BY THE END OF THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:
Identify the presence and absence of key roles within a team
Guide teams and individuals to use Energy Rhythm to plan different types of interactions
Incorporate information from Energy Rhythm and Roles into a Cloverleaf SWOT
ENERGY RHYTHM & ROLES OVERVIEW AND KEY FACTS
Energy Rhythm
The Energy Rhythm assessment is based on the research of Circadian Rhythms. In 1938 Nathaniel Kleitman, known as the “Father of Modern Sleep Research,” discovered the workings of the human 24-hour biological clock. Kleitman’s research resulted in the realization that humans spontaneously generate a near-24-hour rhythm or circadian rhythm, has been found to be central to understanding human biology.
The assessment itself tells us the specific pattern of an individual inside of a typical 9-5 workday AND the times of day that are ideal for certain tasks at the individual and team level.
There are three types patterns identified:
- Early Birds or “Starters”
- Midday types or “Pacers”
- Night Owls or “Anchors”
Each type experiences a peak, trough and recovery during the course of their day:
- Peak: This is when you are at your most effective. During this time, focus on analytical tasks that require the most thought energy.
- Trough: This is when your energy dips and you experience a slump. During this time, focus on mundane tasks like managing emails or putting together a meeting agenda.
- Recovery: This is your “second wind.” During this time leverage this new burst of energy by attacking creative tasks like brainstorming or team building.
Roles
The roles assessment is based on the research of Dr. Meredith Belbin, whose extensive research on teams identified several different roles that are key to fill for teams to be effective and productive.
Cloverleaf pulls insights from DiSC, 16 Types and Enneagram to determine which roles are most fulfilled within a specific team.
- When a person has a “full tank” or THREE dots, they excel or shine in this role
- When a person has 2/3 of a tank or TWO dots, they can take on this role in the short term or in certain circumstances and it could cause them to burnout or disengage if they are forced into the role too long or too often
- When a person has 1/3 of a tank or ONE dot, they could fulfill this role in an emergency but it could lead to performance issues or added stress
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APPLYING ENERGY RHYTHM & ROLES TO TEAMS AND POSITIONING IT IN THE CLOVERLEAF SWOT
Energy Rhythm
We shared earlier how you can incorporate Energy Rhythm into the beginning of a team session while sharing about how an individual can use their own dashboard for their personal and professional development.
Not all teams use energy rhythm and it may not always included in the Cloverleaf SWOT, However you can pull the following instances is as a strength, if need be:
BALANCED DISTRIBUTION OF ENERGY RHYTHM TYPES
Having a few members with each Energy Rhythm type can ensure that there’s always someone available to handle different types of tasks for most of the day from early morning until the late evening.
For example, we all need those steady Pacers who are going to adapt well to the 9-5 workday, but if projects generate tasks or emergencies in the evening, Anchors are available to pitch in during times when they can make the most difference. Your Starters will also be there to start an early meeting or jump on a project that has a first-thing-in-the-morning deadline to provide some quality assurance.
BALANCED DISTRIBUTION OF ENERGY RHYTHM TYPES
Peak is the best time for intense, focused tasks that require analytical and strategic brainpower. Recovery is the best time for creating tasks, such as researching or generating ideas. When a team has a good mix of people with peak and recovery times for certain tasks, in the case of the image to the right, consider the task of Brainstorming. There will almost always be people ready to add or integrate brainstorming into a meeting or collaboration when necessary
Roles
ALL ROLES FILLED
Position as a strength
When a team has at least ONE person with a full tank in each role, this is a BIG WIN. It is rare to see this, but it does happen. The best way to learn about how to position this as a strength is to view a demonstration of it within a team session.
MISSING ROLES
Position as a weakness, opportunity for growth or threat to productivity /growth.
Depending on the role that is missing, you can position this where it makes the most sense in the Cloverleaf SWOT.
For example, if the roles of Driver, Implementer or Finisher are missing a person with a FULL tank, this may be better positioned as a threat to productivity or growth because of the nature of those roles and how they affect getting things started or done. If Innovator, Resourcer is missing a person with a FULL tank, it may be a cue to ensure there is some strategy or practice that generates new ideas or brings in industry trends such as attending industry events, conferences or following specific industry thought leaders.
Additional Resources
We hope this guide is valuable in helping you maximize your ability to lead teams through making the most of Cloverleaf!
Cloverleaf has a lot to offer, so check out our blog or other articles about the TEAM Dashboard.
For more help with Cloverleaf, view related help articles: