I love monkeys, don’t you? My brother and I saw one in a Woolworth’s store (remember them?) many many years ago and I wanted to buy him so much. (I wasn’t allowed to have the monkey, but when I think that I was allowed to have the alligator, 2 ducks, 6 chicks, the mouse, the snake, and the turtles in my room, I guess I was pretty lucky.)
I learned to not take the monkeys in my company
So it isn’t any surprise that when a team member comes to me with a problem or challenge, I like to picture them with a monkey on their back. And since I like monkeys, in the early years of my business, I would often let them give me their monkey. I do love a challenge.
I had to learn to not take all of the monkeys. This was difficult at first.
Team members with monkeys often try very hard to give away their monkeys. It’s easier for them to come to the boss each time they run into a glitch or a challenge, rather than to figure it out on their own — and if the boss is willing to always give them the answer, a cumbersome cycle begins.
Are you taking the monkeys in your company?
You may feel that you have to answer all the questions, or that you’re the only one who can effectively solve the challenges. Others may not “do it right” if you’re not always giving direction, correct?
I beg to differ. No one learns only by watching. We learn best by doing.
Compliment their monkeys, pet them, and give them back
Try this the next time someone comes to you with a monkey on their back: Tell them what an interesting monkey they have. Admire their monkey, and agree that, yes, that is indeed a challenging monkey. And tell them you can’t wait to see what they’re going to come up with to solve it.
I bet you’ll be delighted with the outcome. And over time, you’ll end up with fewer monkeys on your desk.
Be sure to check out my video Don’t Take the Monkeys.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great Post! I’ve got a whole colony of half grown monkeys on my hard drive!and I’m in the process of clearing them off or packing them to the cellar.
I’ve had a few occasions when a one minute answer has turned into a 4 hour chore.
It is also so easy to jump on the latest fad or opportunity, but it can be a great drawback unless you pick a few that genuinely fits in with your product funnel.
Hi Yvonne,
Thanks — gotta get after those monkeys on your hard drive! I also did a video of the “monkey” theory and at present it’s only on my Facebook page, but soon it will be on this site with my video series.
Hope you’ll come back to check it out — I find that thinking of these frustrating recurring things in absurd ways jars me out of the urge to just keep on doing them out of habit.
M