Juggling Elephants Blog

Listen to this. A Netherlands-based electronics firm is creating a bracelet that will change color and flicker from yellow to red when a person's emotions rise to unhealthy levels. It's being developed chiefly for stock traders on European exchanges. When trading becomes too intense and the trader's blood pressure rises, the device will issue a warning to "take a time-out, wind down, or reconsider their actions," said the manufacturer. The results, hopefully, will be beneficial to investors-to say nothing of the stock brokers themselves.

What's your early warning indicator that you need to take a break? That you need to step back instead of trying to push forward mentally, emotionally or physically to the next task? Determining it now-before you hit the wall-and then planning how you will replenish the needed resources-will keep your circus running more smoothly.

Labels: intermission, relaxation, stress reduction

One of the consequences of attempting to "juggle elephants" is that we end up doing some of our tasks half way or that we deliver a product or service that is "half baked." More than ever, poor performance is a result of having too much to do and not enough time and focus to deliver.

Lord Chesterfield said, "Whatever you do, do it to the purpose; do it thoroughly, not superficially. Go to the bottom of things. Any thing half done, or half known, is in my mind, neither done nor known at all. Nay, worse, for it often misleads."

Take that little extra time to be thorough. Remove other "acts" from your "circus" to make sure you are delivering a quality performance.

Labels: excellence, planning, priorities

Sue Shellenbarger with the Wall Street Journal has a telling article about an outgrowth of the recession: Mini Shifts. In the article, Recession Tactic: The Mini-Shift, these shifts are usually taken by people out of steady work and who choose to work 3-5 "mini-shifts" of 90 minutes to three hours in length. While they do offer the opportunity for income, the article highlights the challenges associated with these multiple shifts and breakneck pace:

• So much task switching can result in a kind of cognitive stall out Julie Morgenstern calls "mental gear-stripping."
• It creates a lack of "clear edges" between work and personal time which can gradually erode R&R until your life gets out of balance in a very significant way.
• It reduces output. Russell Poldrack, an authority on multi-tasking writes, "Almost any time we switch between doing different tasks, we will be less efficient than if we focused on a single task.

So, in an era where people will have to continue to work mini-shifts to keep food on the table and make ends meet, what is someone to do? Those interviewed in the article said they "pull back and recharge" or "fill gaps with well-planned out activities that re-charge you." Simply put, they plan AND take an intermission. Bravo!

What have you planned today to help you recharge when your circus begins running you?

Labels: burnout, intermission

I was recently in a Middle School Orientation for one of my daughters who will be heading into 7th grade. The principal spoke and made the statement, "Middle School is about discovery. It is a time to help your children decide what they want to be when they grow up." She then went on to explain the classes that the students would be taking that would expose them to a variety of topics that would help them as they decide their future.

As I thought about my daughter and the classes that she would be taking, I couldn't help but wonder what she would discover over the next 10+ years and what she would become when she grows up. (I often wonder what I will be when I grow up-with the emphasis on "when I grow up.") My mind started formulating what her plan should be and what she was good at and where her testing scores were and how important being in the right classes was going to be-then I had a brain aneurysm-or maybe it was a epiphany.

Is there a time in our lives that we should stop discovering, be grown up and fall into a routine of what we should be? Are the goals/decisions that we make in Middle School, High School, and College the ultimate blue print or path for the rest of our lives? Our lives change, our situations change and our dreams evolve. Sure, placement tests and classes in school can help us with discovery and opportunities, but maybe there should be a class on "Life Long Discovery." Shouldn't we discover new things when we are 30, 50, 90?

It is time to discover something new... where is that brochure on scuba diving?

Labels: goal setting, improvement, personal growth, Reflection

In our training programs we regularly see people squirm when we talk about delegation. As John Maxwell says, "Most of us are either clingers or dumpers when it comes to delegation. We either hold onto everything or just dump the entire task in someone's lap." There are a number of reasons we don't delegate well, but I'll save that for a blog for another day. What we can agree on is that our unwillingness to delegate things to other people often limits our ability to get to what is most important at work.

Brett Martin and Thanos Papadimitriou have a helpful blog entitled, Are You The Bottleneck In Your Organization? Among their most important tips are:

Push decision making down. If you're making all the decisions, you're only holding your company back. Push decision making down to the lowest level possible.

Accept that mistakes will happen. Sharing responsibility with others means things don't always go according to plan. Prepare your employees to avoid mistakes by being clear about your expectations and giving them the tools they need to do their jobs well.

Build your bench. Making yourself comfortable with giving up control requires having people you believe in. Invest both your time and resources to develop your star employees.

Labels: delegation, leadership

A dictionary definition of a linchpin is "something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together." Seth Godin (I am one of his biggest fans) just published a book entitled, "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?" He presents the case that we can just go with the flow or we can see ourselves as someone who can make a difference and really matter-a linchpin.
The choice is ours to be the ringmaster of our circus. It truly is a decision that we must make... that we will make-one way or the other. Not being a linchpin/ringmaster is the easier decision. We can then just be reactive or be acted upon. Being a linchpin means that we have to determine our purpose, be creative, decide what we want to be and do, and then execute on our plans. Sometimes, we even make mistakes and fail. Being a linchpin is truly the road less travelled.

I would highly recommend Seth Godin’s new book, "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?" He teaches how to add emotion and passion back into your work and your life, thus making a difference.

Labels: purpose, ringmaster

The straightforward approach of the military has always been refreshing in our society. They define a problem, create a solution, execute the solution and evaluate its effectiveness. That's why it was refreshing to read Lt. Colonel David Hook's Blog: Balance-Key to Avoiding Burn-out. (Lt. Colonel Hook is Commander, 5th Space Launch Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base)

So many of his comments are simple and yet very powerful. Early in the blog he writes, "Being able to manage a busy ops tempo with our personal life is both critical to a fulfilling life as well as for maintaining our personal readiness. Failure to find that balance can lead to burnout."

He then gives several recommendations to those in the Air Force-but are readily applicable to ALL of us. They are:

• Remember that while each of us is critical to achieving the mission, no one single person is irreplaceable.
• Train and cultivate your replacement so you can take leave without concern for the continued mission.
• Likewise, be a good wing man and be prepared to assume the responsibilities of your teammates.
• Recognize there's never enough time to accomplish everything that needs to be done.
• Understand your commander's priorities and know where he is willing to accept risk, and then do the most important things first.
• Lastly, time spent on your own health is always a good investment. Good fitness increases your resistance to stress and helps stave off burn-out.

Labels: stress reduction, work/life balance