncover any blind-spots that you may have. They can offer an objective viewpoint and also act as a sounding board.

Quote

"Jingshen is the Mandarin word for spirit and vivacity. It is an important word for those who would lead, because above all things, spirit and vivacity set effective organizations apart from those that will decline and die." - James L. Hayes, Memos for Management: Leadership, 1983

"Outstanding leaders appeal to the hearts of their followers - not their minds." - Author Unknown

"Consider the results of a study of sixty-two CEOs and their top management teams. The CEOs represented some of the Fortune 500, as well as leading US service companies (such as consulting and accounting firms), not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies. The CEOs and their management team members were assessed on how upbeat – energetic, enthusiastic, determined – they were. They were also asked how much conflict and tumult the top team experiences, that is, personality clashes, anger and friction in meetings, and emotional conflicts (in contrast to disagreement about ideas).

"The study found that the more positive the overall moods of people in the top management team, the more cooperatively they worked together – and the better the company’s business results. Put differently, the longer a company was run by a management team that did not get along, the poorer that company’s market return." - An extract from the book, Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman

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