Inside the Tiger

Sharply at 9 AM the team takes their seats around a large, round oak table inside a Civil War-era mansion out on Yerba Buena Island (next door to Treasure Island). The two-story building is revamped, redone, rewired, re-everything. The Hardwood floors are pristine. Oddly, there is very little furniture anywhere to be seen, I have the thought that there is probably a crazed wife who backed up a rented u-haul and emptied the place out. I've seen it before. Nasty business. The facilitator (the politico) steps forward to get us underway. First we deal with unfinished business, i.e. can someone new join the team after missing the first three sessions? Do we need a Team Contract? Is the Session Prep Form useful? Results: A new member will be invited to join us in two weeks; and both the Contract and the Prep Form go back into re-write (yours truly).

Then we plunge into the work there is to be done. Each of us feels the urgency as the clock begins to tick. There are only 15-minute blocks of time for each of us. A large watch is placed in the center of the table.

First up, the business man. Using an old version of the Session Prep Form as an outline, he shows an eagerness to "play" the game, as a Tibetan monk might say it. Most of his time is spent on his realization that he has never in his entire life had goals. A radical notion, I judge. I'd better keep my eye on this guy. His homework for next week is to practice setting goals.

Next up, the attorney/politician (our host). He shares that he lives alone in this big, rented house. As he talks, an elderly Asian woman seems to appear out of thin air to serve us fresh-baked pastries and coffee along with her lovely smile. Our host turns out to be a rather brilliant man: Harvard Law, Rhodes Scholar, West Point, and former mayor of a large community here on our bay. Seems he's stuck career-wise and pretty much otherwise-wise as well. He has no idea what to do next. He's been thinking about getting a job. He's also been thinking about going into business producing handmade mandolins. I'm not kidding. He's gone so far as to have created a business plan.

Next up, is the laid-off corporate whiz-kid. Smart and a real go-getter. I'll bet that he lands a job before this team dissolves in mid-May. He does seem to be somehow robotic. My initial take is that he's probably an alien from another galaxy. He mentions, in passing, that he likes the martinis at the House of Prime Rib. I make a note to buy him such a beverage while we are, so to speak, here "inside the Tiger" together. Just to pick his carefully wired brain.

Next session meets in North Beach at the home of the publisher. Ciao

Focus on Success

The first meeting of The Tiger Team occurred this morning in the San Francisco Ferry Building. Just inside from where the ferryboats come and go, adjacent to a Peet’s Coffee, is a large area with sturdy tables and chairs that became our first venue. I organized the first meeting. I am so ready. The gathered team of professionals consists of four men and one woman: An unemployed attorney/politician, a furloughed corporate type, a stymied publisher, an entrepreneur with a good idea, and a writer expanding his services. I’m the writer.

First order of business was to vote on some very basic ground-rules. It was unanimous that: (a) we meet for 2-hours, weekly, on ten consecutive Wednesdays; (b) we cap our team at five individuals but will consider a sixth in two-weeks; (c) we will have a rotating role as session facilitator; and (d) we assemble in the facilitator’s home (or a coffeehouse convenient to the facilitator). Our first assignment is to come up with a 30-second elevator speech and to be prepared to pitch it at the next weekly meeting. Here is what I have conjured up for myself thus far:

“My name is Leo Maselli. My shingle (gesturing) says BC&C – Bus. Comm. and Consulting. I specialize in the entertainment industry, namely business to business, business to consumer and internal communications. My know-how is in the area Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising. Say - how can I be of assistance to you? I’d love to send you my contact information. May I do that? (Offer a business card) What do you do?”

Next week we meet in a private home out on Treasure Island. Apparently the politico on the team lives in a mansion over there. Must be nice. It appears that I am becoming part of a new and interesting family. I was surprised to learn that there is a Muni bus that goes over there. I’ll do whatever I need to do to be there on time. I don’t want to miss a thing. It is my intention that our two hours are rigorous and meticulously focused on our individual career goals. I expect some discomfort as well as some growth. Last bit of homework: consider signing a team-contract and fill-out Session Prep Sheet. More about those items next week.

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