Pour Energy into Energy

Every organization has hot spots. Work is easy. People feel joyful. Stuff gets done.

Pockets of energy are the future.

Every organization has black holes. Everything’s hard. People are negative. Getting stuff done is like flogging dead donkeys.

Focus on energy:

Pour energy into energy.

Leaders can’t ignore black holes, just don’t feed them. Focus your time and resources on success.

Develop, marginalize, or remove:

It’s hard to develop a black hole. It sucks everything in and gives nothing back. If you can’t develop, marginalize, or reassign poor performers, send them to other organizations.

What area of your organization makes you feel like you’re pushing a rope? Protect yourself and others from that area.

Spend time with people who are chomping at the bit.

Black hole responses:

The success of others brings black holes to life.

Black holes love to point out what’s wrong with success.

Black holes say, “Why are we spending so much time on that project and neglecting this one?” 

Don’t get sucked in by pseudo-concern. They weren’t doing much. But, when vitality erupts, they want to kill it.

Black holes want you to pull back.

You can’t move forward while pulling back.

When fire flames up pour gas on it.

Follow success. Don’t listen to voices that encourage you to pull back by suggesting you aren’t doing enough for black holes.

Follow the fire.

Both:

Don’t neglect problem areas. One powerful way to energize people is to fix nagging issues. Bad is stronger than good. When you remove bad you do lots of good.

Do both; fuel fires and resolve energy drains.

How can you focus on success instead of failure?

How can you pour energy into energy today?

Still curious:

3 Ways to Energize People during Conversations

How to Energize Colleagues (hbr.org)