Why is it that the summer break already feels like a distant memory? That refreshed feeling has faded, and a question I’ve been asking my clients is: Where is your energy going?
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“Energy leaks” refers the small, often unnoticed activities or emotional baggage that sap our energy throughout the day. These leaks might not feel urgent, but over time, they contribute to physical and mental fatigue.
Only 23% of employees worldwide reported being engaged at work, according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2023 report. This leaves a staggering 77% either "quiet quitting" (not engaged) or "actively disengaged," which directly impacts workplace productivity. Low engagement costs the global economy approximately $8.8tn annually, or about 9% of global GDP.
As companies demand higher output, we see employees' well-being plummeting. Often, in hybrid work settings, employees might appear highly productive, but this often masks underlying exhaustion, disengagement, and burnout. Team members frequently report high stress and a lack of recovery time due to "always-on" expectations of the work from home reality.
Similarly, Microsoft’s 2023 research showed that employees are overwhelmed by back-to-back meetings, excessive demands, and blurred boundaries between work and personal life. Many reported chronic fatigue and decreased engagement, as the constant pressure led to burnout and reduced ability to perform effectively.
According to Gartner (2023), "radical flexibility" in work arrangements—allowing employees autonomy in when, where, how, and with whom they work—can increase the percentage of employees identified as high performers by 40%. However, many businesses struggle to balance flexibility with maintaining productivity. This tension underscores the importance of creating structured yet flexible environments.
Some common energy leaks include:
- Multitasking: Continuously shifting between tasks lowers focus and drains energy.
- Unnecessary meetings: Many meetings are either too long or unnecessary, leaving team members feeling drained without adding value.
- Emotional masking: Concealing true emotions in professional settings can be exhausting. It’s important to create safe environments where your team feels comfortable expressing themselves authentically.
- The urgency illusion: According to Steven Covey's matrix of urgency and importance, many tasks feel urgent but lack real importance. As leaders, it’s vital to encourage teams to focus on tasks that truly make an impact, rather than getting caught in the cycle of reacting to non-essential demands.
How to identify and reduce energy leaks
The first step to minimising these energy leaks is awareness. For both leaders and team members, taking a moment to identify where energy is going can help reduce unnecessary stress.
Try this exercise:
For the next week, track your energy levels every hour. Pay attention to which activities boost your energy and which deplete it. At the end of the day, reflect on where your energy went compared to where you intended it to go. How much of your time was spent on meaningful tasks, and how much on draining or redundant activities?
Once you’ve identified your energy leaks, commit to shift 1% of your time from energy-draining tasks to energy-giving activities. This small change can lead to noticeable improvements in productivity, mood, and overall well-being.
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Managing your team’s energy
As leaders, helping your teams manage their high-performance energy is crucial. Here are a few practical tips to reduce energy leaks and boost high-performance energy:
- Prioritise with purpose: Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorise tasks by urgency and importance. Focus on high-impact activities and delegate or eliminate distractions that drain your energy.
- Manage boundaries effectively: Set clear work-life boundaries by scheduling deep work periods, limiting unnecessary meetings, and learning to say no to commitments that don’t align with your goals. Before team members go on leave, clearly communicate that no work-related emails or tasks are expected during this period. Encourage your team to completely unplug.
- Optimise recovery cycles: Energy isn't just about working hard; it's about strategic recovery. Just as top-performing athletes incorporate rest and recovery into their training, high-performing teams also need downtime to maintain resilience and productivity. Schedule micro-breaks, incorporate movement (like stretching or walking), and ensure quality sleep to recharge effectively.
- Master emotional agility: Emotional stress is one of the biggest energy leaks. Practice mindfulness, self-awareness, and reframing negative thoughts to prevent emotional fatigue from derailing your focus.
- Fuel and hydrate smartly: High-performance energy requires proper nutrition and hydration. Prioritise whole foods, avoid sugar crashes, stay hydrated, and consider foods rich in brain-boosting nutrients (like Omega-3s and B vitamins).
- Foster a safe space: Promote a work culture where team members can be authentic, reducing the emotional energy spent on masking their feelings.
- Emphasise reflection: Encourage your team to take time to reflect at the end of projects or at the end of each quarter. Focus on celebrating accomplishments rather than getting bogged down by what didn’t go as planned. Use these moments as learning opportunities and deciding what need tweaking and adjustment in the team’s ways of working and collaborating.
