Problem or Solution? Which do You Choose?
August 14, 2009 by Mary Ellen
Do your conversations have a common theme? In the past few days I’ve listened to some people repeat the same conversation. For instance I’ve heard yet again…
- The continuing saga of a business owner with a less-than-perfect website that doesn’t get better on its own;
- Ongoing reports from a client who is getting ready to approve and release copy for a brochure;
- A not-for-profit board with no money whose members discuss the future expenditures with which they’re confronted;
- A volunteer who complains about the lack of appreciation as she continues the thankless job of organizing information;
- Discussions about lack of communication due to vanishing targets: people who suddenly don’t respond to voicemail or email;
So, it’s hardly a surprise that a newsletter from Early to Rise caught my attention. When you have an ongoing problem, the root cause may be your “elephant tether” according to Bob Cox.
Did you know that elephants are trained to stay where they are by tying a rope around one of their massive legs and attaching it to a peg in the ground? Can the peg and rope really hold back an elephant? Absolutely not!
Then why does it work? Because elephants grow up believing it will. Maybe they tried pulling away when they were young with no success. Maybe they were injured by their action. After enough failures, they stop trying. They no longer test the restraint, and confine themselves when tethered to the rope.
During the course of my life and career I have run into many people (and no doubt will run into many more) who are holding themselves captive with their own “elephant tether.”
I’m reminded of the adage: are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Which do you choose? Or, did you even see the elephant in the kitchen?
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