Energy: The Overlooked Thread in Communication and Teamwork
Energy is one of those words that rarely makes it onto the official agenda. When we talk about communication in organisations, we quickly reach for tools and techniques. Questions, feedback models, frameworks for “difficult” conversations. What often fades into the background is the felt sense of energy that sits beneath every exchange. In coaching and supervision, and especially in group work, I find myself returning to this idea: what is the quality of energy in the room, and how does it shape what becomes possible?
If you have ever walked into a team meeting and felt the weight of unspoken tension, or found yourself unexpectedly energised by a group’s shared sense of purpose, you already know what I mean. Energy is not just about enthusiasm or motivation. It is the subtle interplay of presence, attention, and emotion that sits between people. It is what makes communication more than the exchange of information.
In my own work in coaching, as well as working with groups, I notice how energy both reveals and shapes the dynamics at play. Sometimes, it is the quickening pace of a conversation when someone names what others have been avoiding. Other times, it is the collective exhale that comes when a group recognises a shared experience, even if it is uncomfortable. Language can point towards these shifts, but often it is the silence, the pauses, or the change in body language that signals something important has happened.
Wittgenstein’s idea that “the limits of my language mean the limits of my world” feels particularly relevant here. We tend to look for words to capture everything, but energy often sits at the edges of what language can describe. In supervision, I invite coaches to step back and notice not just what was said, but how it was said, and how the energy shifted as the conversation unfolded. These observations often lead to richer, more honest reflection.
Working with groups and teams, energy becomes even more complex and interesting. Tuckman’s stages of group development—forming, storming, norming, performing—are not just about processes or behaviours, but about the underlying energy that moves a group from polite surface engagement to genuine collaboration. In the early stages, energy can feel tentative or fragmented, as people test the waters and stake out their territory. As trust grows, so does the willingness to speak honestly, to challenge, and to support each other. The best teams are not those with the most harmonious energy, but those who are able to notice shifts, name them, and work with them openly.
In coaching, attending to energy means paying close attention to what is happening in the moment. Not just in the thinker, but in ourselves as coaches. Sometimes the most useful intervention is to name what is present: “I notice the energy in the room has changed since we started talking about this,” or “There’s a heaviness here. What do you make of that?” These simple observations can open up avenues for reflection that are not accessible through questions alone.
For leaders and teams, developing a shared language for energy is a skill worth practising. It invites a level of honesty and connection that can shift the entire dynamic of a group. It also requires a willingness to sit with ambiguity, to notice what is present without needing to resolve it immediately.
Energy is not a distraction from “real” work. It is the connective tissue that holds communication, collaboration, and growth together. When we pay attention to it, individually and collectively, we create the conditions for teams to do their best thinking and for genuine change to take root.
If you are curious about how energy shows up in your own team, or want to explore this further in coaching or supervision, I would be interested to hear what you are noticing.
About Amanda
Amanda Livermore is the founder of LORE Consultancy Ltd and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). With over 20 years of experience in coaching, training design and facilitation, Amanda specialises in helping individuals and teams develop the skills to work even more effectively together. As both a trained mentor coach and coach supervisor, she supports coaches in their own professional development whilst helping organisations create more inclusive, psychologically safe environments where different perspectives are valued and heard.