energy-management

Original source / Raw SKILL.md

---
name: "energy-management"
description: "Build an Energy Management Operating System Pack (energy drivers/drains map, calendar energy audit, zone-of-genius expansion plan, energy-aligned weekly schedule, recovery routines, and 2-week experiments). Use for sustainable leadership performance and burnout prevention. Category: Leadership."
---

# Energy Management

## Scope

**Covers**
- Managing **energy (cognitive/emotional/attention)**, not just time
- Identifying **energy drivers** and **energy drains** and redesigning your week accordingly
- Expanding “**zone of genius**” time via delegation, elimination, automation, and clearer boundaries
- Creating micro-recovery routines (buffers, transitions, meeting hygiene) and a low-energy-day protocol
- Running a **2-week pilot** to validate changes and iterate

**When to use**
- “I’m exhausted / close to burnout. Help me redesign my week for energy.”
- “Audit my calendar and help me spend more time in my zone of genius.”
- “I want a system to track what gives me energy vs drains me after each interaction.”
- “Create meeting norms and boundaries so I stop hemorrhaging energy.”

**When NOT to use**
- You are in an acute physical/mental health crisis or need medical advice. Seek professional help and follow your company policy.
- You need HR/legal guidance (harassment, discrimination, retaliation, threats, investigations).
- Your environment is unsafe or coercive; prioritize safety and support systems first. This skill can help document constraints and draft a negotiation plan, but it won’t “optimize” an unsafe situation.

## Inputs

**Minimum required**
- Your role + core responsibilities (and whether you manage people)
- The time horizon: a **2-week pilot** + what “better” means in **4–8 weeks**
- Current pain (2–5 concrete examples of what’s draining you) + desired outcome
- A representative week (calendar text dump, recurring meetings list, or narrative)
- Constraints/non-negotiables (time zones, caregiving, deadlines, on-call, travel, “can’t move” meetings)

**Missing-info strategy**
- Ask up to 5 questions from [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md) (3–5 at a time).
- If calendar detail is unavailable, proceed with a **7-day energy log first** and provide a conservative default-week plan with explicit assumptions.
- Do not request secrets, credentials, or sensitive personal health details.

## Outputs (deliverables)

Produce an **Energy Management Operating System Pack** (Markdown in-chat; or as files if requested) in this order:

1) **Context snapshot** (goal, constraints, assumptions, success definition)
2) **Energy Drivers & Drains Map** (top drivers/drains + levers)
3) **Calendar Energy Audit** (time buckets + “zone of genius” estimate)
4) **Zone of Genius Expansion Plan** (stop/delegate/automate/defer list)
5) **Energy-Aligned Default Week** (time blocks + meeting rules)
6) **Recovery + Transition Plan** (buffers, micro-breaks, low-energy-day protocol)
7) **2-Week Pilot + Experiment Tracker** (what changes, how we measure)
8) **Risks / Open questions / Next steps** (always included)

Templates: [references/TEMPLATES.md](references/TEMPLATES.md)  
Expanded guidance: [references/WORKFLOW.md](references/WORKFLOW.md)

## Workflow (8 steps)

### 1) Intake + objective + safety boundaries
- **Inputs:** user context; [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md).
- **Actions:** Clarify the goal in 4–8 weeks (e.g., “end week with energy”, “reduce decision fatigue”, “make space for deep work”). Confirm boundaries (not medical/HR/legal). Choose scope: full OS pack vs subset.
- **Outputs:** Context snapshot (draft) + assumptions/unknowns.
- **Checks:** Success is measurable enough to evaluate after 4 weeks (even with qualitative measures).

### 2) Capture baseline energy signals (7-day log + quick retro)
- **Inputs:** last 1–2 weeks memory; calendar if available.
- **Actions:** Create a lightweight energy log structure. If you have calendar data, do a quick retro: list the top 10 activities/interactions and mark “energized” vs “sapped” after each.
- **Outputs:** Energy Log (starter) + initial “suspected drivers/drains” list.
- **Checks:** At least 5 concrete drivers/drains are identified (not vague labels like “people”).

### 3) Build the Energy Drivers & Drains Map (with levers)
- **Inputs:** Energy Log + retro list.
- **Actions:** Consolidate into a map: drivers, drains, triggers, and controllable levers (eliminate, delegate, redesign, time-shift, batch, buffer, prepare, recover).
- **Outputs:** Drivers & Drains Map + “top 3 change levers” to try first.
- **Checks:** Each top drain has at least one specific lever and a next action.

### 4) Audit the calendar for “zone of genius” vs “energy tax”
- **Inputs:** representative week calendar (or estimate).
- **Actions:** Bucket time into: (A) Zone of genius / high leverage, (B) Necessary but neutral, (C) Energy drains, (D) Recovery/admin. Identify the bottom bucket(s) to reduce.
- **Outputs:** Calendar Energy Audit + zone-of-genius estimate and biggest offenders (meetings, context switching, decision load).
- **Checks:** The audit produces 3–5 candidate deletions/redesigns with owners and dates.

### 5) Expand zone of genius via stop/delegate/automate/defer
- **Inputs:** audit offenders; constraints; stakeholders.
- **Actions:** Turn drains into an offload plan: what to stop, what to delegate, what to automate, what to defer. For delegation, specify decision rights and guardrails (don’t just “hand it off”).
- **Outputs:** Zone of Genius Expansion Plan + 2–3 delegation briefs (as needed).
- **Checks:** At least 2 concrete “energy taxes” are removed or redesigned in the next 2 weeks.

### 6) Design an energy-aligned default week + meeting hygiene
- **Inputs:** your energy curve (high/medium/low), constraints, offload plan.
- **Actions:** Create a default week with time blocks aligned to energy (deep work in high-energy windows; admin in low-energy windows). Add meeting hygiene: buffers, batching, agendas/decisions, shorter defaults (25/50), async-first updates.
- **Outputs:** Energy-Aligned Default Week + Meeting Rules.
- **Checks:** The plan reduces fragmentation (fewer context switches) and includes buffers between high-load blocks.

### 7) Add recovery + transitions (and a low-energy-day protocol)
- **Inputs:** work patterns; remote/hybrid context.
- **Actions:** Define micro-recovery routines (between-meeting buffer, decompression, movement, sensory breaks) and “low-energy day” rules (minimum viable day, what to postpone, how to communicate). Include optional “neurological load” aids for remote work (e.g., standing, doodling/fidgeting, walking calls) without making medical claims.
- **Outputs:** Recovery + Transition Plan + Low-Energy-Day Protocol.
- **Checks:** Recovery actions are scheduled (not aspirational) and do not rely on willpower alone.

### 8) Run a 2-week pilot + measure + iterate
- **Inputs:** full draft pack.
- **Actions:** Define 2–4 experiments (time-shift, reduce meetings, add buffers, delegate, change meeting format). Decide what you’ll measure (daily energy rating, end-of-week energy, number of deep-work blocks, “drain count”). Run [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and score with [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md). Add **Risks / Open questions / Next steps**.
- **Outputs:** Final Energy Management Operating System Pack + 2-week tracking sheet.
- **Checks:** Experiments have clear decision rules: keep / modify / stop after 2 weeks.

## Quality gate (required)
- Run [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and score with [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md).
- Always include: **Risks**, **Open questions**, **Next steps**.

## Examples

**Example 1 (meeting overload):** “I’m a product leader in back-to-back meetings and I’m exhausted. Audit my week and give me a default schedule + meeting rules + delegation plan.”  
Expected: drivers/drains map, calendar audit, offload plan, default week, meeting hygiene rules, 2-week pilot.

**Example 2 (role fit signals):** “After certain calls I feel energized, after others I feel drained. Help me build a tracking system and use it to redesign my scope.”  
Expected: energy log + drivers/drains map, patterns, specific levers (time-shift/batch/delegate), and a 2-week experiment tracker.

**Boundary example (medical crisis):** “I’m having panic attacks and can’t sleep; fix my energy.”  
Response: do not provide medical advice; encourage professional help. Offer a minimal work-boundary plan (reduce commitments, document constraints, notify stakeholders) and a tracking template only if appropriate.


---

## Referenced Files

> The following files are referenced in this skill and included for context.

### references/INTAKE.md

```markdown
# Intake (Energy Management)

Ask **up to 5 questions at a time**. If answers aren’t available, proceed with explicit assumptions and label unknowns.

## Minimum intake (pick the best 5)
1) **What’s your role and scope?** Do you manage people? What are your top 3 responsibilities right now?
2) **What does “better energy” mean in 4–8 weeks?** (e.g., fewer crashes, more deep work, end the week with energy, less dread)
3) **What are your top drains and top drivers today?** Give 2–3 examples of each (specific activities/meetings/people/context).
4) **What does a representative week look like?** Recurring meetings, deep work, 1:1s, travel/on-call, time zones.
5) **What constraints are non-negotiable?** Deadlines, “can’t move” meetings, caregiving hours, health accommodations (no details needed), policies.

## Context (as needed)
- What’s your **energy curve** most days? (high/medium/low windows)
- Which tasks require your best thinking? Which can be done in low-energy time?
- Where do you feel the most fragmentation? (context switching, Slack pings, meeting clusters)
- Any “invisible work” you’re carrying? (emotional labor, approvals, coordination)

## Stakeholders + leverage (optional but useful)
- Who can help you remove drains? (EA, manager, peers, direct reports)
- What can be delegated immediately? What needs guardrails?
- Which meetings are political/non-optional vs truly optional?

## If the user can’t answer (fallback)
Proceed with:
- A **7-day energy log** template + instructions (track “energized vs sapped” after key interactions)
- A conservative default-week plan: meeting batching, buffers, shorter meeting defaults, and one deep-work block
- A list of unknowns and the **next 5 questions** to answer during week 1


```

### references/TEMPLATES.md

```markdown
# Templates — Energy Management

Copy/paste these templates into your output. Keep them lightweight and directly usable.

## 0) Energy Management Operating System Pack (skeleton)

### 1) Context snapshot
- Role + scope:
- Time horizon: 2-week pilot + 4–8 week goal:
- Success definition:
- Constraints/non-negotiables:
- Assumptions:
- Unknowns to validate:

### 2) Energy Drivers & Drains Map
(table)

### 3) Calendar Energy Audit
(buckets + summary)

### 4) Zone of Genius Expansion Plan
(stop/delegate/automate/defer)

### 5) Energy-Aligned Default Week + Meeting Rules
(time blocks + norms)

### 6) Recovery + Transition Plan
(buffers + low-energy protocol)

### 7) 2-Week Pilot + Experiment Tracker
(experiments + measures + decision rules)

### 8) Risks / Open questions / Next steps

---

## 1) Energy Log (after-action tracking)

Use for 7–14 days. Keep it simple.

| Date | Activity / interaction | Context (people + medium) | Before (1–5) | After (1–5) | Δ | Notes (why) | Lever to try |
|---|---|---|---:|---:|---:|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Quick prompt after an interaction:
- “Did that **give** me energy or **take** energy?”
- “What specifically caused it?” (format, topic, uncertainty, conflict, prep level, audience)

## 2) Energy Drivers & Drains Map

| Item | Driver or drain? | Trigger / pattern | Controllable? (Y/N/Partial) | Lever | Next action (owner + date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

## 3) Calendar Energy Audit (1 representative week)

### A) Bucket definitions
- **Zone of genius / high leverage:** work that uses your strengths and produces outsized impact.
- **Necessary but neutral:** required maintenance work.
- **Energy drain:** recurring activities that reliably sap energy.
- **Recovery/admin:** buffers, transitions, breaks, decompression.

### B) Time bucket table
| Bucket | Examples from your week | Hours/week | Keep / change |
|---|---|---:|---|
| Zone of genius |  |  |  |
| Necessary but neutral |  |  |  |
| Energy drains |  |  |  |
| Recovery/admin |  |  |  |

### C) “Top offenders” list
List 3–5 items to remove/redesign in the next 2 weeks.
| Offender | Why it drains | Lever (delete/delegate/redesign/time-shift/batch/buffer) | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |

## 4) Zone of Genius Expansion Plan (stop/delegate/automate/defer)

| Item | Current owner | Decision (stop / delegate / automate / defer / redesign) | New owner (if any) | Guardrails / escalation triggers | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

## 5) Energy-Aligned Default Week (time blocks)

Assume your day has **high/medium/low** energy windows. Place work accordingly.

| Day | High-energy blocks (deep work/decisions) | Medium-energy blocks (meetings/coaching) | Low-energy blocks (admin/routine) | Buffers/recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon |  |  |  |  |
| Tue |  |  |  |  |
| Wed |  |  |  |  |
| Thu |  |  |  |  |
| Fri |  |  |  |  |

## 6) Meeting Rules (copy/paste)

Defaults:
- 25/50 minute meetings (unless there’s a reason not to)
- Agenda + desired outcome required
- Decision owner named (if a decision is needed)
- Async pre-read for complex topics; meeting is for debate + decision
- Buffers after high-load meetings (conflict, performance, escalations)

Optional scripts:
- “What decision are we making by the end of this meeting?”
- “Can we do this async? If not, what’s the minimum live time needed?”
- “I can’t make this meeting; please send a summary + decision needed.”

## 7) Recovery + Transition Plan

### A) Buffers (calendar objects)
- Between-meeting buffer:
- Daily decompression block:
- Weekly recovery block:

### B) Micro-recovery menu (pick 3)
- Short walk / movement break
- 2 minutes of breathing + eyes-off-screen
- Water/snack reset
- Quick journaling: “what just happened / next thing”
- Optional remote supports: stand, doodle, fidget, walking call (no medical claims)

### C) Low-energy-day protocol (minimum viable day)
- Non-negotiable 1–2 outcomes:
- What gets postponed:
- Stakeholder message (short):
- Recovery actions:

## 8) 2-Week Pilot + Experiment Tracker

Pick 2–4 experiments max.

| Experiment | Hypothesis | Start date | End date | Measure(s) | Decision rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Suggested measures (lightweight):
- End-of-day energy rating (1–5)
- Meeting hours/week + “meeting satisfaction”
- Deep-work blocks/week
- Drain count/day

## 9) Stakeholder boundary message (template)

> “To protect execution quality and sustainability, I’m making a few changes for the next two weeks: [change].  
> If you need [urgent topic], use [channel]. For everything else, please [async process].  
> We’ll review in two weeks and adjust based on outcomes.”


```

### references/WORKFLOW.md

```markdown
# Workflow (Expanded) — Energy Management

This file expands the steps from `../SKILL.md` with extra guidance, heuristics, and failure modes.

## Step 1 — Intake + objective + safety boundaries
Aim: avoid generic “self-care” advice; produce an executable plan with boundaries.

Heuristics:
- Define a 4–8 week success definition and a 2-week pilot (you can’t redesign your life in one pass).
- If the user asks for medical guidance, stop and redirect to appropriate help.

Common failure modes:
- Over-personalizing or asking for sensitive health details.
- Treating energy as willpower instead of designing systems (calendar, delegation, norms).

## Step 2 — Baseline energy signals (7-day log + quick retro)
Aim: turn “I feel drained” into observable patterns.

Tactics:
- Use an “after-action” prompt: after a meeting/task, ask “energized or sapped?” and note why.
- Start small: capture the top 10 interactions from last week if calendar detail is missing.

Failure modes:
- Vague drivers/drains (“people”, “work”) instead of specific triggers (format, topic, audience, context switching).

## Step 3 — Drivers & drains map (with levers)
Aim: connect drains to actionable levers.

Example levers:
- **Eliminate:** stop attending or remove low-value meetings.
- **Delegate:** transfer ownership with decision rights and guardrails.
- **Redesign:** change meeting format (async pre-read, clear decision owner, shorter defaults).
- **Time-shift:** move high-load work to high-energy windows.
- **Batch + buffer:** cluster similar work and add transition time.
- **Prepare:** add a 5-minute “pre-brief” to reduce anxiety/uncertainty.
- **Recover:** add a micro-break after high-load interactions.

Failure modes:
- Listing drains without naming the “next action” and owner.

## Step 4 — Calendar audit for zone of genius vs energy tax
Aim: quantify where energy is going.

Bucket guidance:
- **Zone of genius / high leverage:** strategic thinking, coaching, key decisions, creative work.
- **Necessary but neutral:** admin, routine status, predictable ops.
- **Energy drains:** meetings with unclear purpose, constant interruptions, conflict without structure.
- **Recovery/admin:** buffers, breaks, transitions.

Failure modes:
- Treating “busy” as “high leverage”.

## Step 5 — Expand zone of genius (stop/delegate/automate/defer)
Aim: change the mix, not just cope.

Tactics:
- Create a “bottom bucket” list and remove 2 items in the next 2 weeks.
- For delegation: specify outcomes, constraints, escalation triggers, and review points.

Failure modes:
- Offloading without guardrails (causes rework and anxiety).

## Step 6 — Energy-aligned default week + meeting hygiene
Aim: redesign the week so the “best” plan is also the easiest plan.

Meeting hygiene ideas:
- Default to 25/50 minute meetings.
- Require a purpose + agenda + decision owner.
- Batch 1:1s and low-stakes meetings.
- Protect at least one deep-work block in a high-energy window.
- Add buffers between high-load meetings (conflict, performance, customer escalations).

Failure modes:
- Creating a schedule that assumes perfect compliance from everyone else.

## Step 7 — Recovery + transitions + low-energy-day protocol
Aim: build resilience without moralizing.

Tactics:
- Treat recovery as a calendar object (buffer blocks) not an intention.
- For remote work: optional sensory/movement supports (standing, walking calls, doodling/fidgeting) to reduce cognitive load.
- Low-energy-day protocol: define what “minimum viable day” looks like and how to communicate it.

Failure modes:
- Over-indexing on personal optimization while ignoring workload/role design.

## Step 8 — 2-week pilot + measure + iterate
Aim: make the plan testable.

Measurement options (keep lightweight):
- End-of-day energy rating (1–5)
- “Drain count” per day (number of high-drain events)
- Deep-work blocks/week
- Meeting hours/week and “meeting satisfaction”

Decision rules:
- Keep: improves energy with acceptable trade-offs.
- Modify: helps but causes new problems; adjust lever.
- Stop: not worth it; revert and try a different lever.

Failure modes:
- Too many experiments at once (can’t attribute changes).


```

### references/CHECKLISTS.md

```markdown
# Checklists (Quality Gates) — Energy Management

Use these checklists before finalizing the pack.

## A) Pack completeness (must pass)
- [ ] Includes a clear **4–8 week success definition** and a **2-week pilot**
- [ ] Includes an **Energy Drivers & Drains Map** with specific levers and next actions
- [ ] Includes a **Calendar Energy Audit** with time buckets and “top offenders”
- [ ] Includes a **Zone of Genius Expansion Plan** (stop/delegate/automate/defer) with owners
- [ ] Includes an **Energy-Aligned Default Week** (time blocks aligned to energy)
- [ ] Includes **Meeting Rules** (agenda/decision owner, shorter defaults, async-first, buffers)
- [ ] Includes a **Recovery + Transition Plan** and a **Low-Energy-Day Protocol**
- [ ] Includes a **2-week experiment tracker** with measures and decision rules
- [ ] Includes **Risks / Open questions / Next steps**

## B) Actionability + realism
- [ ] Top 3 changes are scheduled (not just suggested)
- [ ] The plan removes/redesigns at least **2** recurring drains in the next 2 weeks
- [ ] Delegation items include guardrails/escalation triggers (not vague handoffs)
- [ ] Calendar design assumes real constraints (“can’t move” meetings are handled)

## C) Energy-quality (not time-only)
- [ ] The plan explicitly reduces **context switching** and **decision fatigue**
- [ ] High-load work has buffers and transitions (no back-to-back “hard” meetings)
- [ ] Recovery actions are framed as system design, not moralizing

## D) Measurement + iteration
- [ ] Measures are lightweight and attributable (2–4 experiments max)
- [ ] Each experiment has a clear decision rule: keep / modify / stop after 2 weeks
- [ ] Next-step schedule exists (pilot start/end dates; review moment)

## E) Safety boundaries
- [ ] Avoids medical advice and does not request sensitive personal health details
- [ ] Includes a redirect for crisis/HR/legal situations
- [ ] Does not ask for secrets/credentials; uses anonymized summaries when needed


```

### references/RUBRIC.md

```markdown
# Rubric (Score 1–5) — Energy Management

Score the Energy Management Operating System Pack. Target: **≥ 20/25**, with no category below **3**.

## 1) Goal clarity + boundaries (1–5)
1: Vague advice; no success definition; ignores safety boundaries.  
3: Goals mostly clear; basic boundaries and constraints acknowledged.  
5: Crisp 4–8 week success definition + 2-week pilot; clear “when not to use” and safety constraints.

## 2) Drivers/drains diagnosis quality (1–5)
1: Generic labels; no patterns or triggers.  
3: Some specific drivers/drains; partial triggers.  
5: Clear drivers/drains with triggers, controllability, and levers; top drains have owners + next actions.

## 3) Calendar + zone-of-genius redesign quality (1–5)
1: No calendar changes; only coping tactics.  
3: Some changes; limited removal/redesign of drains.  
5: Concrete deletions/redesigns, zone-of-genius expansion plan, and an energy-aligned default week with buffers.

## 4) Delegation/offload effectiveness (1–5)
1: “Delegate more” with no specifics.  
3: Some offload items; guardrails incomplete.  
5: Clear stop/delegate/automate/defer plan with decision rights, escalation triggers, and review points.

## 5) Measurement + sustainability (1–5)
1: No pilot, no measures, unrealistic habits.  
3: Pilot exists; measures are okay; recovery plan is generic.  
5: 2–4 testable experiments with decision rules; recovery/transitions are scheduled and realistic.


```