Becoming A Ringmaster Can Be Unhealthy

British researchers have found that getting a promotion actually deteriorates the mental health of the person being promoted-and it goes beyond the simple effect of changing job responsibilities. The study also found that these same people as a group visited the doctor 20% less than when in their previous positions.

Do you see the irony here? They took a job that had a negative effect on their stress level-but did less to take care of themselves to better manage the increased stress. While the study measured mental stress, we know how interrelated mental stress is to physical health.

Let's return to the circus for a moment. The faster the pace of a circus, the more critical it is to make sure that all processes are in good working order. Performers well trained, props in place, animals well-fed. Failure to take those steps means that something is more likely to break down in the lineup-and in a fast paced environment the effects are multiplied.

If you are in a high stress position, don't deny the necessity of making sure ALL your rings are in good working order. Fail to take the time for the important things, and many times the important things will take the time from you when you least expect it.

Paying Performers To Quit

Imagine this. You go to work for a really progressive growing company. For the first four weeks they pay you to complete their training program. You are all set to begin your job. Now imagine that the first official communication you get from the company is the offer of a $2000 bonus to quit. What would YOU do?

This is exactly what Zappos.com does as part of its employee training program. CEO Tony Hsieh says, "It's best to know early on if an employee doesn't buy into the culture. It just makes economic sense." While their practice seems to defy logic, it really does make sense for the long term health of an organization.

The traditional wisdom over the years is that the cost to an organization to hire and train someone is about 75% of the annual salary for a blue collar job. For a knowledge worker the number starts at 125% of their salary. $2000 now seems like a small price to pay to insure the quality of your performers.

On a deeper level, one has to appreciate the confidence that Zappos.com has in its culture and the opportunities available to those who are employed by the organization. So many organizations operate from the opposite mindset-that they can't afford to lose a mediocre employee because of the void created and the unknown. It's so refreshing to see an organization so committed to improving the quality of its performance by going after the best performers and maintaining a culture that encourages them to stay. It's the heart and "sole" of creating a quality organization.

Pet Peeve Number 2 In The Office

The need for people in the office to "get their act together" when it comes to time management just got validated again based on an article on Yahoo.

A poll conducted by Harris Interactive found that the second biggest pet peeve (54% of respondents) in the office was poor time management of employees such as making personal phone calls at work or surfing the internet during work time. The top seven list was as follows:

• Gossip (60%)
• Poor time management (54%)
• Messiness in communal spaces (45%)
• Potent smells like perfume, food, smoke (42%)
• Loud noises such as speaker phones, loud talking or loud phone ring tones (41%)
• Overuse of electronic personal communications devices in meetings (28%)
• Misuse of e-mail (22%)

Who do you know in your office that needs to hear the message of Juggling Elephants?

In Good Company

Raven Young of "Raven's Brain" put Juggling Elephants in some pretty good company. Read her thoughts at:

http://ravenyoung.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!17376F4C11A91E0E!3774.entry