The Needs of Your Performers

Melissa Raffoni is President of Raffoni CEO Consulting. In a blog at hbr.com she highlights the 8 things employees want from their leaders (ringmaster in Juggling Elephants terms). They are:

• Tell me my role, tell me what to do, and give me the rules.
• Discipline my coworker who is out of line.
• Get me excited.
• Don't forget to praise me.
• Don't scare me.
• Impress me.
• Give me some autonomy.
• Set me up to win.

What a powerful list! If all of us who have people who report to us reviewed these 8 items before starting our day of managing others-what a difference it would make. Would you add anything else to this list?

The Cost of Clowning Around

The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, estimate that March Madness (the excitement that follows the NCAA basketball tournament) could cost businesses $1.8 billion in lost productivity and unproductive wages. The estimate is based on the approximate number or participants in office pools, the money they earn, and the time that they will likely spend checking updates and "trash talking." $1.8 billion is a lot of money.

So, what to do? How do you regain some of that lost productivity and clamp down on those who are wasting precious time? Maybe you embrace it! When was the last time your team had an intermission? When was the last time they had fun together? We understand that March Madness can get carried away but maybe a little "clowning around" will get that much needed energy back into the building.

Being a former basketball player, I love March Madness. I introduced a "bracket competition" in a company that was full of people that probably had never picked up a basketball, let alone watched a game. It was a great activity that the whole office had fun with. One Friday, we ordered pizza and watched a game during lunch. I have since left the organization but the tradition and excitement still lives on (they just emailed me a bracket and invited me to play).

It might not be "March Madness" that gets your office excited. Pick something else! Because it is critical to allow employees the opportunity to enjoy themselves and have a little entertainment. From the book Juggling Elephants, "People sometimes need to laugh, relax, and not take themselves so seriously." With a little effort, invest that $1.8 billion that you are going to lose anyway and reap a return.

Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches, it's a perfect time to reflect on those individuals in your circus who have helped you get your most important tasks done at work and in other areas of your life. To help you identify those most critical performers, we will use the four acts of the circus discussed in Juggling Elephants:

• Trapeze Act. Who are those teams that often work in the background taking care of things for you? Co-workers, vendors, family or friends. Whose "small act" has made a major impact on the success of your circus this past year? Who as an individual has worked effectively as a member of your team?
• Animal Trainer. Who are those individuals who have improved their performance this year and need to be rewarded and/or acknowledged in some way? Are there people you have coached/trained/led this year who need the feedback that you have noticed their improvement? Remember that the only way to insure that positive behaviors continue is to continue to provide positive reinforcement for those behaviors.
• General Manager. Who have you noticed being in tune with meeting the needs of others so they could get their work accomplished? What managers need to be thanked for their ability to bring out the best in their team members?
• Clown. Are there people around you who just seem to know how to get people to laugh, relax and enjoy a less than serious moment? In these uncertain times it is truly a benefit to have such people in your circus. Thank them for their presence in your lineup.

Gratitude can be shown in so many ways. A handshake with a smile and two words: “Thank You.” A handwritten card is a powerful yet simple way to convey your message in this electronic world. How about a three-five minute one-on-one conversation. And yes, a well-thought out gift that is personalized can show your appreciation in a sincere way.

We at Juggling Elephants want to thank those who support us in our endeavors. We appreciate those who have carried the message to their organizations and to you the individual who continually strives to “get it all done." Thank you from all of us!

Martin Luther Must Have Read Juggling Elephants

Now that I have your attention-yes, I realize Martin Luther lived many centuries ago. However, even then he knew the importance of balancing rewards and feedback. While his focus in the following quote was on child rearing (and remember, this is his perspective), the same principle applies-we must not always be telling people what they are doing wrong... we must just as passionately encourage them when they do something right.

Spare the rod and spoil the child-that is true. But, beside the rod, keep an apple to give him when he has done well.

-Martin Luther

An Act Too Important

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.