Research

• Taking 15-minute breaks every 90 minutes will help to re-energise and reduce chances of burnout.
• Job crafting and designing roles to tap into individual strengths more regularly can increase performance by 38%.
• 39% of American workers say regular check-ins are the number-one thing that makes them feel happy at the office.

Statement

Enhancers of this driver

• Recognition - celebration of success and gratitude for effort.
• Employees meet regularly with their managers.
• Employees have an opportunity to use their character strengths at work.
• A good team atmosphere.
• Employees are challenged rather than overwhelmed.

Detractors of this driver

• Poor work-life balance.
• Lack of clarity on the job description - shifting requirements and undefined performance criteria.
• Employees can’t see how their work connects to the company’s output.
• Employees don’t have adequate autonomy in their role.
• Lack of recognition.

Individual

• Research shows that taking 15-minute breaks every 90 minutes will re-energise you and help increase productivity. While it’s slightly different for everyone, most of us aren’t capable of genuinely focusing for more than an hour and a half at a time.
• Fitting in a work-out, even as little as 20 minutes mid-day, can perk you up and improve your mood. If you don’t have a gym nearby, try taking a brisk walk near your office. Better yet, suggest a walking meeting with colleagues to tackle work while simultaneously upping your energy levels.

Leaders

• Identify people who create positive energy networks and place these people on essential projects to attract others to the work.
• Create a fun working environment. Never underestimate the power of Nerf ball guns, basketball hoops and foosball tables. They go a long way in getting people away from their desks and building morale. Encouraging employees to take short breaks to have fun with other colleagues is an excellent way for them to reduce stress, enjoy their time at work, and – most of all – have more energy.

Organisation

• Consider employee perks such as discounts on a gym or physical activity. Exercise is the one thing that keeps your mental and physical health in check. The dose of serotonin and dopamine that exercise provides is incomparable to any other method of improving the energy levels in an employee. With a set workout schedule, you can achieve a stable mood at the workplace that will keep energy levels positive all day long.
• Stock the office with healthy, energising food. Help your hard-working employees reach for healthy snacks when hunger strikes. We’re talking trail mix, yogurt, and fresh fruit. If budget allows, provide these snacks free of charge. And if you’re able to go a step further, offer a free, healthy lunch at least once a week to encourage employees to take a break for an energising meal and socialise with others.

• Reduce interruptions that are irrelevant and disturb focus. Be conscious of the interruptions where the subject matter is unactionable or non-urgent.
• Consider keeping a catch-up file for your team members and have them hold one for you. Keep all non-urgent or time-sensitive communication on the file for your next catch-up.
• Create Focus Time for yourself. For example, this might involve turning off all notifications and alerts on email and then checking email and other incoming information at specific times of the day.
• Let your calendar be your boss. Plan into your calendar with suitable breathing spaces between appointments. Ultimately, moving towards a calendar centred logic (as opposed to an inbox centred logic) enables you to take control of your day.

• Be conscious that your employees have goals, preferences and needs that sit outside work - enjoying a healthy social life, spending time with family and friends, maintaining health and fitness and pursuing other creative interests to name some.
• Be on their side. Show that you recognise your people’s outside priorities and do what you can to support their ability to pursue the things that matter to them. Give employees reasonable control over when they start and finish tasks.

• Set a policy around working after hours. Laptops and mobile devices make it so easy to respond to emails 24/7. There might be times when employees need to burn the midnight (or weekend) oil to meet critical deadlines. However, it’s not healthy for this to occur regularly. Employees need time to rest and relax and to take care of themselves. What’s more, happier employees are ultimately healthier and more productive.

• Work that is meaningful to you energises and enthuses. Learn what is meaningful to you. Learn what significance people on your team get from work that they find meaningful.
• Know your why. Make sure you know how your work generates value for the company and its customers. That will make it easier for you to help your employees understand their role in creating value. As adults, we need to understand "why" something is important. When the purpose is unclear, it's hard to be energised by something that has no apparent importance.
• Find a mentor. Do you have someone whom you respect and admire in your life? Do you have access to their advice, feedback, praise and criticism? If not, find yourself a mentor like this. Put in the effort to build and keep the relationship charged. A trusted mentor can teach and empower you and help you avoid needless internal criticism.
• Are you an inspiration for someone else? If not, become one. Find people within your current circle or in a new community—a colleague or a team at work, a niece, a neighbour or even strangers. Be a giver and give generously and freely of yourself. Put in effort to be the most inspiring person for the community or persons you are committed to. While not your motivation, taking interest in others takes your focus off yourself since you become invested in the interests of others. The most significant benefit is often to you because your own internal conversations change.

• Keep an eye to their future. Working toward a desired future is energising. Set career paths and promote employees to higher levels by adopting a well laid out human resource strategy. Assure them that they have a stable future within the organisation.
• Words of praise, especially from the boss, are unique rewards that people will always treasure. Consider that people wish to be respected and recognised for their work. Therefore, when you praise your employees, they will feel good, respected and more confident to perform better in their line of duty.
• Remember that positivity yields greater energy and paves the way for creativity. Thanking and praising employees for their excellent job will up their energy levels as they will become more trusting of their abilities which will eventually reflect in their output.

• Ensure that each manager and underlying team are frequently reminded that the work they and their teams are doing does have a purpose, no matter how trivial a task may seem. It’s a simple way to energise everyone from the top down and keep their eyes on the prize.
• Growth and development are essential for employee productivity. The best way to ensure employee productivity and increasing energy levels are to make sure they are well skilled. If you feel that they do not possess the necessary skills to handle their work confidently, train them.
• Provide and communicate to your employees the opportunities and areas of growth within your company. Set career paths and promote employees to higher levels by adopting a well laid out human resource strategy. This will assure them that they have a stable future within the organisation.