Saturday was 75 miles downwind into Key Largo and Sunday was 75 miles back, into the teeth of the same blustery wind-gift from the day before. The event was the MS-150 to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy.

At the end of a single day cycling event, the bike is parked, muscles stretched and beer consumed. A multi-day event requires a different strategy, a strategy called Reserve Power.

On the second day, through a particularly gusty stretch, leaning into the handlebars, turning 105 cadence, it occurred to me how often projects go this same way. Anticipated energy and resources are consumed, yet the project continues. Overtime cranks in and phone calls home tell of delayed dinners.

Often in management, we focus on tangible resources, raw goods and machine capacity. An important area we often miss is the management of energy. This is seen in morale, momentum and enthusiasm.

On a bicycle, running out of energy is called bonking, and once bonked, recovery to continue is rare and performance dramatically compromised. As a manager, be aware of the emotional energy of your team. Manage that energy. Build reserve power. -TF