Juggling Elephants Blog

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?

Labels: business management, time management

Ever been driving and want to make a note to yourself? How about that moment when you forgot to send an e mail to someone in the office and now all you have is your mobile phone and it doesn't do e mail? What if you wanted to communicate something to every key member in your office immediately but don't have access to e mail? Do I have the answer for you!

I found a free (yes, free) service called Jott (www.jott.com) that allows you to call an 800 number and record a message to yourself. Instantly, an e mail and/or text message is sent to you. You can also create lists of key people in your life and when you call the number, give their name, and then leave a message. The e mail and/or text message sent will have the audio attached in addition to the transcription (text) of your message.

Try it today. It's wonderful!

Labels: time management

I had the opportunity to spend some time with an old friend today. He was just beaming! He was always a positive guy, but today he seemed even more enthusiastic than ever. A few minutes into the conversation, one of the reasons for his new found zeal became clear-he had been on an intermission with one of his rings.

In July his position at a company had been cut. Out of work since that time, he had engaged in more quality time with his family and took more time for himself. He said that he had been spending so much time on work that he just didn't realize what he had been missing in the other areas of his life. He said, "After my time off from work, I look at people differently. I see what was lacking and have taken steps to find more fulfillment." Wow!!! All that, and he still doesn't have a job!

With his "work ring intermission" now almost over, he plans to keep many of these "new acts" in his lineup even after he returns to a regular work schedule.

What would an intermission reveal to you?

Labels: Reflection, rest, work/life balance

For those of you struggling with focus today, here's a quote to get back on track with your lineup:

Labels: focus, planning

We received an interesting insight from a reader:


I just read Juggling Elephants and love it! I understand about the three rings, but the other elephant that I juggle is the house. I have a full-time job that is overwhelming, and the other rings of relationship and self. Three rings might be enough for a man, but what about women - who have another ring - a whole job of taking care of a house and family when they get home?

Our response to her was to look again at the circus and determine what it would do with an extra ring. It would move resources from one or more of the other three rings to help manage the 4th ring. Remember, we can't do it all. We suggested she work with the other performers (spouse, children) to see if they would be willing to help better manage this 4th ring and possibly make it a higher priority in their lineup. Additional performers could be hired (to clean the house, etc.). Lastly, review all the acts in the lineup. Are there some that are more important right now and others that could be postponed or deleted from the lineup.

Labels: family, work/life balance

We talk alot about people's response to the book, but don't often highlight what people are saying about the training. Here's one we got this week:

I sat front row for your Juggling Elephants presentation at the Teacher's Institute on Oct 5 . Totally enjoyed what you had to share. Practical, entertaining, logical. Thanks again!

In today's Wall Street Journal there is an interesting article entitled The 7 Minute Sprint. The focus of the article is about hiring a family coach to help tame the tornado-like atmosphere in many homes. The article identifies several simple strategies families can use to create a more organized and pleasant home environment. The biggest tip-teamwork.

As we say in Juggling Elephants, Every performer must be fully engaged if the act is to be successful. That's true whether it's an organization, work team or family.

How could you work differently with the members of your family today to minimize the Juggling Elephants routine around your home?

Labels: family coach, time management

A couple days ago we had someone contact our office to discuss Juggling Elephants. Here's their background: They have 4 children under 6 and run two day care centers. If ever their were a perfect match for the concepts in the book, it was them. They were a big fan of the book and talked about how it had helped them focus on their business more clearly. Strangely enough, however, one of the things they focused on the most was how the parents of the children in their day care needed to hear the message and how to get it to them.

Fantastic! This person was so sensitive to the needs of those around them. The hallmark of an effective "General Manager" that we talk about in the book.

Who do you know that needs to hear the message of Juggling Elephants today?

Labels: juggling elephants, parenting

I heard this quote earlier this week and I thought it was so true about teachers and others who give so much to others.

Labels: stress reduction, teachers

Just this week, Marion Jones, a track and field star from the US, admitted to steroid use during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. She has apologized, returned her 5 gold medals won in the games, and received other punishment for her actions. But that's not the worst part.

Now the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is asking the US athletes who ran with her in a relay event at the Olympics to return their gold medals as well. Passion Richardson, one of the relay runners, said in an interview on CBS This Morning, "I have to suffer because of the actions of one. Not only could I lose my medal, but now my character is in question."

Hopefully none of us have such a traumatic situation in our workplace or family. However, this incident does remind us how important it is to have the full engagement (and integrity) of each team member if an act is going to be successful-and stand the test of time.

Labels: integrity, teamwork

Susan Arnold is the first woman to head a global business unit at Proctor and Gamble. In an interview about her success, she made an amazing statement. She said, "Leaders who don't set priorities can burn out their organizations."

What a powerful statement. In Juggling Elephants terms we would say that keeping the performers busy but not focusing on purpose will diminish the success of the circus. Performers need to know the "why" behind the "what." As the Ringmaster, it's your job to know the reason for the arrangement of the lineup and to communicate it to the performers.

How well do the performers in your circus know the priorities driving their acts? What can you do today to make sure you don't burn them out?

Labels: leadership, priorities, teamwork

One research firm has estimated that in approximately 5 years, 41% of an employee's time will be spent reading and responding to e mail. To me, that's scary!

In it's October 5 edition, USA Today had a great article entitled Fridays go from casual to e-mail-free. Marsha Egan, an executive coach gives some superb advice on taming that inbox. Among her suggestions:

• Don't use e mail to avoid unpleasant tasks. Talk to people face to face whenever possible.
• Don't constantly check for new messages.
• Respond to important messages first-even if they're difficult.

One of the most telling comments by Egan was that when you check e-mail, it can take up to 4 minutes to refocus. Multiply that by the number of times you check it per day, and you have wasted alot of time in your lineup that could have been used for a much better act-or even an intermission.

Labels: e-mail, focus, time management

While listening to the news on TV this morning, a Public Service Announcement caught my attention. The narrator said:

That is so true! As we say in Juggling Elephants, "The Ringmaster always reviews the next act before bringing it into the ring." Too often we make our task lists and then move quickly through them, rarely pausing to see if a better order or choice of acts might be needed.

Today, try something different. Before you start the next item on your list, ask yourself:
-Is this the most important task for me to undertake at this moment?
-Would a better act be in order?

That momentary pause might be the difference between getting a standing ovation today and just having another busy day.

Labels: planning, productivity, time management

While speaking at a conference last week, a group used Juggling Elephants in a unique way. They focused on their department as a circus and came up with the key areas of focus for the coming year:

• Fiscal Fitness
• Facilities Fitness
• Physical Fitness

From there, they began to determine the right "acts" they needed to bring into each of these rings. Great exercise! While Juggling Elephants is often used for personal improvement, there is a huge opportunity to use the concepts within a work team or organization to improve its performance.

Let us know your stories!