This week, we’ve been focusing on our energy. The self-awareness of our natural tendencies can make us better able to understand situations that will drain us and strategies to recharge.
Once we have this personal understanding, we can also begin to have conversations with others in our lives to better align when everyone is at their best.
Get to know which of your team members are introverts, night owls, what times of day they are at their best to create, when they typically need to charge, and more. These insights will help you engage with them when they are at their best and give them space when they need to do quiet work.
You may also recognize when an introvert is getting overwhelmed with a long day of meetings. Helping them find just five minutes alone to recharge could be the best gift you could provide.
We can easily make assumptions that everyone’s energy is like our own. Having conversations can help you understand, adapt, and celebrate your differences.
My Story
Sometimes, energy patterns on a team can complement one another. I worked on a project with a co-worker where we traded the file back and forth making changes in different areas and our work built upon what the other contributed.
I would spend time making updates, pass the file along, she would do work, and then pass it back.
Over time, the two of us realized that I was a morning lark, and she was a night owl. She would have a creative work burst later at night and update the content. I would get files emailed to me at midnight or sometimes later. When I was up and working at my best (6-8am), a new file would be there waiting for me, and I could do my updates before she started her workday.
I’m not suggesting people should be working at midnight or at 6am. However, this worked perfectly for the two of us. If your workplace is flexible with the hours you work, optimizing to your natural tendencies can make work smoother.
Your Turn
Do you know when your co-workers are at their best?
Have you ever partnered with someone who’s tendencies are very different from your own?
How might you approach new partnerships with energy tendencies in mind?