Friends of Dave #394: 🐦⬛ pigeons = sky puppies 🐶
How do you measure the impact of someone's energy?
What do you think when someone talks about “energy?”
If you are of a certain age, you may remember this one from Saturday morning cartoons….(FYI, before you click, 🚨 earworm alert 🚨)…..
I’m not talking about fossil fuels and chop, chop, chopping wood to start fires.
No, I am talking about something a bit more intangible, but very real and extremely valuable — it’s the energy that all people seem to possess and bring to situations themselves.
You know what I am talking about. Some people can be low energy or high energy.
They can exude negative energy or positive energy. Some like to say that collectively, a group’s energy can create a vibe.
I was involved in a group workshop this past week where I was reminded about how we can often take energy for granted and how it can be a huge differentiator in group dynamics when harnessed and nurtured properly.
The program we were running was one based on a framework that had been used a few times in the past. From what we had been told, typically the outcomes of the workshops were satisfactory — but not great. Usually underwhelming.
This time was different.
From the onset, the energy from our group of organizers (each bringing varying degrees of their own individual energy) was extremely positive. We set a high bar for success and were each committed to making this a great program for all of the participants.
When we got to the workshop it was clear that the participants were feeding off of this positive energy we as organizers brought with us. And they responded in kind — contributing their own enthusiasm that raised the level of collective energy in the room and created a really great vibe amongst the group.
Needless to say, the workshop and the week was a success — it went much better than any of us had expected.
And the difference was obvious — while the content and program was fairly well established, the vibe on these particular days, with this group of people, was overwhelmingly positive.
It got me thinking about the importance of this intangible, but clearly crucial, component to group dynamics.
All it takes is one or two people with a negative outlook, or at least one that doesn’t match the rest of the participants, and the chemistry in the room can be much different.
Sessions can seem long. Speakers can come across as boring. Content can seem irrelevant or uninteresting. People can be looking at the clock and their phones for relief.
But none of that happened.
From start to finish there was engagement — it even increased as the workshop progressed. I can only attribute it to the outlook we had from the start and that was nurtured over the course of the workshop.
Friends, the lesson here is simple: if you want to get more out of yourself or a group of people, it’s important to do an energy check before you begin a task or an initiative.
If you come into a situation with low energy or negative energy from the start, no matter how solid a plan or how tested the framework you have as a foundation, things will not likely go as well they could.
But you intentionally (and authentically) ratchet up the enthusiasm, bring the A game, and have lots of positivity — an already good framework can become great. This is particularly true if you have the right participants that share a common, positive mindset (or are open and willing to adopt one).
Seems like common sense, right? Not only does it amaze me how often we take this for granted, but also how measurable an impact the energy we bring to a situation can have on the outcome.
Food for thought as you try a little bit harder, turn that extra light out and you keep on stretching it out.
XOXO
Dave
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