Energy Management
Benefit through effective management of time, money and energy by reducing stress in life

By Hiren Shah
When one contemplates the word energy in the context of human body, one is reminded of words like Prana, Qi or Kundalni etc, some of which are synonymous with spiritual energy. However in the context of saving "Time, Money and Energy", while it is not uncommon to come across articles on Time and money management, yet information on personal energy management is rare. However, Personal energy Management assumes tremendous significance in stressful times and the way it can enhance productivity in general.

Learning from sports
The book "The power of full engagement" explores the concept of personal energy management by comparing the managers with sportsmen. The authors are consultants to grand slam champions among other prominent sports persons. The following lines bring out the central idea of the book "Professional athletes typically spend 90 percent of their time in training to be able to perform 10% of the time. Their entire lives are designed around expanding, sustaining and renewing the energy that they need to prepare for short, focused periods of time. In contrast, although most of us in management spend little or no time systematically training in any of these dimensions, we are expected to perform at our best for eight, ten or even twelve hours a day. It does not matter how much time we devote to our jobs but the quality of energy we bring to our tasks. Managing energy, not time is the fundamental currency of high performance."

It is a well-known fact that negative emotions can drain energy more than anything else in the corporate context and even in personal life. According to many stress experts, negative emotions can directly cause or aggravate certain dangerous mental and physical ailments. However though professional sportsmen have been provided with full time trainers/ psychologists, some training companies have also started catering to such needs in the modern corporate world. The engagement book further states that because energy diminishes both with overuse and under use, we must balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal. Following a period of activity, the body must replenish fundamental, biochemical sources of energy. Following the examples of periodic rests by Tennis players, the book advocates a conscious relaxation of 15 minutes in the office for every one for enhancing the overall productivity. It also states that the most productive lives not only have the ability to get fully engaged in the challenge but also to disengage periodically and seek renewal.

Tennis and energy remind me of an interesting experience that I recently had. A problem at another club forced 5-6 Tennis players from there to come to our club for a week. We normally play doubles both because of lack of space and the fact that singles can be very energy sapping in summers. Initially, I was surprised when they told me that at their club, they used to play a couple of sets of singles every day; all of them are 40 plus. I noticed that they used to do ten minutes of stretching rigorously with their physical trainer at the end of every two-hour Tennis session that they had with us. I was vaguely aware that these "cool down" exercises were essential to remove lactic acid after strenuous exercise to reduce muscle soreness. However, I had never seen any of our players do it and had never tried it seriously myself. It was more of theoretical knowledge. Watching them do it with such professional zeal, I tried it for a couple of days myself and was surprised at the level of freshness and energy levels throughout the day. No wonder they could play singles in summers. Thus, productivity eventually hinges on energy management whether in sports or elsewhere.

Among Tennis players, there is one 69 year old gentleman in our club who plays three doubles sets in peak summers with a rare intensity and agility in his early forties. When I quizzed him on this, he told me that he did not do any fancy exercises but was very particular about what, when and how he ate. He would eat only vegetarian, low glycemic index food and avoid sugar, maida and fried food. He was also quite regular with his exercise regime. One could hardly spot him engaged in any energy wasting activity. He reminds me of the examples of Tennis greats, Jimmy Connors and John Mcenroe. The book explains that despite being less gifted, because of better emotional management, Connors managed to reach the semi finals of the US open on his 39th birthday but the temperamental Mcenroe had to retire when he was just 34. This shows what negative emotions can do even in a physical activity like sports.

Citing the example of another Tennis great, the book explains how Ivan Lendl used to recalibrate his energy, calm his physiology and center his attention by doing certain rituals before serving- wiping his brow, knocking his racquet against heels, bouncing the balls four times , visualising what he intended to do etc. In the recently concluded French open, one could see the eventual champion Rafa Nadal also following some of these actions. It is because centering and grounding can prevent the mind from wavering and are therefore helpful in preventing energy drainage. In a similar way, successful executives may have their own pre performance rituals. In preparation of meetings, these rituals may range from taking a walk to shift gears to abdominal breathing in order to relax, rehearsing the key points to be covered, reciting affirmations for desired outcomes etc. All spiritual gurus advocate conscious living and such positive rituals are a means to achieve them.

Dale Carnegie has mentioned in one of his books that on interviewing Henry Ford shortly before his eightieth birthday, he was surprised to see how fresh and fine he looked. When probed about it, he replied: "I never stand up when I can sit down; and I never sit down when I can lie down." It must be pointed out here that excess sitting and lying down can also sap energy. It is a well-known fact that energy levels tend to diminish around late afternoon. Research indicates that taking a nap of around 20-30 minutes in the afternoon can lead to a tremendous positive effect in productivity but beyond that, sleeping can prove counterproductive.

Wikipedia states that 'a siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal.' Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm. Companies may or may not officially follow Siesta or power naps "office massages" and "Office yoga" which are different forms of energy renewal are quite popular. There is no reason why "Office nap" should not be pursued, as the emotional energy spent on certain management activities can be as draining as physical activities in sports.

No article on energy can be complete without mentioning breathing, which is the very essence of life. Deep breathing is often recommended for both physical and emotional fatigue. The blog http://yourenergy.blogspot.com/ started by journalist and editor R. Sridhar has described this uniquely well “When you are faced with a situation, all you can and should do is control your breathing. Our breathing determines the quality and quantity of energy that flows within us and that is what we are, rather what we should, be in control of. You will feel happy in the knowledge that you are in control over the Big B – your "Breath". However breathing, yoga, meditation and other techniques are of no use if there are fundamental flaws in work and work relationships, which represent 75% of waking existence. In the words of seasoned career experts and authors of Your Soul at Work "Wherever one’s energy flows naturally and easily one is likely to have a competitive edge and do best apart from finding meaning and growth in dimensions that are important to the individual".

One can come across a lot of interesting facts on high energy living on Internet. The relationship with one’s immediate superior is considered to be the biggest energy drainer/enhancer and one of the biggest causes of attrition as well. That apart, a congenial atmosphere and fair treatment can ensure harmony in work relationships. While all this is prevalent in bigger companies by implementation of HR concepts like 360 feedback and performance management systems, in small and medium companies, HR outsourcing companies now handle such functions. Whether done in house or outsourced, whether HR related or otherwise , all management control systems that reduce friction and prevent wastage of energy must be implemented for effective management of energy, time, and money.