High energy teams get more done.
Sadly, they don’t teach managers how to track and manage team energy.
Perhaps it’s a topic you’d rather ignore. Just do the work. Don’t worry about fluffy stuff like emotional trajectory or energy networks.
High performance requires high energy.
Assess team energy:
Draw a line through the middle of a piece of paper. The line represents neutral interactions, neither energizing or de-energizing.
Above the line represents a team member who brings positive energy. Below the line represents negative energy.
Place each team member’s bubble on the energy graph. Go with your gut. Include yourself.
Reflections:
- Why did you give the energy scores you gave?
- What behaviors indicate negative/positive energy?
- How might a -2 have more influence than a +2?
- What does useful negative energy look like? (Is there such a thing?)
- What does useless positive energy look like? (Is there such a thing?)
- How might team members bring up negative issues and create positive energy at the same time? Being a positive leader isn’t ignoring negative issues.
- What behaviors have the biggest positive or negative impact on team energy?
- Who are the team’s energizers? De-energizers?
- How might negative/positive team members be best utilized?
- After reflection, do you want to adjust your original placement of team members?
Personal reflection:
- Where did you place yourself on the energy graph?
- Where do you predict others will place you?
- Where did others actually place you?
- What factors contribute to any variance?
Team conversation:
- Where did you fall on the energy graph?
- What behaviors drain energy?
- What behaviors energize you and/or others?
- How might you have negative conversations in energizing ways?
How might a team energy graph be utilized with your team?