You can’t force cats to do anything
Amazing story I ran across via O’Reilly Radar. Yuri Kuklachev’s “Moscow Cats Theater” features 26 cats performing various tricks including handstands and tightrope walking.

Given the fact that most people struggle just to get a cat to come when called, Yuri’s accomplishments are pretty amazing.

How does he do it?

“If the cat likes to sit you can’t force her to do anything else,” he said,
adding that several of the cats in the New York show simply sit and watch the
others.

“Each cat likes to do her own trick,” said Kuklachev, whose show has
not been the target of animal rights protesters. “Maruska is the only one who
does the handstand. I find the cat and see what they like to do and use that in
the show.”

Simple, but profound.

The same principle applies to just about any activity that involves working with others, from parenting to management. As Marcus Buckingham says, the one thing a manager should do is to find each person’s particular strengths and figure out how best to use them.

This is another great example of the principles behind what I call “The Era of Choice.” Someday I will write this book!