Are You Getting Your Team’s Discretionary Energy—or Just Their Compliance?
Intro:
Every organization runs on energy.
But not all energy is equal.
Some of it is required: the minimum needed to fulfill a role.
But the real fuel—the kind that sparks innovation, ownership, and momentum—is discretionary.
That’s the energy your people choose to give you.
In my book Attract or Repel, I describe this as the invisible driver of organizational health. You can’t force it. You can’t fake it. But you can earn it—and measure it.
At The BOS Garage, we use the BITE Index™, grounded in The Seven Critical Needs™, to help leadership teams finally quantify how much of that energy is being offered—or withheld.
This article breaks down:
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What discretionary energy looks like in action
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Why most companies miss the signs
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How The Seven Critical Needs reveal the hidden levers of trust, inclusion, and belief
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And how BITE7 gives you a real-time dashboard for cultural energy
Because what gets measured gets done.
And what gets ignored? Walks quietly out the door.
Do You Know How Much of Your Employees’ Discretionary Energy You’re Actually Getting?
You can’t buy discretionary energy—but it’s the most valuable resource your organization has.
Discretionary energy is the extra effort an employee chooses to give. It’s what they offer beyond the job description. It shows up when someone stays late to get a project across the finish line. It shows up in how they advocate for the company when talking to a customer or referring a candidate. It shows up in the creativity they bring to solving a stubborn problem.
Most companies run on the assumption that if someone is on payroll, they’re giving full effort. But the truth is, many employees are holding back—often without realizing it themselves.
Why Does Discretionary Energy Matter?
When an employee withholds discretionary energy, it’s rarely out of malice. It’s usually a response to unmet needs. A lack of trust in leadership. Unclear roles. A feeling that their voice doesn’t matter. A disconnect from the mission. An unaddressed conflict with a peer.
The tragedy? These are fixable. But only if you know they’re happening.
Measuring What Matters: The BITE Index™
In Attract or Repel, we unpack a central idea: the health of an organization depends on the energy its people choose to give. That’s where the BITE Index™ comes in. BITE stands for:
- Buy-In
- Inclusion
- Trust
- Engagement
We’ve built a way to measure these intangibles—quantitatively. This isn’t a fluff survey. It’s a proven tool that reveals how much of your people’s energy is showing up, how much is being withheld, and most importantly: why.
The Seven Critical Needs™
The BITE Index is grounded in the framework of The Seven Critical Needs™—the essential human needs employees require from their workplace in order to lean in and fully engage.
These include:
Belonging
Belief
Accountability
Measurement
Voice
Development
Balance
When these needs are met, discretionary energy flows. When they’re not, it doesn’t.
You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure
If you’re running an organizational operating system (EOS®, Scaling Up, etc.), you’ve got tools. But tools alone don’t guarantee results. You have to measure whether your culture and structure are helping or hurting your ability to get full energy from your people.
That’s why The BOS Garage uses the BITE7™ Survey and The Seven Critical Needs as the diagnostic layer under any operating system implementation.
Want to See Where You Stand?
Take a no-hassle test drive of the BITE7™ Diagnostic. Run the survey inside your team. See what’s strong and what’s holding your people back.
Because when discretionary energy flows, everything accelerates: culture, accountability, clarity—and cash flow.
📊 Learn more about the BITE Index and The Seven Critical Needs at thebosgarage.com