Time vs. Energy?

Most weeks I wonder how I can possibly squeeze more hours out of my days.  Tony Schwartz says my thoughts are misguided.  Instead of focusing on time, I should be concentrating on energy.  I asked the CEO of The Energy Project to explain. Q) You say the way we work isn't working.  Why not?   Schwartz:  Demand is exceeding our capacity. Time is finite, and we don’t have any left. But energy can be expanded, and regularly renewed. Human beings aren’t designed to operate like machines, working continuously at high speeds for long periods of time. We’re meant to pulse between energy expenditure and energy renewal.  The issue in the workplace shouldn’t be the number of hours we work, but the value we produce.  Great performers instinctively understand what science has now confirmed: we work best and most efficiently when we move rhythmically between fierce focus and real renewal. That’s the paradigm shift we need to make — in organizations, and as individuals.   Q) There's no shortage of advice out there on managing your time, but that's not where you want us to focus our efforts.  Instead, we should be managing our energy.  What are the key differences between managing our time versus our energy–and how can we effectively manage our energy?     Schwartz: Energy is simply the capacity to do work. The more energy we have, the more effectively we can work.  The first key is to get more connected to how you feel throughout the day.  You want to do the most challenging tasks when you have the highest energy. You don’t want to work more than 90 minutes at a time, because science tells us that’s how often the body needs a rest.   You also want to be alert to the quality of your energy.  We work best when we feel best. When you’re feeling frustrated, or angry, or anxious, you don’t think is well.  Those feelings are a sign that you need to step back and take a few moments to quiet your mind and body.  Above all, you need to institute something we call “rituals” — highly specific behaviors you do at specific times to better manage your energy, which become automatic over time.   Q) Share with us one example of a policy and practice that's been implemented by an organization to help its people thrive on energy instead of time.   Schwartz:  At one company, the senior leaders instituted an 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. policy for emails. Outside those times, people aren’t required to answer email, which creates a boundary in their lives that truly gives them the opportunity to renew when they’re not at work. Another company instituted a “no meeting zone” before 9 a.m., so that people could focus on the most important task first each morning, when they were freshest and least distracted.  At several companies, we’ve created “Renewal Rooms” where people can go during the day to relax and get away from work.       Tell me how you're managing your energy each day.       Tony Schwartz is the CEO and founder of The Energy Project, a company that harnesses the science of high performance to help individuals and organizations increase engagement, focus, commitment and productivity. Tony is the co-author of the bestselling “The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy Not Time” and the forthcoming “Pulse” Fueling the Four Needs That Drive Great Performance. He has given keynotes and led trainings around the world for companies including Google, Barclays, Sony, Ford, Ernst & Young, Gillette, Chubb, Dannon and ING Direct.