Who Will Save You?

Here's a question for you that we already know your answer. Don't believe us? Here goes...

In a trapeze act, who is the most important member of the team?

We would be willing to wager that you thought of one of the following answers:

• The catcher
• The person who puts up the net or rigging

How did we do? For over 6 years we have been doing Juggling Elephants training programs, and those are always the top two answers. Why? Because on some level you are putting yourself into the act and thinking-"This is who is important to me to keep me from failing!"

What if you applied that same reasoning to how you manage your time with others on a regular basis. Are you spending it with the people who have the strongest possibility of insuring that your acts are a success, or are you hanging out with certain team members because it is convenient or less threatening?

Always trying to hang out with the "star" of the show might get you in the spotlight for a moment, but unless you are absolutely positive you can perform the act on your own, you might want to build some strong relationships with those lesser known by the general audience.

Things To Never Say To Your Ringmaster

Monster.com posted a short list of things you should never say to your boss. They include:

• "I need a raise."
• "That just isn't possible."
• "I can't stand working with _____."

As the article states, it's always a good idea to think before you speak. After reading the full article, why not create your own list to remind you of how to properly communicate with anyone who can have a significant impact on the success of your circus.

If You Really Want To Be The Only Performer

There is no question that working with the performers in your circus is challenging. Some people even tell us that they could get more done if they didn't have to depend on other people.

If you are one of those people who just can't bear the thoughts of managing even one performer as part of your job, check out the article http://education.yahoo.net/articles/careers_for_haters.htm?kid=1KA49 to see what career choices might be in your best interest.

Reviewing Your Work As A Ringmaster

Salary.com posted an article entitled, "The Seven Noble Virtues of the Workplace." They interviewed employees about what they considered to be the most important virtues to have in the workplace. They were:

• Prudence (Knowing when to keep quiet about something)
• Justice (Being honest and fair with others)
• Restraint (Allowing coworkers to make their own mistakes)
• Courage (Accepting challenging tasks)
• Faith (Trusting your teams)
• Hope (Being generally optimistic)
• Charity (Helping coworkers with their projects even if you will see no benefit)

 The list might be a good way for you to review your work as a ringmaster to insure that you are creating and maintaining an environment where your performers are motivated to give their best effort.

What Is Your Intent?

I think we should invent an Intent-O-Meter. We would make a fortune. It would be a device that you could attach to your phone so that when you are talking with someone you would immediately understand the caller's intention and objectives. It would work with email too by scanning an incoming message and providing you with a score of how sincere and honest the sender's intent is (this would sure save you from sending your bank account numbers to a "widowed foreign diplomat who is willing to split $1,509,244 with you for your kind help"). The Intent-O-Meter would also work in meetings and face to face interactions with other people - especially helpful when working with salespeople!

The truth of the matter is that all people have a built in Intent-O-Meter that they use to gauge other people's aim. That is an important concept to understand. When you approach someone they immediately are monitoring you to determine if you have their best interest in mind. They want to understand what your motives are and whether you are trying to help them or trick them.

Before you email, call or meet with someone - consider what your intentions are. Are they good? Are they honest? Do you really care about the other person? Are you wanting to create a win-win solution or are you thinking win-lose? Unless you are really good with deception, most people can see through to your intent. So, make sure that you intent is good. Sincerity and honest intent are key attitudes in working with others. Are you doing something "to someone" or "with someone"? It is all about intent.