Harnessing Team Energy for High Performance

Jul 18, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

by Dr. Denise A. Trudeau Poskas

Dr. Dee discusses Measuring Outcomes, Not Activity — "Harnessing Team Energy for High Performance" blog post by Dr. Dee of Blue Egg Leadership

High-performing teams don’t just run on time or resources; they run on energy. When energy is drained, productivity dips, decision quality falters, and burnout creeps in. While many leaders focus on outputs, few consider the underlying force that fuels them: team energy.

Protecting and preserving this energy is a strategic imperative. When you cultivate systems that align with how your team operates best, you create a workplace where performance and purpose coexist.

Understanding Return on Team Energy

Just as ROI measures efficiency, Return on Team Energy measures the value a team gains from its effort and focus. Preserving that energy starts with thoughtful task alignment:

Is the task aligned with each team member’s personality and purpose?
Are they working in a time-chunked, distraction-free manner?
Are they using efficacy actions between tasks (like organizing, cleaning, or listening to a podcast) or defaulting to energy-draining distractions like scrolling on social media?

These may seem like small factors, but they add up. The more aligned the task is with a team member’s natural strengths and rhythms, the higher the energy and output they’ll bring to the table.

Combatting Decision Fatigue

One of the biggest (and most invisible) energy drains in teams is decision fatigue (Baumeister et al., 2007). This happens when people are forced to make too many small decisions, especially ones that shouldn’t be theirs to make. From choosing the format for a report to figuring out who should be in a meeting, unnecessary micro-decisions chip away at mental clarity.

To protect team energy:

Delegate micro-decisions to systems or roles, not individuals.
Create clear parameters and templates to remove ambiguity.
Encourage a meta-view mindset where the team knows which decisions are theirs and which are best escalated or automated.

Every unnecessary decision avoided is energy saved for more strategic work.

Measuring Outcomes, Not Activity

Preserving energy doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means shifting how you define success. Rather than focusing on hours worked or tasks completed, assess:

Was the decision timely?
Was it made with all necessary information gathered?
Did it reflect thoughtfulness or impulsivity?

If a team member doesn’t have the energy to make a sound decision, empower them to pause or delegate.

Sometimes the best move isn’t pushing through—it’s stepping back to ensure quality.

This kind of environment prioritizes high-impact thinking and protects the team from reactive, short-term choices that often lead to rework or misalignment.

Encourage Strategic Collaboration

When facilitating group decisions or discussions, avoid vague conversations that lead nowhere. Instead, frame every discussion with purpose:

What are we discussing?
What’s the impact of this conversation?
Who is involved and why?
How are we gathering the right information before making a call?

Structure promotes clarity, and clarity conserves energy.

Building a Culture That Values Energy

The most effective teams are the ones that know how to sustain energy across a day, a week, and a quarter.

Here’s how leaders can reinforce that culture:

Normalize time-chunking for deep work.
Encourage real breaks away from screens and distractions.
Model delegation and thoughtful pacing, rather than constant urgency.
Build in space for people to pause, reflect, and refocus.

These are necessary strategies for long-term performance.

The Importance of Energy Preservation

Energy preservation is not just a buzzword; it’s a vital practice. When we focus on preserving energy, we empower our teams to thrive. This means creating an environment where everyone feels valued and engaged.

By fostering a culture that prioritizes energy, we can enhance creativity and innovation. When team members feel energized, they are more likely to contribute their best ideas and solutions.

Final Thoughts

Preserving team energy is about empowering people to do their best work with clarity, confidence, and capacity.

By aligning tasks with strengths, minimizing decision fatigue, focusing on meaningful outcomes, and creating space for thoughtful collaboration, leaders unlock not just productivity but sustainable, energized performance.

Ask yourself:

Where is your team losing energy unnecessarily?
Which systems could better support their flow?
What decisions or distractions could be removed from their plate?

Energy is finite, but with intention, it can be protected, replenished, and directed toward what matters most.

Sources:

Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., Tice, D. M. (2007). The strength model of self-control. In: Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 351–355. OI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00534.x

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