The Energy Check

The question that reveals burnout before it's too late

🖋️ The Sentence: "On a scale of 1-10, how's your energy—not your workload?"

📣 Example: "I want to check in on something specific. On a scale of 1-10, how's your energy—not your workload, not how busy you are, but how you actually feel when you wake up in the morning? Are you running on fumes, or do you still have reserves?" (Pause. Let them actually think about it. Don't accept "fine" as an answer. If they say 5 or below, dig deeper: "What would it take to get you back to a 7?")

🌎 Where It Works:

• In 1-on-1s: When you sense someone's "off" but can't pinpoint why.
• After major deadlines: When the adrenaline wears off and the crash hits.
• During performance reviews: When you need to assess capacity, not just output.
• When someone's behavior changes: More irritable, less engaged, withdrawing from team activities.
• Before burnout becomes crisis: When they're still functional but you can see the warning signs.

⁉️ Why It Works: Burnout doesn't announce itself. It builds slowly, imperceptibly, until suddenly someone who was your strongest performer can barely get out of bed. The problem is that traditional check-ins ask the wrong question. "How's your workload?" invites people to perform competence. "I can handle it" becomes the default answer—even when it's not true.

This question bypasses the performance:

• It separates capacity from productivity → You can deliver results while running on empty. This question catches that gap.
• It's specific and measurable → "How are you?" is vague. A 1-10 scale forces honesty.
• It focuses on the leading indicator → Energy depletion happens before performance drops. This catches it upstream.
• It gives permission to struggle → Asking about energy signals that you care about them as a person, not just their output.

The key is asking this consistently—not just when you suspect a problem, but as a regular part of check-ins. When it becomes normal, people stop performing and start being honest.

❌ Don't Do This:

• Asking and then ignoring the answer: If they say "3" and you do nothing, you've made it worse
• Making it about productivity: "Well, if your energy is low, maybe we should adjust your deadlines" (misses the point—they need recovery, not just timeline shifts)
• Treating it as weakness: Responding with disappointment or concern that makes them regret being honest
• Only asking when it's already obvious: By then, you're too late

🧐 A Moment of Clarity: "Burnout builds slowly, and people normalize symptoms until they become severe. The leaders who catch it early are the ones who ask about energy, not just effort."

✅ Do This: In your next 1-on-1 with each team member, ask this question. Don't rush past the answer. If someone says 6 or below, ask follow-up questions: What's draining you? What would help? What's one thing I could take off your plate this week? Then actually do something with the information. Energy tracking only works if it leads to action.