By: Maurice Gilbert
Do you hear that giant sucking noise?
That’s the sound your precious energy makes as it leaves your body.
Boring meeting? Suck, suck and suck.
Interminable conference call? Suck.
Droning co-workers? Suuuuuck.
Energy suck happens to us – and around us – making workdays a drag and turning us from peppy producers into fuzzy-headed, knuckle-dragging, clock-watching slugs.
And worst of all?
Sometimes the real culprit is…Us!
So wake up and skim this list. If you’re guilty of even one of these offenses, then you’re the one who’s sucking energy from those around you.
1. You’re negative
Your go-to response is, “Nah, that won’t work.” You rarely support any ideas but your own.
2. You’re a whiner
Complaining is contagious. Don’t be the one who starts it. Once the complain-train gathers passengers and leaves the station, it’s hard to stop it.
3. You’re a weekend In-box sniper
It can be tempting to stay late on Friday to finish up your to-do list or to devote a Sunday afternoon to catching up. But resist the urge to load up your employees’ in-boxes with messages and assignments during off hours. We’re supposed to use that time to re-charge, remember?
4. You ignore low-performers
If the weak links in the chain are allowed to linger too long, the resentment can cause your best performers to lose their “zip.” Not only will be they be less productive – they might start job-hunting during company time.
5. You’re disorganized
Everybody drops the ball sometimes, but if you’re constantly losing files or overlooking emails or goobering up the schedule, it’s going to drain your team.
6. You let deadlines drift
When people in your organization chronically miss deadlines, there’s a culture issue. Maybe everyone’s overworked. Maybe everyone’s under-performing. Either way, get to the bottom of it. Address the stress or the inertia, or everyone’s energy will suffer.
7. You forget to praise
As managers we get tunnel vision because we have so many responsibilities. But employees can get discouraged in a hurry if we forget to provide praise and positive feedback when it’s earned. Too long without enough “Atta boys” can sap your staff’s energy and result in lower performance.
Remember – leadership isn’t just about the things you DO. It’s also about inspiring, encouraging and empowering those around you. The result? More energy for everyone (including you).
Maurice Gilbert is Managing Partner of Conselium Executive Search, which specializes in placing Compliance Officers and Legal Counsel for clients in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Maurice is also CEO of Corporate Compliance Insights, a worldwide publication devoted to governance, risk and compliance issues. Maurice can be reached at maurice@conselium.com or maurice@corporatecomplianceinsights.com.
