Have you ever felt like you were herding cats on a project?
It’s a metaphor for a pointless task.
I have run workshops and meetings that have felt like this...distracted participants wandering aimlessly about, scratching the furniture.
What do you do in those situations?
Give up? Hang up your hat? Resign yourself to the hopelessness of the task and keep going anyway?
Me? I open up a can of tuna fish.
Now, this won’t work with adult humans..
Well....maybe?
If the cats are metaphorical and the tuna is metaphorical, what’s a can of tuna for your situation?
What will get your client, your team, your leader to stop and perk up their ears at the sound of a can opening?
What scent will get them to come running?
One way to think about “opening a can of tuna” is asking a question that everyone, anyone will want to answer.
“Why does this matter...to you?”
“What would this look like if it were easy?”
“What is the cost of doing nothing?”
Those are some tuna fish questions that can get the cats circling your legs, metaphorically speaking.
The cat herder has deep reserves of strength and perseverance. And clever tricks up their sleeves.
How can you bring more of this mindset into your work?
If you want some more help with managing difficult people in your meetings and workshops, I have a handout for that.