…of Destructive Energy at Work – with Rebecca Ahmed
A recent State of the Global Workforce Report from the Gallup Organization says that less than one-quarter of the U.S. workforce is engaged at work, and traditional methods to engage workers clearly aren’t working, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining Gen Z workers. Some might say it has always been that way, but it doesn’t need to be. Rebecca Ahmed is leading the charge to restore energy into work culture.
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Transcript
As I have mentioned before, I have always enjoyed shows like The Office and movies like Office Life, because they show so much of what it can really be like in a workplace. Drab drab surroundings, low energy and futility, especially when you don’t feel acknowledged for the work that you do.
It’s not like that everywhere, of course, but it is certainly commonplace, to the point that, as reported in the most recent State of the Global Workforce Report put out by the Gallup Organization, less than one-quarter of the U.S. workforce is engaged at work, and traditional methods to engage workers clearly aren’t working, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining Gen Z workers.
It’s time, then for a refreshing burst of energy and engagement, something that can be taught, embraced and supported in the workplace, and fortunately, I have the perfect person here with me who knows how to do that. She is Rebecca Ahmed, and she is amazing.
Hello and welcome to CoolTimeLife. I’m Steve Prentice. Each of our CoolTimeLife podcasts focuses on a topic dealing with people, productivity, technology, and worklife, and each offers ideas and facts you need to know about to thrive in today’s busy world. An index of our podcasts is available at cooltimelife.com.
Rebecca, welcome! It’s such a great pleasure to meet you.
Rebecca
Thank you so much for having me.
Steve
According to your bio, you are an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner and a specialist in advising companies of all sizes on how to create a motivational workplace culture by transforming the energy and enthusiasm of their teams. That’s an exciting title! But before we get into the details of your expertise, I would love to hear a little more about you, and why you are in this fascinating area of work.
Rebecca
Absolutely so my name is Rebecca Ahmed and I like to call myself the chief energy officer and Caesar’s entertainment actually gifted me that title because I was able to come in and teach energetic success principles and really shift their workplace. From surviving post-COVID to thriving and that’s exactly what I do I energize the workplace and provide reinvigorating strategies so that you can create shifts to build a motivational workplace culture.
Steve
That’s a great elevator description right there. What would be an example, if a company was to bring you in. How do you revitalize and re-energize them?
Rebecca
Absolutely so I created an energetic impact Index and it shows the different phases organizations can actually select and how deep they want to go into this work. So If it’s c-suite. Let’s say they’re really trying to get the executive suite on board for something to really just. Bring out something different within the workplace I would work with each of them and do an energy leadership Index assessment and this tells me how they’re seeing the world when you understand energy and it’s personal energy What you bring to a situation when you see that and understand oh. The lens I am viewing the world through is negative right now I’m looking at everything as fearful everything you know the economy’s Changing. We’ve got the workplace changing so many things and if you’re looking through that fearful lens you’re probably exuding that energy and your thoughts feelings and Actions. Follow. And so when I work with people I show them. This is how you’re seeing the world and then this is what we can do to make shifts where do you want to go from that. Everything is about power of choice right? So if you’re like I want to lead with curiosity and I want to see where we have opportunities and shift challenges to that we can do that. If you’re like I just wear this negative Energy. Let’s say you’re in a customer facing role and your your guests are constantly Upset. You probably start wearing that Energy. So I use these energetic success principles to teach people. You don’t need to wear that Jacket. Let’s take it off. You can empathize but you can release and so there’s quite a few different reinvigorating strategies I provide so that people really understand that power of choice.
Steve
And I imagine that a major catharsis there is going to be their ability to be able to speak to you right? I mean you’re you’re sharing some really great concepts that that maybe they haven’t stopped to think about before, and you also give them a chance to talk to you as well to maybe unload a little bit of their, pent up concerns, and free themselves.
Rebecca
Absolutely so after I explain the 7 levels of energy which I classify into zones then I actually do with questions more than answers because they have the answers every person knows what works best for them. So my goal and as a coach is to ask very specific questions to help them see their blind spots so they have those aha moments versus oh Rebecca told me this this might resonate this might not. It’s what they find within themselves I’m just asking questions at that point.
Steve
Do you do one-on-one counseling or is it all group sessions? How do you deliver your expertise?
Rebecca
No, I do a lot of 1 on one. So Gen Z is really my sweet spot. That’s who I usually work with in coaching outside of organizations I work with them obviously within organizations too and because I understand Gen Z’s language and I work with them so closely. That’s when organizations who are hiring mass amounts of Gen Z are saying help. How do we. Bridge these communication gaps. How do we discuss these generational differences because we’ve got boomers. We’ve got gen x we’ve got millennials and now we have gen z and gen z is really speaking a new language. They’re not trying to bridge old practices they’re trying to create something completely new and innovative and you know this because I’ve I’ve looked at your work and I thought that was so.
Fascinating and so exciting to see that many generations can understand each other amongst the differences and respect where we’re going and so that’s where I do a lot of individual one-on-one coaching, especially organizations. Want me to get with these Gen Zs before they join the organization so they have their expectations met. And they can understand how to really enter the workforce and then these students leaving universities are saying help me before I get in because the first year I’m floundering if I don’t have these tools set up for success. So That’s really that sweet spot of working with both which is pretty exciting.
Steve
If you’re working with Gen Zs are you telling them, “be prepared for old school managers or highly formalized, highly structured hierarchical approaches to things?” Or are you saying, “yeah, go in there and make a change and be the person you want to be? What’s the attitude you want to create inside the mind of the Gen Z?”
Rebecca
So usually I’m looking through their lens and saying here’s your values. Let’s lead with your values and energize those values right? So we put energy behind that and so when you’re interviewing with a position with a leader ask these questions to find out if they lead with your values if not let’s look at or other organizations. It’s so important that they jump into an organization that they’re going to officially marry right? No matter how long you are. It’s a relationship and they go in by stating their value stating what they’re looking for and asking questions to ensure it’s in alignment and I’ve had many that have turned down opportunities because they said. When I got to the third interview they weren’t in alignment and this isn’t going to set me up for success and we always find something. There’s plenty of opportunities out there. But it’s really that they won’t even enter the organization because it’s just not an align.
Steve
That is certainly something new to a lot of people – to know that they have their own career self-sufficiency and if things are not satisfactory even by that third interview, that there’s other options out there. Just knowing that and being confident in it – that’s a skill. And I would say that it’s not only for Gen Zers. I’ve worked over the years with people who are boomers who got to senior executive positions and then got let go and they suddenly find themselves lost and alone because they have no safety net. I am such a supporter of career self-affirmation. So kudos to you for that because you give them that permission to say “no, this is not right for me” or as I think I heard you say as well to perhaps interview the interviewers and ask them “how can the company align with my style? I’ve seen companies who hire based largely on personality and culture fit, where they say, “we’ll find you a position in here later but we want the right people,” so that’s great. So as opposed to saving lives I’d say that you’re creating lives here. You are giving people the opportunity to live the career that they deserve to have but also to give organizations that that perfect preparation. So let’s flip this around you work with Gen Zs but um, do you also assist those who are older and more set in their ways to anticipate this kind of new approach?
Rebecca
Absolutely because you have managers that need to hire teams and I come from talent acquisition. So when they’re building out their teams I’m teaching them here’s how to leverage cognitive diversity. Here’s the communication tools that you can use when speaking to someone who is coming from gen z who wants to hear how you put your values to life and it’s funny because I started you know I’ve been in ah hr for over twelve years and so naturally you coach right coming from that space and I was primarily coaching gen x, Well. Who’s are gen x kids gen z and so I am the oldest of 11 and so everyone knows this about me when they work with me I very much you can tell I’m that mom a bear figure and so they’ll say Rebecca you help me with this so much can you can you work with my daughter can you work with my son. I would love for you to really help impact them and set them up for success because you’re doing this for me on my end and you know what gen z gets it much faster when you don’t have years and years and years of experience to say I can’t make this shift. It takes longer for you to see and create that possibility. Gen Z will take a concept and I’ll show them and they’ll put it into practice immediately because they want the results quickly right? Efficiency at their fingertips. They had the internet they want change. They’ll go for it. It’s actually when you’re older that you get a little bit more stuck in your ways that I have to say or like let’s get you out of this.
Steve
I’ve I’ve encountered so many people who are like that and again it’s It’s a personal loss right? I mean if you’ve been doing something that way for 20 years to to be told you have to Change. It is is more than simply a change of habit it is. It is almost neutralizing your existence to say you know your life your life to this point is now. Quote Unquote useless because now we’re doing things in a new Way. So. It’s certainly important to understand the fear now.
Rebecca
Absolutely. I Just absolutely because think about it I mean what’s the definition of insanity doing the same thing and expecting different results and when I keep hearing people say it’s just I don’t understand what do you do it? The same thing let’s shift it up. Ah if you want something to change you. And make the change.
Steve
Exactly and I do you know I’ve used that expression many times myself and I’ll say the only the only issue is that that that expression has to stand on the the shifting sands of time so you could be doing something the same way but because things are changing all around us so quickly you might get different results. You know so there’s an interesting sort of ah. Ah, parallel going on now. Obviously you you do some amazing seminars and interviews and and 1 on ones because you can just pick up on your energy right now? Um, but you’ve now put this in book form so tell us about the book. So we can all learn about it even again before we meet you in person. Okay.
Rebecca
Absolutely so my book is called The Energy of Success and I’m just so excited because what it does is walks every person through seven levels of energy so they can understand them because the first step is understanding where you are and then you can create shifts so I walk them through my five energetic success principles. How do you shift your own energy and the end it’s almost like a teaser for the next book or a teaser for a next movie. But how do you shift the energy of those around you. Because we’re looking to build like I said in the beginning that motivational workplace culture and when you look at statistics right now we’re not thriving. In fact, we’re it’s very concerning right? where we’re at energetically I call this an energetic crisis because people aren’t excited about what they’re doing and they don’t know what to do and how to navigate that. And it’s spilling out in statistics of the relationships right? look at our divorce statistics look at our relationships with our children look at when you look at that wheel of life. You’ll notice you have some really deficient areas and if we start bringing these up together holistically and in harmony. You honestly your life changes and I know because I’ve done the work with so many like thousands and thousands of people and gotten to see them thrive and so it’s a reason why my brand is even energetic impact is for that and that’s why I wrote this book. It’s for every single person to take and say oh I have another option.
I can wear different lenses and I can create shifts that are sustainable. Not short-term sustainable within the workplace which is the biggest difference because we’re getting to the root of the problem.
Steve
So now Now we’ve got a a workplace here and of course all of this is being done in the context of essentially post-Covid and you’ve got different kinds of workplaces including the whole notion of people working remotely which is a term that I’m not too fond of but ah distributed teams those who are out there working from home. Ah So how would this apply. To the hybrid or alternate working situations that people may face. Is there any difference in those 2 cultures at office and at home.
Rebecca
In cultures I would say I mean every organization has cultures but how you speak to each other. No, That’s the same you’re using, you’re using language to communicate effectively in bridge gaps just like you and I are completely not in the same location right now it doesn’t feel any different than if we were really in person. Other than when I see you’re trying to do something on the Innovative space. So like bringing out that collaboration bringing out that innovation popping off of ideas which I’ve seen very easily done remote. But I find that in-person ability to kind of pull out those that maybe are a little quieter or they need to. Really feel someone else’s energy in person. That’s where I start saying create experiences create an experience of why someone goes to the office and don’t bring like crappy pizza. That’s not going to do anything like get creative, get exciting bring in a speaker bring in. And in Improv class bring in something to get the juices flowing so people are really excited to connect with each other and if you’re fully – how did you say? distributive instead of remote?
Steve
Distributed, yes.
Rebecca
I come from hospitality and I lived at Selena for a month in Costa Rica and I got to work with so many people from all over the world for a month and I wrote 2 chapters of my book there because of this energy because of hearing what they were working on and going for walks and picking fruits and just. You know like this is what I’m thinking and this is what my workplace is like what’s Germany like, what’s UK like, what’s every single place like, and how are we able to learn from each other and level up. That’s the ability and I think Ramo is such a beautiful thing because you’re able to build more diversity into your teams. You’re no longer limited. To where you’re currently at if you’re at 98% you know of any one color, race, type, gender, anything. You’re not able to pull from outside sources to build these beautiful teams and what a greatt gift we receive from Covid in that sense because so many remote teams now are able to leverage. Different understandings, different intersectionalities and they’re building so like really amazing things because that’s where the innovation occurs. So that’s I find this very exciting.
Steve
Oh totally, it is and I mean I think as you know, ah there are those who see it and get it and there are those who don’t and then there are those who resist this and fight it So you’ve got a um. Really great message. Ah great philosophy and and you know a highly practical and pragmatic. One. This is not something that is just like purely motivational. This is real and and doable and your background as well in hospitality is and and in talent acquisition means you’ve got the the grounding.
That people are going to look for in terms of credibility which I think is fantastic and oh you’re already a success in this already. Um, so can we talk? let’s say about some examples I know that in the um, the talking points here. You’ve got you know how to leverage. Let’s say the 5 energetic success principles to propel you into higher levels of energy. You might have touched upon them when you were referring before but. Can you give us some examples of how they can do this to see how usable and how real this is.
What are some examples of 5 techniques people could use ah, just. Not not you know without not to take away from your business opportunities but just to so show what kind of things you would teach them so 5 techniques for energizing their workplace.
Rebecca
Absolutely my first one I want to share is leading with curiosity and I’m starting to see this more and more come up in organizations even if I haven’t touched them which is so exciting because when you’re leading with curiosity. You’re not leading with bias or assumptions. And when you think about how we’re communicating and even how polarized people are today. This is an opportunity to see the world through their lens and so I recommend to every person lead with curiosity if you don’t agree with something to better understand why someone sees the world the way they’re seeing it.
So that both of you can understand and jump into each other’s shoes. So that’s one that I would share and I see that so effective with communication and when your teams are not agreeing to really level them up and to get them energized to work together despite their differences because they find alignment in their values or they find alignment. And understanding where each other are coming from another one is practicing presence what we’re doing right now. We’re not multitasking. You’re not on the phone as we’re connecting you’re being really like clear and looking at me and I’m looking at you and we’re talking and having a conversation and sometimes people forget that. We’re going so fast and myself included this is my hardest one to do I make sure I put in meditation I have to work out every single day because those are my moments of presence to really be with Rebecca hear Rebecca’s thoughts hear Rebecca’s concerns breathe. And get more in tune with myself so that I can really start being creative when I’m connecting with other people or even with myself if I’m writing my book or I’m putting together. You know a blog piece like that’s when I really get to be that presence factor and you see that come out in what I write another one is creating possibilities. Every time we say no to ourselves like we’ll create this story say I can’t do that or that can’t be done and I tell any time a person says that I coach with the bullshit button and that’s the 1 time I’ll push that and say you do just say that’s not possible because we can create possibilities. It might not be exactly what you think of.
But coming from hospitality where everything was a yes, let me look into that. Yes, let me figure out how to do that we were able to really see that yes factor create possibilities that never were possible before and organizations need to lean into that but individuals even more right? because if you get in your own way. How are you ever. Get anywhere. So that’s really I think that one’s just really exciting to see people glow up. Um, yeah, absolutely let’s see another one oh lead with love I had a former Ceo um, and he he put care into their values.
And I looked at this care. Love interchangeable because when something happened he never was looking to point a finger. He was always looking to understand through the lens of love like why would such a mistake occur because most likely there were a lot of factors that went into something that caused this organizational problem. And most likely there’s reasons we can rectify that rather than just pointing fingers and people are Going. You never know what their lives are behind that workplace lens and so giving some of that empathy and leading with love to better understand that so people feel psychologically safe to share. So that you can really make accommodations or you can say this is best for you to take time to really work on yourself. I Think that’s so important. Let’s see which one am I missing Now. Oh detach on the principle of Detachment. So I shared a little bit early if if you have negative energy coming at you. It’s quite easy to wear that as a coat.
Um, but for leaders I share a lot of times because you’re a leader your team’s going to ask you a million questions and you could easily give them answers and you could tell them exactly where you want to go and how to do it. But what a missed opportunity to teach them to grow and to solution orient and you might find something that works so much better. We’re constantly changing technology is evolving by asking versus giving you detach from your own end solution and you allow your team members to grow so those are just 5 examples and I share a ton within the energy of success. So that people can really see oh this is how this person put it into play. And I even have it at the end of every chapter. What were the key takeaways. What were those answers where did you go in circle so that you’re starting to get kinesthetically involved I was trying to think of every type of learner writing this book and I’m kinesthetic so I need to write out and do it but some people can read it and then some people need to listen to it. Some people need to be visual. So. I really made sure that the bit the book hit all lenses so that people could learn from it. However, they decide to learn.
Steve
The messages are so powerful and so again immediately useful. Ah do you? Ah would you say that this this is applicable to any type of organization or do you focus on this particular size or type of organization. Ah, could this be done for sole proprietors solopreneurs and so on to practice the same things I mean imagine they could ah but just just to sort of make sure that everyone who’s listening recognizes that this is this works for them too.
Rebecca
Yes, absolutely and even I mean this work works at home all the time I so I see it like you take those principles and you take them home when you’re talking with your partner when you’re talking with your children. These principles could be used anywhere right? And that’s what. The beauty of using these tools are is the energy of successes because everything bleeds through you’re not just 1 person at work versus 1 person at home versus 1 person with your friends you are who you are and when you bring these forward. You will see yourself elevate and energy is the modern day currency right? So you can have plenty of money you can have.
But if you don’t have the energy to accomplish what you want to really pull through your goals. You’re never going to do it and that’s the beauty of this because you’re like oh my gosh I feel so much better. My thoughts are so much more focus and my actions follow and that’s why it’s so powerful and that’s also why it’s sustainable.
Steve
This is ah much needed and just breaking through that barrier if that’s how we’ve always done things the see the the tired ah but accepted approaches to work which is such a drudgery as you as you say and why people are so dissatisfied with the workplace.
So if there’s nothing additional that that you know you wanted to get through I guess I would ask you for some advice you know, Basically what what advice would you like to give to our listeners because we get we get some really good comments from people who listen to the expertise from the people that I get to interview and they say yeah that really worked for me that really touched me and hopefully that leads to business or referrals of course or book sales.
What what advice would you like to give to our listeners about how they can start this. Ah you know either personally in their own lives or more more of a challenge how they can approach their manager and say hey you know maybe we need a little dose of Rebecca here too.
Rebecca
Absolutely So if I were to give them an advice first I would always say lead with Curiosity. What’s coming up for them and what are they looking for. Are they looking for more clarity around their values. Are they looking for confidence and don’t understand oh values are tied to that confidence level and that comes from me energizing that. So get curious on what your ask is and then let’s understand the energy I would say take an energy leadership Index Assessment. It’s on my site and I can walk you through that because when you understand how your energy is helping serve you and where it’s not.
And you can make shifts very quickly that are sustainable so that you have more energy to accomplish your goals. This is that huge weight off your shoulders that’s taking away that pain that’s in your belly. That’s that lower back problem you’re carrying because energy comes out in all these ways. So it’s not even like just emotionally elevating but physically. You’ll say holy cow Rebecca and because you will exude so much constructive energy people want to come around. You. You’ll notice it quickly. It’s it’s just as like wildfire as negative energy. So I always say choose the one that’s more constructive because you’re going to have a lot more fun and it’s just going to be easier and who doesn’t take the win may I and think we get them all the time. So that’s what I would say is leave with curiosity seek to learn and grow and select what you’re looking to do and then understand your energy so you can start making quick changes and say Wow This worked like it works so quickly for me, let me share it with everyone else.
Steve
Well it certainly has come through the energy has come through in this interview and I really have enjoyed it. It. It’s just just been marvelous. Thank you so much for joining me here on the cool time life podcast.
Rebecca
Thank you so much for having me and sharing your energy with me. It was such a but it was such a gift. So thank you.
Close
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Keywords: engagement, culture, Gen Z, energy, leadership, positivity
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