Keeping UP! -- The Four Kinds of Energy Every Board Needs

            Is your board running out of gas?

            Often, the key to a successful organization -- for-profit or non-profit -- is the energy of the board.   If you’re concerned that your board is low on “get-up-and-go,” check out this short blog post on the subject for the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Are the Energy Vampires Sucking Away Your Juice?

    Tune in to Peter Margaritas' video blog to hear our discussion about tips and tricks to boost your emotional and intellectual energy -- and fight off the energy vampires! See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucnfUqZyvK8&feature=youtu.be

Energy Rx for a Loooong Year

            

            If 2017 is shaping up to be a challenging year for you, here’s a chance to listen to a free podcast that features some helpful energy management tricks and tips.

            Peter Margaritis, author of Improv is No Joke (and host of the podcast with the same name) recently interviewed me about long distance bicycling -- and how its secrets apply to the workplace.

            We had such a good time, we’re planning two more podcasts after this.  Hope you enjoy it, too.

            You can find my interview on the website, on iTunes, or on Google Play.

Politics: The Energy to Show Up?

It’s been a big month for crowds in Washington: the Trump Inauguration, the Women’s March, and the March for Life.  What difference do they make?

            Clearly, each represents a lot of personal energy.  It takes juice to show up. It takes even more to move a country.

            New York Times conservative columnist David Brooks argued that the musical “Hamilton” might be even more powerful than the Women’s March because the show offers “a better nationalism, with diversity cohering around a central mission, building a nation that balances the dynamism of capitalism with biblical morality.”

            Marketing guru Seth Godin blogged that growth comes “from activating people who are ready to be activated” and shared the chart below, demonstrating that, in the last election, the majority didn’t have the energy to vote.

            There are many sources of energy, but the deepest and most powerful pool is the “spiritual” -- based on vision, mission and values.  Throughout history, that’s the energy that’s moved nations, including and especially, this one. 

New Year’s Resolution Dilemma: Will You “Pack” 2017 Tighter?

          I just listened to an interesting TED talk by time manager Laura Vanderkam.  Her message: there’s plenty of time in the week…we’re just not using it as well as we could.  Her conclusion: we could reorganize to pack more stuff into our schedule. 

            Maybe you’re thinking of doing that in 2017. 

            I don’t necessarily disagree with Laura.  But her talk illustrates the time manager’s dilemma: how do we keep cramming more “stuff” into an already crowded schedule?  Her talk completely misses a central issue: what if you don’t have the energy to exercise, take a class, read a book or play with your kids when you have the time to do so?

            One of her key points -- in a crisis, we make time -- supports my contention that we should focus on energy management over time management.  When we face a crisis, the adrenalin generates the energy we need.  Often, we “rise” to the occasion. But not everything is a crisis.  How do we generate more energy to get more done?

            There are lots of ways to do that, as outlined in my book, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy. 

            Here’s one idea, that marries both scheduling and energy.

            It’s not just time; it’s timing.  If we look at our energy flows, we can schedule tasks when we believe we’ll have the most energy to do them.  For example, we could tackle that important report first thing in the morning when we’re mentally fresh.  We could do the laundry in the middle of the afternoon when we’re in a post-lunch, low-energy food coma.

            As you make your New Year’s resolutions, if you’re worried about finding the time to do them…think energy instead! 

           

What Now? New Trump Energy Rules?

             One of my sharpest clients in financial services has come up with a personal-energy-based approached to navigating the new world of President-Elect Trump.  She’s advising her clients to watch for:

-- Pace over path

-- Inflection over momentum

-- Emotion over logic.

            Pace over path: Notice the amount of energy, not just where it’s going.  For example, deregulation might be a new direction for the new administration, but that will take a lot of time.  It can stop or slow down on enforcement almost immediately.

            Inflection over momentum: As we saw in the election, everything can change overnight. Expect sudden shifts in focus and energy.  Trends, the staple of prognosticators past, may not be so reliable any more.

            Emotion over logic:  Emotional energy is often more powerful than intellectual energy.  Just because something “makes sense” doesn’t mean it will happen  -- either in politics or economics.

How Did Trump Win? Energy?

          The pundits, the pollsters, the press, and most of the rest of the world were surprised by Donald Trump’s massive upset victory Tuesday.  How did it happen?

            I’d be the first to admit I don’t know, but (like everybody else) I have a theory: the candidate that generates the most energy wins.

            The Trump election would not be the first time that’s happened.  Nor is it necessary that all the energy be “positive.”  After all, that’s in the eye of the beholder.

            If you’re looking for a little post-election energy, you could take advantage of a chance to download for free the ebook version of Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy.

            All you have to do is go to this link: 

https://www.amazon.com/Getting-UP-Supercharging-Your-Energy-ebook/dp/B01G5TUKQ8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

and BUY the book for $0.00.  (Don’t click on “read it for free.”)  You can get the ebook for free until November 13.