Energizers vs. sappers - A key to high performance

Intuitively it makes sense that people who "energize" others are high performers and help create high performance - high energy environments. Recent research confirms this idea. The challenge for organizations, however, is twofold. First, companies need to learn how to identify energizers and weed out energy sappers during the hiring process. Second, companies need to learn how to support already employed energizers, develop any latent diamonds in the rough energizers and convert energy zappers into energizers.

Prof. Wayne Baker of the University of Michigan Business School, Rob Cross of the University of Virginia and Andrew Parker of the IBM Institute for Knowledge-based Organizations, in a study they conducted found that energized people can build a upsurge of enthusiasm that will help improve team performance, motivate colleagues, stimulate innovation and increase job satisfaction. On the other hand, energy-sappers can have just the opposite effect by draining away enthusiasm, deflating fellow workers, stifling new ideas and making the workplace a real drag. It is important that executives and managers find ways to inspire energizing behaviors within their organization in order to help their firms improve performance, achieve company-wide goals and foster learning.

They found a critical link between energy and performance, and discovered that people who energized others were higher performers. According to Bernie DeGroat of the University of Michigan, "These energizers served in effect as lightning rods within their organizations, attracting more time and attention from colleagues for their ideas and expertise. The researchers also identified the key attributes of energizing interactions, including those that presented a compelling vision, created opportunities for others to contribute meaningfully or offered hope for the attainment of a worthy objective."

In contrast, Ms. DeGroat reported that "the study found that de-energizers, which included individuals or members of a functional area or leadership group, constantly aired negative views, failed to engage others, favored their own solutions or did not uphold the commitments they made. These actions drained the energy of other co-workers and groups, stifled creativity and hindered progress on initiatives."

It's not as simple as it may seem to identify energizers or zappers during the interview process. Why? Most candidates have learned how to present themselves very well during interviews. It's relatively easy to be enthusiastic during an interview. However, it’s another story to remain steadily optimistic and enthusiastic during the ups and downs of most business environments.

There are two primary methods you can use to more reliably identify energizers vs. zappers during the selection process. One is to be sure you conduct very good reference checking designed to elicit information about the candidate's moods and ability to weather turbulent business conditions. Second, is to conduct a psychological assessment using sophisticated and scientifically valid (validity is key term to understand) business oriented personality assessment instruments interpreted by a person trained in the use of psychological assessments (a licensed psychologist).

Business oriented personality assessments assess personality characteristics linked to executive effectiveness, e.g., optimism, perseverance, frustration tolerance and criticism tolerance. And, it's very hard for people to "fake good" on these instruments because the best are also designed to ferret out fakers. The use of psychological assessments has become more the norm in Fortune 500 companies because reference checking is becoming more and more difficult to do effectively. Employers are increasingly more reluctant to say anything bad about former employees for fear of defamation of character law suits. I am frequently asked to provide executive assessments for both selection and promotional opportunities and can tell you first hand that these tools are very effective when used along with a rigorous structured interview and selection process.

So, let's assume you are going to improve your selection processes to help weed out those energy sappers before you hire them. What do you do with the people you currently employ? How do you support energizers and turn energy sappers into energizers? The fix is not all that complicated. You must first develop a performance evaluation system that includes evaluating how well employees interacts with others not just how well they do their job (the technical side). Then you need to put a premium on developing (through training or coaching) and rewarding (compensation systems) energizing behaviors and attitudes. Employees will do that for which they are rewarded. And, if someone is a sapper, you will need to help them change or move them out of the organization before they derail your best efforts.