❓ Have you ever felt like “work” was a four-letter word. (Technically it is. Count the letters.)
Part of the problem is Energy Drains. These are situations which involve unclear expectations, ill-suited work, office politics, over-assignment of work, bottlenecks, a lack of systems, inefficiencies, and time-wasting, cumbersome policies that don’t make sense.
These actions don’t work when dealing with Energy Drains:
🚫 Losing patience or getting exasperated or emotional. These are systems and situations. While created by people, an emotional response won’t fix them.
🚫Ignoring or postponing them. Most frustrations don’t go away or get better on their own. Escaping an environment by calling in sick makes it appear you aren’t performing. Trying to avoid or living with the results actually takes more energy than resolving or working around the frustrations.
🚫Fighting the system or situation. Effective change requires strategy and experience. It requires negation not confrontation.
The best way to negotiate with those Energy Drains is to: Identify. Control. Manage the Rest.
✅ Identify. Identifying the issue is the first step. What is the problem? What direction or solution makes the biggest difference, the soonest? Who else can provide input on the solution? Is there a roadmap of what’s been tried before? Surely, you’re not the only one frustrated by this issue.
✅ Control. Move into a problem-solving mode.
Control what you can. Replace disorganization with a system that works. Create boundaries. Manage unnecessary calls, emails and structure when you will respond. Time block. Plan. Design conference hours. Delegate where possible. Stop the frustrations you can.
✅ Manage the rest. Use the systems you create or have. Look for tasks that are redundant or can be deleted. For example, remove yourself from unnecessary emails and designate certain times of the day to respond to emails. Delegate or include others in developing solutions to minimize bottlenecks. Ask if you are needed at the meeting. Send delegates or suggest shorter meeting times.
When you can’t fix the problem, control your response. If you don’t deal with the problem, you may become part of the challenge as a complainer or energy drainer.
Deal with work. Go Negotiate the life you want!