The authors talk about eight decisions that increase energy and that these questions can for a diagnostic.
The authors say “energy is created in conversations that balance several dimensions of an interaction. Hitting the midpoint, or sweet spot, of these five dimensions…” People are energized by interactions on these five dimensions:
- Interactions in which a compelling vision is created
- Interactions in which a they can contribute meaningfully
- Participants are fully engaged in an interaction
- Interactions marked by progress
- Interactions where hope becomes part of the equation
Have you ever wanted to help a colleague see why their expertise is going unused, but you struggled for the right words? How about this from the article,
While energizers have a disproportionate effect on group learning, the expertise of de-energizers often goes untapped no matter how relevant it is. Instead of finding ways to modify their behavior, however, de-energizers tend to persist in unconstructive approaches when they are bypassed. In the words of one executive: “Avoiding them just makes them yell louder and cause more problems because they don’t feel heard. And it can become a crusade for them. They keep pushing their opinions harder, rather than trying different ways to engage the group constructively.”
You will get something you can apply from this article by Rob Cross, Wayne Baker, and Andrew Parker (July 15, 2003) Slone Management Review.
[Image: Flickr user ~Brenda-Starr~]
