Even though some companies have had remote work and telecommuting arrangements in place for years, the COVID-19 crisis has made these arrangements much more common AND much more permanent. Besides the obvious health and safety benefits due to the social distancing aspect, these arrangements can reduce company operating costs, open new applicant pools to attract better talent, and improve employee retention. But if you're a manager who now has had to unexpectedly take on supervising a remote team, you may be wondering how to do so effectively and not go crazy in trying to keep up with everyone.
I've got some tips to help you navigate this new normal:
1.Establish a schedule to check-in with your team.
It's easy to grow detached from your team when you can't see them in the office. So, whether it's daily, weekly or some other frequency, define a set time to speak with your team members. Take time to talk to them individually, as well as in a group format. Don't make it just about the tasks you've assigned or the deliverables they're working on. Show an interest in them personally so they know that they aren't just a number to you. Working from home can get lonely and create feelings of isolation, so creating those touchpoints will allow your team to feel more connected to one another and to their management.
2.…BUT don’t force video.
I know that video calls are all the rage, particularly for younger millennials and Gen Z-ers, and of course there is the conventional wisdom that the team needs to see each other to feel connected. But if there is anything I've learned from managing my own team remotely through this COVID-19 crisis, it's that not everyone likes video calls. For some of your team members, just picking up the phone and talking is more than enough. In fact, video calls can just feel intrusive or burdensome at times. So be sensitive to the preferred communication styles on your team. It helps to build a stronger relationship with your direct reports if they know that you're considering their needs and feelings, rather than just forcing your methods on them.
3.Leverage technology.
Speaking of phones and video, in order to keep your team both connected and organized, incorporate technology options into the daily workflows. Outside of traditional calls and texts, you can use platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Skype for Business to host meetings, organize work tasks, and collaborate in real time. You can also use messaging apps like Slack, where you can communicate instantly, but keep conversations organized and productivity-focused.
4.Set clear objectives and priorities.
With everyone working independently in all that's going on, your team is probably feeling distracted. This is the time for you to outline your expectations and determine what truly needs to be accomplished. Define the scope of the expected team activities and set clear deadlines. But don't just bark orders. Be sure to provide your team with the context as to why the tasks and deliverables are important, as well as how and when you plan to measure success against each of the stated objectives. Armed with this information, the team can remain on task and focused, and you don't have to wonder if they're just sitting at home watching Netflix instead of working.
5.Be flexible.
Does it really matter if everyone on your team is signed on at the same time in the morning? Does everyone need to stay online until 5pm? This is a challenging time for your team, and therefore sticking to "business as usual" and traditional schedules may prove difficult. People may need a little flexibility to manage both home and work since they now overlap more than ever before. For individuals who have children and cannot take them to daycare, they may be unable to work their full day during business hours. Even for those who don't have children, they may have other considerations that may require an alternate schedule. So instead of force-fitting standard work hours and requirements, trust your team and give them the freedom they need to be their most productive and deliver results.
6.Solicit feedback.
For many organizations, this work from home process has been fluid, to say the least. So ask your team for candid feedback on the working arrangement. Get a feel for what is going well, and what could work better. Assess whether they have the resources they need, or if they need more support. Understand if the tools that are being utilized are effective, or if the team has other suggestions. There is no perfect process or format, and therefore tweaks and adjustments will be required as you get more runtime.
You can successfully lead your team while working remotely. But in order to do so, it takes clear strategy and planning, two-way communication, and flexibility. If you trust your team, they will trust and respect you, which in turn leads to higher motivation and productivity, no matter where they are working from!
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So, today? Today, we’re going to tackle how sex impacts us when it comes to our energy fields. What (mostly) inspired this is once reading a science-based article about how it is a fact and not a myth that just like plants can absorb energy from other plants, humans can do the same thing by being in the space of other human beings. And when you stop to really think about it, doesn’t that make all of the sense in the world?
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be terms out here like “peer pressure” and big grown folks wouldn’t be out here trying to look and act just like some of their favorite celebrities or IG influencers (and yet, on that point, I digress).
So, since energy impacts us in some pretty significant ways, let’s take a few moments to see how it goes down when it comes to copulation — just so that you’re (even more) aware of what you’re getting yourself into when you “do the do,” as far as your personal energy space is concerned.
Energy. Revisited.
GiphyOkay, so before we get all up in how energy is exchanged during sexual activity, what is energy as it relates to human beings, in general? Well, in some ways, it all depends on who you ask. For instance, the famed Greek philosopher Aristotle once said that energy is about having the capacity to do something. Some medical experts say that energy is all about how something impacts you on a mental or physical level.
For instance, negative energy tends to be very heavy and draining while positive energy can increase feel-good chemicals throughout your system which makes it easier for you to do things like be creative and problem-solve. Something else that I think is important to keep in mind as far as human energy goes is it’s impacted by a myriad of things including a person’s stress levels, how healthy a person is, what their life choices are (as far as how their decisions influence them) and even what their sleep patterns are like.
And if all of this is true, then something else that Aristotle once said about energy would be beyond accurate: “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.”
Energy is life. Whew, so if this is indeed the case, does this mean that when you choose to have sex with someone, you are sharing your life force — whatever state that may be — with someone as they are doing the same to/for/with you? YES.
What Does It Mean to Exchange Sexual Energy?
GiphySince I grew up in an entertainment industry household, I think that’s probably why I’ve ended up with some close friends who are in the industry as well. That said, I will never forget when I was talking to one of them one day about a particular artist. When I expressed how much sex appeal that she had, my (male) friend simply said, “Yeah, I’ve been in her presence a few times before. She has some really dark energy. I didn’t even hug her.”
Now from a scientific standpoint, dark energy is simply what causes the universe to accelerate in growth over a certain period of time; however, when a person is described to have dark energy, that usually means that they have an evil and/or negative and/or heavy and/or draining aura about them. And y’all, here’s what’s semi-wild about what he said: did you know that science backs that hugs do indeed transfer energy?
Yep, research reveals that a hug from someone can literally alter your brain and body chemistry — so you definitely need to be discerning about who you let up into your affection space. Straight up. And so, since a hug has the capacity to do that, how much more can SEX?
To further emphasize this, let’s begin with an article that I read on Healthline’s website entitled, “Do We Really Exchange Energy During Sex?” After checking it out, one of the main things that I appreciated was when a doctor who was interviewed for the piece said:
“Every sex act is an exchange of energy [because] every sexual act raises or lowers your energy level…Therefore, a sexual relationship isn’t a purely psychological or physiological, mechanical act…Rather, it’s an energetic action. When we have an intimate relationship with someone, the two energies merge.”
Okay, so according to science, when two people have sex, energies merge. Well, according to Scripture, when two people have sex, oneness transpires (Genesis 2:24-25). Let’s keep going.
There was once a Physician-scientist by the name of Wilhelm Reich (who actually died in prison, in part, because of his radical beliefs on sex and orgasms during his time), who once said that having a healthy sex life (which, to him, including orgasms and is what he referred to as “orgastic potency”) is what played a huge role in one’s emotional health and well-being. That’s because, to him, without the release of sexual energy, neurological disorders would be come to be.
My takeaway from this is when you think about the fact that things like serotonin, dopamine, and the “the bonding chemical” oxytocin are all released during sex (and most certainly during orgasms), and also since sex (and orgasms) reduce stress — you need to tend to your sexual energy for the sake of your holistic health. Let’s continue on.
After reading an article on sexual energy on Cosmo’s website in which one of the sex therapists said that “our sexuality is our power" and then reading an article on the same topic on Well + Good’s platform where another expert stated that, “Many belief systems believe sexual energy is an expression of the soul's connection to the cosmos and the rest of the universe”, I thought about the word “power” and then “soul connection.”
At the end of the day, power isn’t just ability but the capability to influence and even take authority over something or someone. And a soul connection? Several years ago, when I penned a piece for the platform entitled, “I’ve Got Some Ways For You To Start Pampering Your Soul,” one of the things that I made sure to emphasize is your soul IS also your life. This means that soul connections are life connections.
And so, it would appear that sharing sexual energy also means that you are making a life connection with someone. And that type of connection has the power to influence you in ways that you couldn’t even begin to imagine. That is how deep exchanging sexual energy is.
What You Should Always Keep in Mind Before Sharing Sexual Energy with Someone Else
GiphyNow are there degrees to this whole sexual energy thing? Of course. The type of connection that a husband and wife of 20 years can make via sex is very different than a one-night stand. However, it would appear that science believes that it doesn’t really matter what you tell yourself about sex with someone (or even how many condoms you may use during sex) — potent energy is exchanged regardless.
That’s a huge part of the reason why I will forever roll my eyes about how ridiculous “casual sex” sounds to me, because, although I do believe that it is very possible to engage in coitus that has no real purpose (casual is purposeless, by definition), what isn’t possible is for there not to be a significant connection made from a scientific standpoint. Because again, if a mere hug can alter you (shoot, a handshake too), do you really think that allowing a man’s penis into the sacred space known as your vagina will not? After reading all of this…do you really?
When it comes to energy, author T. Harv Eker once said, “Energy is contagious: either you affect people or you infect people.” With all that was just shared about sexual energy, each and every person you choose to “engage” with, they are either going to affect you or infect you — just with their energy alone.
Knowing this, if there was ever a time to choose wisely, this would be it.
Your energy is your power. Who you exchange power with? CHOOSE WISELY.
EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON.
And because energy can shift…be cognizant of what you’re doing…EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
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Featured image by Giphy