Review: The Power of Full Engagement

The post below is a review I completed some time ago.  It doesn't go into great detail (you'll have to read the book for that), but hopefully will spur someone to pick it up and use the principles outlined by the authors.  Also included is a video of Tony Schwartz describing the 4 Principles for managing energy.  

The Power of Full Engagement:  Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. Free Press, New York, NY. 2003. ISBN 0-7432-2674-7. 245 pages. 

The premise for the book The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz is deceptively simple.  The authors contend that the amount of time in a day is set and therefore cannot truly be managed.  However, the amount of energy that one has available is variable and can be managed for increased or decreased effectiveness.  According to the Loehr and Schwartz (2003), “energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.” (p. 4). 

The authors developed their theories while working with athletes.  They noticed that high-performance athletes worked towards measureable goals, had specific rituals, and alternated between periods of hard work and periods of recovery.  They also noted that the “performance demands that most people face in their everyday work environment dwarf those of any professional athlete.” (Loehr & Schwartz, p. 8)  Through their work with athletes, the authors developed what they call the Corporate Athlete Training System®.  The entire training program is included in the text; however, this summary only discusses the principles behind the training system without going into the specifics steps of the program.

This training system is based on four basic principles:

1. Full engagement requires drawing on four separate but related sources of energy. (p. 9)
2. Because energy capacity diminishes both with overuse and underuse, energy expenditure must be balanced with intermittent energy renewal. (p. 11)
3. To build capacity, we must push beyond our normal limits (p. 13)
4. Positive energy rituals are the key to full engagement and sustained high performance. (p. 14)

According to the authors, all of these principles must be in place and balanced for a leader to achieve at full potential.  

Principle 1 states that energy comes from four sources: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.  Physical energy is the fundamental source of fuel for our bodies. Physical energy can be increased through proper diet, exercise, rest, and correct breathing.  Emotional energy is related to how a person responds to various stresses. According to the authors, ‘the ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress lies at the heart of effective leadership.” (p. 92) Mental energy is what we use to organize our lives and focus our attention.  Loehr and Schwartz contend that the best use of mental energy is realistic optimism, or seeing the world as it is, but always working positively towards a desired outcome. (p. 108) Spiritual energy provides the force for action in all dimensions in our lives.  It fuels passion, perseverance, and commitment.  (p. 110) 

Principle 2 states that success is based on balancing energy expenditures with energy renewal. A person must balance periods of energy use with periods of rest and renewal.  It is possible to either over expend energy, such as working too many hours without a break, and under expend energy, such as sleeping too much, both of which lead to low performance.

Principle 3 requires that a person push beyond their normal limits in order to build capacity and increase energy.  This not only applies in the physical realm, but in the other energy areas as well.  For example, if one wishes to become more empathetic, they must practice empathy.  According to the authors, it is necessary to identify areas of weakness and then develop a strategy for building that area.  (p. 156-158)

Principle 4 requires that a person develop highly specific routines in order to manage their energy expenditures and sustain high performance.  These can run the gamut from stopping work at specific intervals to relax and reflect to scheduling date nights with spouses. These rituals should be designed to reinforce a positive trait rather than to remove a negative one.  Most rituals will take between thirty and sixty days to acquire.  To make lasting change, a person should focus on only one significant change at a time.  (p. 179) “It is better to succeed with small incremental changes and modest setbacks than to create a grand plan and fail completely.” (p. 186)

Implementing the above principles, according to Loehr and Schwartz, involves a three-step process:  Define Purpose, Face the Truth, and Take Action. (p. 15)  Defining purpose requires a person to answer the question, “How should I spend my energy in a way that is consistent with my deepest values?” (p. 15).  It also includes defining these values. Facing the truth requires analyzing how energy is currently being spent including gathering credible data such as having a physical and seeking input from family and co-workers. (p. 156-158) Finally, taking action involves developing rituals designed to “translate our values and priorities into action in all areas of our life.”  (p. 182)  

The process outlined by Loehr and Schwartz should not be foreign to educational leaders.  “Where does the school need to be in order to be most effective?”, “Where is it now, really?” and “What needs to happen to get the school to be its best?” are common questions asked by leaders about their school and its programs.  School leaders already analyze data and develop rituals, in the form of processes and procedures, to increase school effectiveness.  They regularly stretch their capacity as they learn new skills and apply new ideas to problems.  These very same processes, as outlined by Loehr and Schwartz, can also be used by the leader to achieve high performance and personal success in all areas of life by managing available energy instead of trying to manage time. 

Reference

Loehr, J. and Schwartz, T. (2003).  The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. New York, NY: Free Press.