My solution? Use that feedback. Spend less work time with drainers, and more time with people who offer you an energy boost. Once you’ve identified how it feels to be around energy boosters, look to fill gaps, especially on work teams, with people who bring positive energy to a meeting, who are fun to be around, whose enthusiasm and positive approach lifts your spirits, enhances your creativity, and adds to your work life. Find and stay close to these energy boosters.

I use a simple measurement to identify energy drainers and energy boosters: laugh factor. The more laughter I find in process of doing business, more energy I know is in room. The more energy in room, more gets done. I look for people I can laugh with, have fun with and share ideas with. My work results are better when I’m around people who make me feel energized when I leave them. Yours can be, too.

(c) 2004 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

So watch out.

Hitch your wagon to a rising star. Look for dynamic leaders and try to join their teams. Go where you will be given responsibility and chance to shine. Ask to be part of progressive and active work groups. Distance yourself from lethargic and lazy and time-serving as fast as you can.

And if you are boss - if you are in charge of an under performing team - it is doubly important to act. You have not only your future at stake but that of your staff. It is your responsibility to reform your team and its members.

You may need to cajole, enthuse, and generally push them. You may need to provide training. You may need to make clear your aims and goals. And at end of day you may need to get rid of someone. You may need to move them to a better suited job, or even out of company altogether.

You cannot afford to be dragged down by under performers in your team. You will be judged on your team’s performance. You won’t be given credit for carrying passengers. Your best staff will feel unfairly associated with worst and will seek to go elsewhere, and eventually you will be left with just worst. You will be left with just bad staff, bad projects, unimportant work. You will have run into buffers. So remember, you will be judged to some degree by performance of others. Make sure that those others are on up, and are not going down dragging you with them.