I had the privilege of listening to my friend and fellow Club Ichi member Dr. Jess Garza on a panel at SXSW this week and she used a phrase I hadn't heard before: Energy Manipulation.
This doesn't mean Reiki or tai chi or some Dr. Strange stuff, but instead is focused on how to own and control the energy in the room when you create an event.
It's exactly what Nicole and I do when we run Spontaneous Think Tanks. We set the tone with our welcome attack and hugs, we craft a space of open conversation and vulnerable expression through our energy, and we foster collaboration and co-creation through our invitation to participate.
❌ It's a very different energy when you go to a conference with a big empty registration area and no humans welcoming you in.
❌ It's a very different energy when you walk into a breakout room and experience the deafening silence while everyone waits on the session to start.
❌ It's a very different energy when you enter a networking event where the music is too loud and you can't even connect with people.
So think about this as you design your events and -perhaps more importantly- as you HOST events: how will you manipulate the energy in the room for your guests?
A few key settings to consider in order to manipulate the energy around you:
Confidence: Whether you're leading, speaking, hosting, or answering questions, when you project a confident energy, you convey your competence and you build trust.
Positivity: Being welcoming, excited to have guests at the event, and optimistic about what's coming up for them conveys this magnetic energy to your attendees that flows through them.
Pride: Remember when you were a kid and you made something out of clay and you were SO proud to show your mom? Try adopting that feeling when people come to an event you've created. The energy of being JUST SO PROUD of what you've built will truly convey to them.
Authenticity: Just be you. When you can be comfortable just being yourself, you invite others to lower their guard and reciprocate. This energy drives more meaningful connections faster.
Excitement: This doesn't mean you have to run around screaming, but if you can embody the energy of anticipation and excitement, then your attendees will feel that and carry the energy through.
So this is my reminder to you to take stock of what energy you are putting out at your events. Is that the energy you want everyone else to carry through it, too?
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