Shifting Energy for a More Impactful Business

As a financial professional, your typical day is filled with many interpersonal interactions. Whether it’s with coworkers, employees or clients, the energy – negative or positive – that you bring to those interactions will undoubtedly have a strong impact on these relationships.

When you carry negative energy, it affects the way you communicate and the connections you build in the workplace. But if you can recognize when you’re harboring negative energy, you can proactively shift that energy to be more positive. This intentional energy shift will allow you to approach difficult client and staff interactions more easily, help to build client and staff trust, deepen relationships, and eventually expand your practice.

Two types of energy

First things first. There are two types of energy:

1. Catabolic energy, which is defined as a negative, draining type of energy. For example, if your compliance team rejects your request, the energy you’re feeling will likely be catabolic.
2. Anabolic energy, which is defined as a positive, uplifting type of energy. Receiving praise from a client will lead your energy to be more anabolic.

Learning how to become more aware of your catabolic and anabolic energy will allow you to hold more effective client conversations and interactions. For example, let’s say a client parted ways with you while you were on your way to work – while this can be quite upsetting, it’s important to try and release that tension before you enter your workspace. Instead of leaving that catabolic energy pent up, attempt to transform it by acknowledging your disappointment, putting it in perspective and reminding yourself of all the great clients you still have.

Holding onto catabolic energy can negatively impact your interactions all day. Although it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint why your energy is off, look for ways to be intentional about doing something that will shift your energy to anabolic. One great way is to do something special for a client or a deserving staff member.

Once you learn to shift your negative energy, you will likely become more influential with clients and staff. While you can’t manage their energy, you can influence it. For example, if you’re in a client meeting and notice their body language seems like they aren’t in the best mood, instead of allowing their catabolic energy impact you, try asking questions about the good things going on in their life. Often this simple technique will rapidly shift their energy to anabolic. Knowing the types of energy and how to manage them helps you approach these kinds of situations in a strategic manner, becoming more responsive and less reactive.

The Energy Transformer Model

Cultivating an anabolic energy environment in the workplace is essential. One way I like to try and positively impact my coaching clients and the people in my workplace is something I call “The Energy Transformer.” This is a quick exercise to help them transform their catabolic energy and protect their anabolic energy. The exercise has five sections:

1. Gratitude: I start by asking coaching clients, employees, or coworkers to write down three things that they are grateful for – this allows them to reflect on a few of the successes in their life that they may not always consider.
2. Intention: I then ask them to write down their weekly intentions, big or small. In doing so, everyone sets the future tone for themselves, instead of just letting day-to-day life happen and negatively affect them.
3. Confidence: Next, I have them write down three positive affirmations to boost their self-confidence and overall office morale. The affirmations always start with, “I am….”
4. Clarity: Have them write down three things that they recently accomplished and how they did so. This reinforces their ability to succeed and it clarifies the next important goals to set.
5. Self-awareness: Lastly, I ask them to be honest with themselves about three obstacles they faced in the past week, where they came from, and how they overcame them. This last step helps with self-awareness and allows them to reflect on areas of future personal growth.

This process allows you to cultivate a more enjoyable workplace for yourself as well as your employees and coworkers. Using tools like “The Energy Transformer” at the start of a staff meeting, for instance, can change the trajectory of your conversations to be more productive and engaging.

Being aware of your energy helps you manage how you impact clients and the conversations you’ll have. Helping others transform their energy, while managing yours, will help you offer best-in-class service and elevate your practice to become a more positive, anabolic, and effective workplace.

Steve Plewes, ChFC, CPC, ELI-MP, is an independent financial advisor with nearly 40 years of financial services industry experience. He is a Certified Professional Coach helping financial advisors reach their full potential in life and business. Steve is a 34-year MDRT member with 13 Court of the Table and 10 Top of the table qualifications.