Juggling Elephants Blog

After our July newsletter on "Return Planning," I thought a little humor about how you should handle vacations in the workplace might be in order. Enjoy!
http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/09/magazines/fortune/stanleybing/how_to_take_a_vacation.fortune/index.htm

Labels: humor, vacation

Can you believe this? A girl falls into a manhole while texting. You may have seen an earlier blog on our frustration with rude texters, so this one caught my attention. After finding out that the girl only suffered a few scrapes I was relieved, although I was frustrated that she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking-in other words she wasn't being a good ringmaster of her circus (texting is the wrong act for your lineup while walking).



What really raised my eyebrow, however, was learning that her family plans to sue the city! She and her family accept no responsibility for the young lady's action. What if she had been walking toward a cliff and fallen over it because she was texting. Who would be blamed in that incident?



While I wanted to be angry with the teen and her family, I had to be honest with myself. There are numerous times I seek to blame other circumstances for a less than successful circus lineup. It might be a person, an organization, the economy or other external factor. Focusing on those factors saves me from the tough task of analyzing my own poor judgment, laziness or just bad timing. It's almost like blaming the audience for a less than successful performance because they didn't cheer enough.



What about you? As you reflect on the current challenges in your circus, who or what are you blaming instead of evaluating your own performance as the ringmaster of your circus?

Labels: productivity, text messaging

While perusing the news yesterday I came across an intriguing article about the Tour de France entitled, Tensions on the Tour. The article documents possible tension that exists between Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. They are both riders on the Astana team, and there should be a clear leader of the team. However, with both of them vying for the yellow jersey (win), their possible tension is creating a distraction for the team-according to the article.

Contador makes a very telling statement when he says, "The Tour is a tiring race and you can't waste energy on things that don't concern the race." He recognizes the larger goal, but only time will show if he and Armstrong adhere to a team mentality or pursue their individual goals.

The article started me thinking about how often there is the "official team goal" but in reality the individuals on the team have a goal that could undermine the success of the team. Research has consistently shown that managers make decisions based on ego as much as 66% of the time.

And the challenge isn't just limited to corporate or work teams. Families often have increased stress levels because one of the "team" members has an agenda that is in conflict with the family.

How do we rectify these situations? One solution is to be the "Animal Trainer." No, not by threatening the individual(s) in question, but by looking for ways to build greater trust with the individual. When a high degree of trust is present, individuals tend to be more open to talk about concerns or issues. They are more likely to look for ways to integrate the team goals into their own individual pursuits. Fail to build that trust, and you have two or more individuals who just don't know how to best work with each other-like Armstrong and Contador. And just like the Tour de France, we all have things going on that require every ounce of energy and focus we can provide them if we are to be successful.

Labels: conflict resolution, teamwork

Liz Ryan has offered a fresh perspective on an essential tool for those looking for a new lineup for their work ring (i.e. a job). There are so many people now looking for jobs that last typed out a resume on a computer that was thrown out (or recycled) years ago. Like those computers, today's resumes should look and perform much differently than ones from the past.

In 10 Boilerplate Phrases That Kill Resumes, Ryan encourages us to have "human voiced resumes" instead of the cold, institutional ones of the past. One of my favorite parts of the article was the 10 phrases that kill resumes. They include:

-Results-oriented professional
-Cross-functional teams
-More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
-Superior (or excellent) communication skills
-Strong work ethic
-Met or exceeded expectations
-Proven track record of success
-Works well with all levels of staff
-Team player
-Bottom-line orientation

She gives several good tips and even an example of how a resume should reflect a warmer tone.

Labels: communication, employees, jobs

In a recent conversation I heard what I hear so often: "I just have so much e mail. If someone could help me with managing my e mail-that would be helpful." I offered a couple of suggestions and they replied, "Yes, but you have to change the settings on your e mail account." I offered a couple more thoughts and again their reply was, "That would help a little bit, but I just have so much." I then changed the subject, not wanting to offend the individual for their lack of desire to do something.

Inaction because a solution won't solve the "whole problem" keeps us suffering with the same issues. Rarely does an idea come along that completely takes care of a nagging problem or issue (sliced bread may be an exception). In taking action, however, we are at least moving in the right direction. If we want an hour to focus on a new project, but delegation only gets us 15 minutes-that's 15 minutes we did not have before. A quote by Sydney Smith comes to mind:

Labels: self-improvement, time management, willpower

Imagine a circus where the ringmaster is about to introduce an act and someone runs to them and says, "Did you know that they have fresh popcorn at the concession stand?" Or think about a circus where the trapeze act is interrupted by someone who wants to discuss the day's events with a member of the team. It would be frustrating to all involved.

That's my experience with more than a few people the last couple of weeks. I may not be the best conversationalist but I do think I am at least a trite interesting. I always try and get to know the other person and find out interesting things about them. Several times recently, however, I have been in conversation with someone only to have to pause while they read (and often responded to) a text on their phone. Often they did it multiple times. Most of the time I would just end the conversation and move on.

For those who text often, here are a few thoughts on "texting etiquette:"

• If you want to have a quality real-time conversation with someone, turn the phone off.
• If you are expecting an important text (family emergency or job offer), tell the other person the first time it beeps, buzzes or vibrates. That way they aren't offended when your phone keeps interrupting the conversation.
• If you must read and respond to the text, say "I apologize. Excuse me for just a moment while I take care of this." Then take care of it as quickly as possible, turn the phone off, return to the conversation and apologize again. Enjoy the benefits of a quality conversation that actually takes place in complete sentences.
• If at all possible, refrain from texting during a conversation at all-it's just rude.

Labels: interruptions, relationships

As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day in the United States, it's a good time to reflect on the value of purpose. We passionately make the point in both Juggling Elephants and in our presentations based on the book that we need to base our actions on purpose. And the Founding Fathers of the United States definitely worked from the perspective of purpose.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew they were risking much when they created and signed the document declaring independence from Great Britain. Many were wealthy landowners who knew they would lose their property and money by standing up for freedom. They could lose their lives and the lives of their family members could also be in jeopardy because they stood up for this "soon to be" new nation.

As is often the case with purpose, however, they knew their actions could result in a better life for all people-and 233 years later-we live in the greatest country in the world. One of the most rewarding benefits of acting with purpose is that the impact lives on long after we do.

What about your purpose? Few of us face the risks of our Founding Fathers as we live out our lives. In fact, we can thank them for making it easier for us to live out our purpose. May we never take our freedoms for granted, and may we live lives of purpose that make the world a better place for future generations.

Labels: patriotism, purpose