Many businesses focus on time management but we have discovered that leaders need to focus on expanding and managing energy—not time. It’s not the time you devote to your work or family that brings real value, but the energy and passion you bring to the time you have.

Take care of business! Effectively managing energy requires training like an elite athlete — a corporate athlete and how employees take care of their bodies has a significant effect on their ability to perform in high-stress environments. The bottom line: Taking care of your body is taking care of business!  Good physical energy provides the foundation, but today’s workers need their full and best energy, they need to expand and maximize their energy to perform at their best and stay fully engaged at work and at home. Successful executives make time for exercise. Recent research indicates that exercise makes us more productive and increases oxygen to the brain. Beyond being physically healthier, every worker needs to be:

• Emotionally engaged so positive emotions dominate in the work environment.
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Mentally focused on the task at hand with a positive mindset.
• Spiritually aligned with the work mission and their vocation.
• By taking this holistic approach, you can achieve your full and best energy and be fully engaged.
• Business should begin by developing a holistic multistep process in which employees evaluate how they could improve in life and at work. Key elements of the program would include:
• Discuss your ultimate mission, defining where you need to invest your energy to achieve a successful home and work life.
• Evaluate yourself and face the truth about where your energy is being invested?
• Develop a 90-day Training Mission to make changes.
• Articulate Your “Old Story.”  How you think about a task—your private voice—will affect how you approach a challenge.  The tone and content of your private voice will determine your success or failure, for example, thinking in a negative way about a challenge will make you less likely to succeed.
• Create Your “New Story.”  Develop a more positive “script” for your private voice going forward.  World-class athletes and people in high-stress jobs avoid thinking in negative terms and instead recognize that a challenge is an opportunity to stretch and grow.
• Embed Supportive Habits. Athletes sharpen their focus and maintain concentration by developing supportive habits. For example, a basketball player may dribble the ball exactly three times and take a deep breath before each free throw. Going through this type of repetitive process grounds your new story in behavioral reality.
• Establish accountability and support at work and home.

As the economy recovers, many firms have a critical mass of employees who are toxically disengaged. Those firms who invest in their employees will be positioned to take full advantage of the economic rebound and gain a sustainable edge.  By taking a more holistic approach, firms can create a great place to work, generate lower health care costs, and most important help employees live more productive, healthier, happier, and balanced lives at home and work.

Leaders with the most impact are those who can build and successfully manage great teams. Every day, we help our clients and colleagues achieve their highest levels of professional presence and personal effectiveness. That includes everyone on the ladder, from company presidents to project managers, to staff members. Contact us at 800-282-3374 to find out how we can help you impact your own productivity and the productivity of your entire organization.