13 Ways to Supercharge Employees Running on Low

As the driving force behind employees, a Successful SUPERvisor understands that in order to keep an engaged and alert team moving, they must implement creative management techniques, especially when the team is running on low.  Rather than using the old “Crack the Whip” mentality, more and more managers are turning towards energy activation techniques to recharge employees.  The idea is to revitalize employees throughout the day with energy boosting activities.  It takes some outside the box thinking but worth the effort when you discover how much energy you can supercharge your employees with during that 2:00 slump.  Below are a few techniques (others have applied to supercharge their teams) you could try:

1. Incorporate daily stretching  Connie Tyne, executive director of the Cooper Wellness Program explains that “45 minutes of sitting is all [the] body can take at one time without becoming fatigued".  Encouraging your employees to stretch for a few minutes every 45 minutes (or at least once a day) will keep them at Full Stretch.
2. Encourage walks     Research shows that as little as 20 minutes of exercise can boost energy for up to 12 hours!  Employees who take walks during their lunch break will increase the flow of blood carrying nutrients and oxygen to muscle tissues, resulting in more energy.  Katy Boeder, a Commercial Underwriter at Golden Eagle Insurance in San Diego shares that a “3 mile walk at lunch around SD harbor always perks [her] up for the afternoon”.  The President of Enerpro Incorporated in Goleta, Frank Bourbeau, not only uses his walk time to reenergize but to ponder solutions to his latest engineering projects.
3. Demonstrate deep breathing techniques  Often times employees will breath shallowly, allowing carbon dioxide to build up in their blood, making them drowsy.  If your sensing sleepy employees, consider taking a few minutes to walk them through 20 deep breaths (in through the nose, out through the mouth) to flush the carbon dioxide out and fill them with energizing oxygen.
4. Educate on energy pressure points  According to Chinese medicine, massaging your ears serves as a wake-up call for your other organs. Teach your employees to massage their whole ear when feeling drained in order to redirect energy up towards the head.  This creates an uplifting mood and does away with the energy that was dragging you down. 
5. Supply drinks  According to The Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness, “adequate hydration is important for proper functioning of [the] brain.   Mild dehydration– as little as a 1% to 2% loss in body weight due to fluid deficiency – can impair your ability to concentrate. And loss of more than 2% body weight due to dehydration can affect your brain’s processing”.  I once worked in a high paced environment that promoted energy drinks and frequently supplied their employees with Sugar Free Red Bulls and FRS Energy drinks.  Even water will help keep your employees focused and moving.    I’ve even gone as far as calling the Red Bull mini over to the office for free Red Bull samples.  Shoshannah Walker, General Agent for Colonial Life, keeps going with a triple late from Peet’s Coffee. 
6. Promote healthy snacks  Most employees begin to get hungry around 10am and according to Tara Gidus, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, promoting a healthy snack break  " keeps your metabolism revved up and is a great way to boost your energy".  Try powering your team up with apples, they are said to give off as much energy as a cup of coffee.   
7. Offer mints  You can expect employees to become more alert when chewing on mints because the sucking or chewing of a mint circulates a refreshing smell up through the nose and throat, “pepping” them up.   Alan Hirsch, M.D., neurological director at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago explains that “the mint scent stimulates a nerve in your brain” and that is what makes you feel more alert.             "We call it flavor, but it's really smell," says Hirsch.
8. Play music A study found that employees wearing headphones while working are 10% more productive than those not rocking out.  If you all can’t decide on one station, encourage employees to wear headphones during their work day.    
9. Set daily goals   Faculty of the Harvard Medical School explains that motivation is an important aspect of energy and that setting goals motivates people…reaching goals is satisfying to people and “the greater your sense of well being, the higher your energy level is likely to be”.  They suggest focusing on goals that will stimulate and energize you (in this case your employees) instead of something that will feel more like a chore.  
10. Teach Zen Habits (changing into a fresh pair of socks will leave you refreshed) Encourage employees to recognize their low energy and do something about it… like changing their socks when they hit that lazy slump during the day.  According to Zen Habits, this practice is supposed to get them going again and leaves them feeling fresh.   
11. Say “thank you” Thank your employees out loud for a job well done.   Everyone like to know that their boss appreciated them!
12. Do something out of the ordinary  This always leaves us with renewed energy, whether it be our personal or professional lives.
13. Make it fun  Incorporate interactive gaming such as foosball or the Wii in an effort to encourage employees to take breaks that get them moving and eliminate monotony.  Employees have reported that the friendly interaction not only allows them to build working relationships with one another but leaves them with a clear mind and stress relived body; reenergized.  One employee on the Intuit Labs Blog even stated that after a quick game of Guitar Hero, his fingers are able to move faster when he types while another claims that his problem solving ability increases.
    
    

Take Action:    Supercharge Employees

Keep On: Interval Train

Encourage employees to start at the finish line
Setting the Pace.  Establish a speed and standard for production

talking:  Communicate at all times; your job is to remind your team what they are working t

looking back at what you’ve done; evaluate your progress.

being Proactive rather than reactive

communicate the vision, state direction, involve and challenge the team to go for it!   

acting out and aligning your values with your company values and those of your employees.   Walk the talk.

delivering the VIP Treatment

being the Expert Extraordinaire

giving and continue to establish a good reputation

copycatting the Successful SUPERvisors of your past

telling yourself that you’re a Super SUPERvisor!

believing.  Remember, you’ve made the conscious decision to lead