Energy Audit: Managing Pressure Without Burning Out

In this article, Tony Schwartz shares some alarming numbers he sees when conducting his 'energy audit' with groups of senior managers and leaders:

• 77% said they had trouble focusing on one thing at a time.

• 80% said they take too little time to think strategically and creatively, and spend too much of their time reacting to immediate demands rather than focusing on activities with long-term value and higher leverage.

• 54% said they often feel impatient, frustrated or irritable at work, especially when demand gets high.

How effective can people possibly be when our energy is so compromised? Which is to say nothing of the distraction, impatience and irritability that we can end up taking home with us to the ones we love the most!

Maintaining energy is not something that only senior managers need to focus on, it's relevant for all of us.

This article reminded me of an energy exercise I did, too. "Energy is like a bank account" said Nikki Fogden-Moore, "think of the things that you do and the people that you’re with as either making deposits or withdrawals in that account."

I am writing down, in two columns as instructed, the things that renew my energy in column one and the things that deplete it in the other column.

As I’m finishing this exercise, I can almost feel the light bulb go off over my head.

I can choose to manage some of the additional pressures when I’m under work pressure to keep the pressure cooker from exploding and leaving a mess on the walls by just making some small adjustments that will keep my energy levels in a better place.

It was a great exercise, and I highly recommend that you give it a go, it's really a headspace that you need to get into to really think about what renews and what depletes.

Here are some simple guides that I’ve developed over years of project delivery to keep myself nice(ish) when the delivery tunnel hits.

Reducing Stress Under Sustained Pressure

This doesn’t mean I get to opt out of project delivery or stop working with people who I find difficult, dysfunctional or not as diligent and competent as hoped.

That must continue to get the project finalised and over the line with everyone in the best possible state. It means that channelling what I have into the project delivery and family is all there is.

Almost everything else must pause; therefore, reducing pressure in areas of my life I can control.

Opting out of some of the more discretionary social engagements, and opting in to things that create good sleep and help me to maintain my health (both mental and physical).

I will catch up with those people after the project pressure has passed.

Starting the Day Well Is a Leadership Practice

I’ve varied my morning routines over the years and often get fed up with it and change it around. The fact that the guy who owns the café where I’m sitting just greeted me with ‘it’s like Groundhog Day’ means that others note there’s a routine.

Habits and routines reduce decision making, which means some tasks like exercise and what to eat for breakfast go onto autopilot. If I don’t have to decide, it makes it easier.

We’ve been talking about good habits this quarter (internally), and the 6R team are all committed to morning exercise and getting moving.

Some of us are more committed to caffeination than others, though, but we all try to... Find ways to create little mental breaks in the day.

Building in small sanity breaks also makes the day easier and keeps us as a team in better mental health (even just a walk to move the car).

It gets the body moving and gets us out from behind the screens to just take a little break. I’ve also, this year, adopted a small break approach to holidays.

This was not the exact plan, but when I found that a ten-day break was just not workable, we made the best of five days and found that it was more than enough!

Doing something different from the regular routine meant I returned feeling refreshed with new energy.

Not to say that there isn't more to go on the development side - no one is ever done on the improvements, but these small and practical things have helped me get through energy slumps.

Retail improvement, made practical.
Leadership thinking that drives change.

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