The Happy Employee

I usually see myself as a "the glass is half full" type of person or at least I try to be. I think that optimism and enthusiasm go a long way toward creating quality performances – especially at work. I like this quote my Norman Vincent Peale:

Think enthusiastically about everything; but especially about your job. If you do, you’ll put a touch of glory in your life. If you love your job with enthusiasm, you'll shake it to pieces. You'll love it into greatness.

Imagine if a ringmaster half-heartedly introduced an act. It would affect not only the audience's expectations, but also the performer's willingness to give their best to the performance. We spend a lot of time and a good deal of our lives working. We might as well spend the time chasing greatness, being passionate and creating a love for the work that we do.

Trading a Good Act for a Better One

Many times managing our busy schedule is not a matter of getting rid of the "bad acts" from our circus – it is having too many good acts going on and piling up. One key strategy is to figure out what it would cost to delegate certain acts to someone else (outsourcing) and compare that with what we could gain by doing something other than that act.

For example, paying a neighborhood youth to mow the lawn. What would that cost and what could I gain by doing something else (time to work on that novel or more time in my relationship ring?)? A good friend of mine figured out that he could make more money by working and hiring someone to do a remodeling project than by taking time off and doing the project himself. He actually made money by hiring someone. Now, the key here is to make sure that by outsourcing you are taking advantage of that saved time and doing something more productive.

I also realize that doing activities like mowing the lawn and remodeling can be therapeutic as well – an intermission. Just remember that being able to let go of some acts will help you to schedule in the most important acts and reduce your stress level.

Telecommuting-An Act That is Going Away?

In today's Wall Street Journal, Sue Shellenbarger has an interesting column (Some Companies Rethink the Telecommuting Trend) about the reduction in "telecommuters" by several large corporations and government agencies. Telecommuting has long been held up as one way to better achieve balance in work and life. Her column points out that it may not be the best fit for several companies.

The best part of the column is found at the end. Shellenbarger offers some simple yet superb tips for "keeping the at-home gig." They include:

• Perform well
• Increase your visibility
• Make an effort to collaborate

Click here to see the column.

Managing My Circus With A Quad Pen

One tip that I have found to be simple but helpful in managing my 3 ring circus is to use a quad-pen on a master calendar. A quad pen has 3 colors of ink (usually black, blue and red) and a pencil all built into the same writing device. I write all of the activities going on in my life on one calendar but I use the colors from the quad pen to differentiate the three rings of my life. I use black for my work appointments, blue for my "self" activities and red for the activities that relate to my relationships. I use the pencil for appointments that are tentative and have not yet confirmed.

This method keeps my calendar organized but also gives me a great visual way of seeing what is going on and where my rings are having conflicts. A real danger is having multiple calendars that are not in sync (like a work calendar, a pocket calendar and a family calendar). One organized calendar will reduce the stress of wondering what ring I should be in and when. If you use an electronic device or PC for your calendar, the same concept works using color labels.

But I Have Four!

A recent question sent to us through our website was, "I need to know if you can apply these tactics to a four ring circus?" Here was our response:

In response to your question about if the tactics can apply to a 4 ring circus, the technical answer is.... Of course!!!

Seriously, Juggling Elephants is a parable and is written so that people can pick and choose what parts of the story are meaningful and helpful to them. If you see your life (circus) having 4 rings, the way you approach it would be the same as 3. You know you have limited resources (can't Juggle Elephants), so you have to allocate those resources where they are most needed at any given moment (i.e. Which ring should I be focusing on right now?) You're still the ringmaster and have to take control of the acts-or the circus will be running you-regardless of the number of rings. You still need the performers in every ring to be giving their best-esp. with 4 rings because it will be even harder for you to take the lead with the acts in all the rings.

Lastly, the need for an intermission would be even more critical. When I get too busy working in 1-2 rings, I often miss looking at what acts are needed in the neglected ring. With an intermission, you can step back and review the performance, and make plans for a better "next half."