Workplace Energy: Enhancing Performance and Engagement
The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. It can only be transferred from one form to the next or between objects. This concept also applies to the energy of people. Individuals acquire energy and frequently exchange that energy between one another. Psychologist refer to this as relational energy and argue that this form of energy comes from the interactions we have with those around us.
In organizations, this energy is a resource for employees and offer a buffer to increased job demands and stress. Other workplace resources include but are not limited to: compensation, necessary supplies, emotional support, and training. All of these, in addition to energy, provide employees with what is needed to complete the work that is asked of them while also attempting to maintain employee satisfaction, engagement, and performance.
In this newsletter we will review the benefits and principles of high energy workplaces along with practical ways to increase workplace energy in the workplace.
The Benefits of High Energy Workplaces
Effectively tapping into and capitalizing on energy in the workplace can have significant effects on positive organizational outcomes. Without sufficient energy, employees can experience burnout, stress, and disengagement. This ultimately results in turnover, which can be exceptionally costly for organizations.
On the flip-side, high energy leads to increased job performance due to the increases in engagement often seen. Additionally, knowledge is shared more effectively in groups with high relational energy. Such groups also experience greater loyalty, effort, and overall performance. As previously mentioned, energy helps to buffer against negative outcomes that can be costly for organization through improved coping and increased general well-being.
Principles of High Energy Workplaces
People are energized by interactions in which a compelling vision is created.
Energy is not usually generated in conversations about current or past problems. Whether in the pursuit of personal or business objectives, energy is produced from a focus on possibilities. These possibilities, or visions, must be inspiring and worthy of people’s time and effort, but they cannot be overwhelming.
The ability to create a compelling vision is a consistent differentiator between energizers and de-energizers. Energizers see realistic possibilities; de-energizers see roadblocks at every turn.
People are energized by interactions in which they can contribute meaningfully.
Energizers create opportunities for people to enter conversations or problem-solving sessions in ways that make them feel heard. In contrast, de-energizers often either do not create the space in a conversation for others to engage or do not find ways to value different perspectives. This however, may be a challenge for people with a great deal of expertise.
Not to say that all contributions should be received uncritically — just that effective contributions need to be acknowledged and ineffective ones handled in a way that does not marginalize the contributor.
People are energized when participants are fully engaged in an interaction.
Energy in conversations increases as people contribute meaningfully and at the same time learn from others similarly engaged. Body language plays an important role, it can show lack of attention, as people attempt to do more than one thing at a time. High energy workplaces bring themselves fully to a given interaction, keeping their attention on the person or people they are involved with at the moment.
People are energized in interactions marked by progress.
Energizers are driven to a goal (a compelling vision) but are open and flexible about how to get there. That allows progress to occur in unexpected ways as people determine on their own how to move an idea or a project forward. In contrast, de-energizers may have a goal in mind but a preconceived notion of how to get there, which they attempt to impose on everyone. Being too close minded can hinder engagement and performance.
People are energized in interactions when hope becomes part of the equation.
People don’t initially have to like either the tasks or the leader associated with a project in order to be energized. But emotion, in the form of hope, plays a role in energizing interactions.
Hope allows people to become energized when they begin to believe that the objective is worthy and can be attained. They get excited about the possibilities and stop looking for the pitfalls.
Workplace Energy in Action
Organizations can help build workplace energy by 1) including items on enthusiasm and energy in rating schemes used to assess potential hires, 2) adding dimensions of energy and trust in 360 performance reviews, and 3) embedding methods of increasing energy in leadership-development training.
Overview:
Energy in organizations is critical for performance, morale, innovation and learning — people understand this intuitively and scientific research confirms it. By understanding workplace relationships, we can see where energy is being created and where it is being depleted. Then we can then take action, encouraging simple changes in behavior to increase energy in places where its lack is hindering the progress of important organizational initiatives.
Source:
Baker, W., Cross, R., & Wooten, M. (2003). Positive organizational network analysis and energizing relationships. In K. S. Cameron, J. E. Dutton, & R. E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline (pp. 328–342). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
Cross, R., Baker, W., & Parker, A. (2003). What creates energy in organizations? MIT Sloan
Management Review, 44, 51-57.
