Sometimes a novel approach to working effectively comes along that really resonates. For groupH, Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy’s tried and tested approach, published in the Harvard Business Review back in 2007, did just that. They described how organizations are demanding ever-higher performance from their workforces and that staff are trying to comply, by working longer and longer hours.

The authors believe that focussing on keeping up energy levels rather than slogging away for long hours in the office is key to higher productivity and of course, to well being. They have identified four types of personal energy: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, and suggest simple rituals to renew energy levels in each area.  These rituals include engaging in cardiovascular and strength-training activity, taking brief breaks at specific intervals, expressing appreciation to others, reducing interruptions, and spending more time on activities that people do best and enjoy most.  Their ideas have proven successful for many companies.

We too have found it very useful, and hope you do too. At groupH, we have the flexibility to match people to projects that best suit their skills, talents, career aspirations and what they enjoy most.  Being home-office based, many groupH staff find it easier to put some of Schwartz and McCarthy’s ideas into practice too.  Having the approach built into the very heart of our company is most important though.

We like this way of living.

Want to Dig Deeper?

Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time. T. Schwartz and C. McCarthy. Harvard Business Review.  October 2007.

Available to download at: https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time