I don’t remember exactly what I was doing at the time when this thought jumped into my head, but I do know that Doc was the first dwarf thought through…not Dopey. How could Disney’s 7 Dwarfs fit into business? Let’s look at symbolism and what each could represent in relation to a company, office, project, manager or leader.
Once upon a time…
- Doc – Managers and above are often mending wounds! Office mistakes that cost money, time and jobs. When something goes wrong the Doc’s are the ones that have to put the pieces back together and get the office, situation or project back on track. Having leaders around the company/office can help to save the other Doc’s a little work.
- Grumpy – Sometimes projects just don’t go as planned and keep hitting snags at every step. They are Grumpy and don’t want to do what they are supposed to. Good leaders and managers can help keep the projects from being Grumpy for too long.
- Happy – Things go as planned, projects role, budgets are met and all things are right for the time being. Happy is a great dwarf to have around!
- Sleepy – This could be individuals or projects. This could be the office in the morning and at about 3pm. Sometimes it happens, people seem like they are Sleepy and things are snooze control (not cruise control), not progressing. Projects could also be this because they are lacking focus and hitting that point. They need a good manager or leader to come in and wake them up; get them progressing again.
- Bashful – Ever have those times when you could really use feedback and none comes. Is there someone that could give you great constructive criticism and they are not forthcoming with it? They are being Bashful because they are afraid to hurt feelings. Don’t be Bashful in return, ask for that advice that could improve the work you produce.
- Sneezy – Projects can sometimes hit a snag and need something to keep going. The project is in that moment when it is inhaling getting ready to Sneeze and clear the path for progress. Maybe a good manager or leader is needed to be that Sneeze that gets the project through that snag. It’s a great relief when the snag clears and the project is rolling again.
- Dopey – Hopefully this isn’t the manager! Or any of the employees for that matter! But let’s face it, sometimes Dopey is your manager and you just have to work around him/her. This can be devastating to a project, company and employees. Hopefully someone can identify this Dopey individual and expunge the problem before it takes down the ship. Having a leader or a few of them can help get the rest of the office through these down times.
Please add to any of the 7. Where have you seen the 7 Dwarfs in your company?
