As a result of my Ancestry DNA profile, I discovered (no big surprise) that 54% of my DNA is from Polish descent. My mom’s side of the family all immigrated to the USA from Poland in the 1920s to Buffalo, NY so I always knew the biggest part of me was Polish.
So it was interesting when I stumbled upon a quote a few months ago:
Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy
Now don’t worry, this quote (translated from Polish to English) means:
Not my circus, not my monkeys.
It means that at least for the Poles, monkeys are problems and circuses are where monkeys come from.
Which means, if it’s not your monkey, and it’s not even from your circus, then quit worrying about it.
Right now, my son is an area manager at Amazon. He has a stressful job with between 40 and 80 direct reports. I’m a sounding board for him and I love when he shares what’s going on in his very tough job. But as much as I want to pick up the phone and call his Boss, I have to tell myself Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy.
My daughter is a college student at University of Tennessee. She is taking a difficult class load and works a stressful part-time job. She calls to vent her stress and frustration. I’m a willing ear, but I have to keep telling myself Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy.
How much of your stress comes from other people’s monkeys? As The Boss, you’ll find your back crawling with monkeys if you’re not careful. Here are some suggestions:
The job and the department are your circus. Every monkey that lives here is yours. Keep an eye on both.
Employee issues that start outside of work are not your monkeys. Their home is their circus, not yours. When their monkeys start crapping in your circus however, they become a problem that should be dealt with. Use Employee Assistance if you have it to get them the resources they need.
This week, do an inventory of the monkeys you’re carrying. Make a commitment to redefining your circus and identify the right monkeys to deal with. All others need to stay in their own circus.
Make sense? Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy!
