The Manager 154 - Energy Management
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The Manager - Edition 154 - Energy Management
Hi,
I hope you are doing safe and well.
I’ve been pondering about energy management recently.
A friend of mine is a structural engineer. He is a classic C on DISC - conscientious. You’d want him to be, he’s designing commercial buildings that must be safe, reliable, legally built to tolerances and health and safety. He’s in his element when he’s working within rules, following process and deep in this design work.
He’s also the owner of the company and with that comes the need to sell his services. He has a team of 12 or so people, but he is still the main sales person. Sales requires him to build rapport quickly, present inspiring solutions, network at events and the occasional public talk. This is not his sweet spot at all, but he’s good at it. He has learnt to communicate well with others (and yes, he has attended my comms workshop – not that I’m taking all the credit). He has learnt to shift his style of work to be able to sell.
But here’s the thing - it tires him out.
It drains him. It depletes his energy.
When he and his team went through the communication workshop, this aspect of energy management resonated deeply with him. As it does with many who realise that we can shift our communication to be effective in many different circumstances but if we spend too long in some situations it comes at a cost.
We can become more assertive, or more caring, or more detail orientated, or inspiring, or listen more, or demonstrate confidence from the stage when we’re crumbling inside. We can do all of this and more - but it comes at a cost of energy.
Some activities give us energy. Some drain them.
I ran the comms workshop for a senior leader and his team. When we got to the energy management part with DISC, he realised why he was close to burning out. He was a software developer at heart and a high C. He was spending his days working with demanding, action oriented High D’s who wanted results and action and rapid decisions. He could work with them, he had to, but it was depleting him quickly.
I realised the same thing. I get energy from bringing calm and wellbeing to chaotic companies. I like inspiring groups of people, strategy discussions and helping people achieve their own version of greatness. I don’t like business as usual. I don’t like detail. I don’t like slow and steady. It’s not who I am.
DISC is a wonderful tool to help you understand what you prefer, in terms of communication and behaviours. You can then learn to communicate and “move towards” other people, no matter who they are. This is the art of good communication; resonating and working well with others. But if we spend too long playing in work and communication that is not our true self, we will start to deplete energy. Stay in these other domains as part of your everyday career and you’ll soon notice the signs.
Of course, you will soon develop a wide variety of good communication skills, and they will become natural, and yes, your preferences for work (and DISC) can shift too, and we may need to shift ourselves for personal development. But we all have things that bring us energy and those that take it away. The memes on social media would have us all believe we must be entrepreneurs, animated presenters, assertive individuals. Some of us simply aren’t wired this way.
I know a great conference presenter who is epic but hates the pressure and stress of talks. She takes three weeks of quiet isolation to relax and decompress after each talk. When I must do my taxes and deal with my accountant, I’m beat. I can do and must, but I then need some time to socialise and get back to my natural domains of wrangling with chaotic people, away from the details.
A friend of mine hates change and likes thing slow and steady (High S) and she is currently going through dramatic change at work. If she spends too long in this work she’ll burn out and she knows it. She’s already been close to quitting three times already.
Energy management is essential. Play in other areas of DISC and learn how to (through effective communication) but try not to spend too long doing work that drains you, unless you must. The consequences can be quite dramatic. And life is too short for that.
Until next week
Rob..
Interesting Articles
Seth Godin on writing. Just write. Then write some more. It's sage advice as usual.
Apparently, according to science, there is a way to make stress helpful and not harmful.
I'm going to be ordering some of these business cards.
Here's an article on Time Management. It's not bad. But as you know, Time Management is a myth - it's about energy and attention instead.
Apparently a culture of overwork is hurting your work life balance......despite the ridiculous title, this article is pretty good.
It's time to replace ambition with adaption.
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Thanks
Rob..