Dr Jack Groppel: Micro-bursts to create fully-integrated energy

Dr. Jack Groppel says that where we all find ourselves today is where sports was 50 years ago. 50 years ago, if you were in sport and wanted to rest, people looked at you like you were weak. If you drank water to rehydrate, you were weird. The sports world has come a long way, but the business world has not. Welcome to ASTD2014 session M314…

Groppel says that human beings and organisations are multi-dimensional, fully integrated energy systems. Without energy, nothing happens. So the question is: How do you bring you best energy to work to get the best results?

I’m the sports world, athletes spend almost all their time training and practicing, and very little time performing. An NFL football player doesn’t play any games between February and August. But he is training, conditioning and practising! Think about yourself at work: You are probably spending ALL your time performing!

The key to being extraordinary, says Groppel, is to manage your energy, not just time. Much of what we think about in personal effectiveness is about getting there on time and meeting deadlines.. But it should be about energy management.

There are 4 types of energy

There are 4 types of energy we need to consider: Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. And it’s like a pyramid, or hierarchy, starting from the bottom up. If you don’t have a good quantity of physical energy, you can’t have good emotional energy. No emotional energy, no mental energy. No mental, no spiritual…

Groppel says that it is a skill to develop these energy types and that in the business world, we need to help people to develop these skills.

Physical energy is about food, movement fitness, hydration, rest and sleep

Emotional energy is about optimism and positivity

Mental energy is about having laser focus, rather than being scattered and multi-tasking

Spiritual energy is purpose driven, connected to something that really matters to us. Whatever it may be.

So what can we do to get more energy?

The basic pitch today = micro-energy bursts. Groppel talked about what happens in tennis. For a professional tennis player, apparently only 35% of the game time is spent playing the point. The other 65% is between active tennis-playing (moving to the other side or end of the court. Pausing between plays, games, sets, matches…). What are tennis players doing during that 65%? According to Groppel, the are micro-resting, dealing with emotions, focussing and aligning to purpose. Literally? They put their racket into their non-playing hand, they breathe in deeply 2 times, they make a point of facing and processing their emotions…. If you can implement such micro-bursts in your working day, Groppel says you will improve the 4 types of energy.

Here are some easy to implement micro-energy bursts that Groppel has been testing in various organisations and that his studies have proven lead to better productivity, engagement and results….

Physical micro-bursts to improve mood, creativity and problem solving, and increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain:

It’s not about just taking a break. Groppel suggests that from time-to-time, we should just stand up and walk on the spot for 30 seconds. You can even keep working if you want.

Have a walking meeting

Use the stairs

Emotional micro-bursts to disengage from the working moment and improve mood + positive emotion:

Conversations with a loved one

Talking with children. Think about it: Did you complain or did you ask “Hey. How are you doing?”

Telling a joke or reading or watching something funny

Looking at a picture of your kids

I asked Dr Groppel what we could do to micro-burst at a mental or spiritual level. He said that calling loved ones (for example) will have a spiritual impact if you are strongly attached to family-values. Reading inspirational materials might also ouch on the spiritual level. He added that changing tasks might help to bring more mental focus and I imagine that meditation or some form of mindfulness might have the same impact.

So, the challenge is there: If you believe these 4 energy types are worth investing in, do it! Find ways to micro-burst and just do it!

See also www.GlobalAllianceHP.com