Energy Management: Taking a Page From the Military Training Book
A recent Gallup Opinion Poll surveyed Americans' confidence in 16 U.S. "institutions," which ranged from congress to small business to newspapers. Know which institution ranked the highest on the list? It was the U.S. military -- and it's not surprising that we hold the military in high esteem, given the attributes often associated with the institution: high levels of physical fitness, discipline, work ethic and integrity, as well as strong skill sets and international exposure. My seven years' experience with the United States Air Force gave me a foundation -- especially my food and workout choices -- that I utilize today at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute when I work with "corporate athletes," men and women who are required to perform at high levels under significant mental and physical demands for sustained periods.
When I was working for the Air Force in the United Kingdom, I was charged with fitness testing 5,000 active-duty personnel. To say it was a daunting task is an understatement: There just weren't enough hours in the day, and I was constantly struggling to manage my time. It wasn't long before my daily workouts and healthy eating habits, particularly breakfast, were compromised so I could spend more time working. I'm sure that for many of us, this is not an unusual story.
[Read: 8 Ways to Stay Healthy at Work .]
While I was running myself ragged, I noticed my supervisor, a USAF major, wasn't -- so I started observing how she operated. If I thought my workload was challenging, it paled in comparison to hers; plus, she had a "second shift" when she returned home to her husband and two young children. Added to her work and personal demands was the understanding that she could be deployed across the globe at a moment's notice. Above all, she was respected across the organization. As I paid attention to her habits, several notable ones became apparent. I rarely saw her without her water bottle, and she sipped from it regularly. I never saw her in a "hangry" state (meaning so hungry that one becomes frustrated and angry), because between main meals she'd snack on something with fruit or another wise choice. What impressed me most was her unwavering commitment to exercise -- whereas when my work life got hectic, I rationalized forgoing daily physical activity in the interest of time. Here was someone significantly busier than I, but she made it an absolute non-negotiable part of her day by biking to work, working out at lunchtime or running at the end of the day. Lesson learned: To operate at optimal levels, it's not just about time management, but also energy management -- where nutrition and fitness can play a big role.
[Read: Healthy Snacks for When You Feel Hangry .]
In a nutshell, energy management is a category of performance training pioneered by HPI to help today's leaders expand their energy and perform at their personal best by managing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions. In the situation I described above, I focused on managing my time, not my energy.
When energy is aligned physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, then individuals, teams and organizations operate in a healthy state. Here are some examples of each from my Air Force days:
-- Spiritually: This refers to having a mission or purpose that is greater than oneself. As an organization, the military is highly mission oriented. The mission is clear every second of every day: The active duty personnel were constantly asking themselves what is the mission, has it changed, why are we here and what is our role. Part of the reason they wore a uniform, whether dress blues or battle dress uniforms, is to literally wear the mission.
-- Mentally: When I would approach my supervisor with an issue and address it through an editorialized story, she always responded the same way: "What are the facts? Let's focus on the facts and align it to the mission." When all types of chaos can be ensuing, we trained ourselves to focus on the facts, not the story.
-- Emotionally: I noticed immediately how my Air Force colleagues had very high levels of enthusiasm for many aspects of their lives. The military takes the approach of recruiting positive emotional energy. These emotions include realistic optimism, self-confidence, self-control and patience, versus the survival-based emotions of impatience, defensiveness and pessimism. Military personnel are trained to operate in the "all for one" and "can do" attitudes toward challenges.
-- Physically: I referred to the physical dimension in my story about my Air Force supervisor. She always made time for quality exercise, slept well, hydrated and snacked strategically. There are always exceptions, but the military understands that a fit force is a more mission-ready force.
My Air Force experiences underscored the importance of managing energy -- versus time -- to perform at optimal levels, and how fitness and nutrition are vitally important to managing energy. At HPI, this is how we train corporate athletes to get the best out of themselves and their organization. In business, when you are prepared on all four dimensions, you're better able to successfully meet your mission.
[Read: Energy-Boosting Foods on a Budget .]
