Think The Self Ring Doesn't Matter?

If you are an employer or manager and may want to discount the need to focus on helping to improve the "self ring" of your employees, consider these statistics from the CDC for every 100 employees:

• 77 eat less than 5 servings of fruit and vegetables
• 68 do not have regular physical activity
• 67 are overweight or obese
• 34 have high cholesterol
• 26 have high blood pressure
• 25 smoke
• 9 have diabetes
• 8 have had a heart attack or a stroke

Can you really afford NOT to find ways to help them improve in their self ring?

When It's You Against The Performers

Ever have one of those days when you may be the Ringmaster of your circus... but nobody seems to want to be a performer in your circus? In an over-committed workplace and society, people are often wary of saying "yes" to one more thing, even if it's part of their responsibilities.

The next time you sense that some of your performers don't want to step into the ring, try these strategies to move them toward action:

• Connect with purpose. Remind them of the purpose of the organization (or family unit) and how their action would contribute to accomplishing that purpose. Don't forget to also focus on what's important to them and how their action would contribute to accomplishing those purposes as well.
• Tell them "why." Let them know why they are the best person for the task...but don't lie to them.
• Create a picture. Help them visually understand who will be "cheering" for them and the team when the task is completed.
• Let them know how it will benefit you. If you have built trust into your relationship with them, this may move them to action. If you haven't created an atmosphere of trust, disregard this one.
  
• Get into the ring with them. Show them you are willing to do your part to contribute to the work required to complete the task or project.

Remember, no one wants to see a "one person" circus.

"One Sure Way To Break Trust With A Performer"

While attending a conference last week, I witnessed one of those "don't ever do this" kind of moments as a ringmaster. A department leader was giving a presentation and when finished, introduced the next speaker, who was someone who reported to them. In the transition, the second speaker indicated a need to use the laptop and set up a power point. The department leader was clearly frustrated as they set things up and then said, "You told me you didn't need this." They said it loud enough for all the meeting attendees to hear and it clearly shook the second presenter.

Yes, the second presenter should have been better prepared and indicated their needs prior to the session, but reprimanding them in front of the audience was clearly no way to professionally handle the situation. Making one of the performers in your circus feel less than their best just prior to a performance is a guaranteed way to get less than what you expect. It also undermines the level of trust shared between you. Address it at a more appropriate time when there is no audience and when the results won't be so damaging.

Trust takes so long to build and can be broken with just a few thoughtless words.

Learning From A Tattoo Artist

While on a business trip to Las Vegas a few months ago, I was surprised to find that what used to be called "tattoo parlors" have now become quite upscale (No, I did not get one). Then when reading a recent issue of Loyalty Magazine, I found an article entitled, "Branding Secrets of a Tattoo Artist." I thought I would explore some of the factors that have brought this industry to the mainstream.

Turns out that successful tattoo artists know how to be good Ringmasters. Here are the key thoughts the writer got from her discussion with Ronnie "Mooch" Mendoza, Operations Manager of H&H Tattoos in Las Vegas.

• Hire the right people (Performers in circus terms): Their number one consideration is how customer-focused the candidate is.
• Provide a personalized experience (people have unique needs): They take extraordinary steps to insure that the tattoo process and actual procedure have the customer's comfort and desired vision in mind.
• Build the brand through the customer community (get others to tell others about the standing ovation they gave you)

The most telling quote for me in the article was, They [Tattoo Artists] know that each interaction represents a 'moment of truth' that can enhance or erode their brand, heighten or undermine customer loyalty, and positively or negatively affect company revenue. How different would our days be if, as the ringmasters of our circus, we aligned every interaction, task, and thought toward accomplishment of our purpose? We might find that our days would be "marked" with more standing ovations from others AND ourselves.

See If You Saw This One Coming...

Okay. You are on a diet and you are at a restaurant for dinner (Yes, that already seems like a paradox, I know). When getting recommendations on what you should eat for dinner, whose food choice are you more likely to accept-one from an obese server or a thin server?

According to ScienceDirect, a study of the University of Columbia conducted such a study. The results? 59% accepted the recommendation from the obese server while only 36% accepted the food choice of the thin server. Why? According to Brent McFerran, one of the researchers, the dieter could more readily identify with the obese server.

I wanted to be surprised by their findings, but it's the same thing we find so often when working with the performers in our circus. We tend to more quickly trust people who we sense have the same values, beliefs and circumstances we are facing. It doesn't mean we should wear our values, beliefs and struggles on our sleeves, but the findings do reinforce that we need to find common ground with others-especially if we want them to accept an idea, feedback or other information from us.