When I was a little kid I would impress guests with how smart my dog, Coco6, was.
I would hold up three rubber balls, all the same size: a red one, a blue one, and a yellow one, and then I would throw them across the room—or all the way across the backyard—telling her which one to bring back.
I would say, “Alright, Coco—go bring back theeee…um….yellow ball!”
And she would. Everyone was amazed by her brilliance and her obedience. As well as incredibly impressed with how well I trained her.
But the truth was: Whenever I threw those three balls, she always brought back the yellow ball. 100 percent of the time. Why? Apparently, just because she wanted to.
The first-ever management consultant, Frederick W. Taylor, once wrote (in 1911), “People do best what they like best to do.” And, apparently, that applies to dogs as well.
So, whatever that is for you…go out there and get that yellow ball!
In Review
The Big Lesson: If, as a manager, you take the time and make the effort to find out what people are good at, what they like and want to do, and what motivates and inspires them, it will dramatically increase the likelihood that they will succeed.
The Big Question: What is your “Yellow Ball”? What’s something that you are good at and enjoy doing that, perhaps, others around you may not know about? And, if you are a manager, do you know what each of your employees’ “Yellow Ball” is?
Your Big Insight:
Your Big Action: