What Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Can Learn from Cirque du Soleil

On Thursday afternoon, November 19, 2009, my father treated me to the matinee performance of Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” under the big tent at the Santa Monica (CA) Pier. If you have a chance to see it, do! I HIGHLY recommend it.

Here are some things I observed at this amazing show that I found particularly intriguing in the context of what principles were being demonstrated by these performers that apply equally to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Practice.

Cirque du Soleil performers and acrobats are the cream of the crop.

They get that way by practicing.

They dedicate themselves to doing the specific thing that’s proven to work, and they practice it over and over. Before they perform it for the first time, and then they practice more, even after they’ve mastered it.

Consistency.

They don’t practice variations, just to keep themselves from “getting bored” or simply because they enjoy being creative.

Of course, they’re always looking for the best (easiest, most graceful) way to do something. But once they find the one that gives them the desired result, they stick with it.

Anything else could literally spell disaster.

The Wheel of Death. Prepare for Mistakes. Re-Center Yourself.

It’s difficult to describe the apparatus that is “The Wheel of Death.” Suffice it to say that the acrobatic duo that does this act literally puts themselves in a death-defying situation every time they perform it.

It’s so difficult that even though they’ve practiced and performed this segment of the show thousands of times, most performances by these highly accomplished experts include one or more “mistakes.”

While the performers strive for perfection every time, they’re accustomed to performing less than perfectly. Their practice prepares them to handle “mistakes” without thinking. They respond to what happens at lightning speed, and their split-second reaction ability keeps them alive when other less skilled people would become hurt, or die.

And I found this particularly intriguing: When they make a “mistake,” it’s often one that could otherwise have dire consequences. The audience gasps and holds their collective breath. And to acknowledge what has just happened, the performer who has almost fallen slows down his pace for a few seconds to emphasize the moment, and presumably to make sure he’s fully centered, so he can continue. Then he WIPES HIS BROW and mouths “WHEW” in a gesture to the audience that breaks the tension.

Then he gets back to the business at hand, and goes on with the act.

Keep Going, No Matter What.

The “Wheel of Death” acrobats aren’t the only ones who make “mistakes.”

The high-wire artists sometimes miss their landing when they jump over the person standing in front of them on the wire, and have to catch themselves with their hands , or fall into the net.

The performers who get blasted off 20 feet into the sky by four men jumping from an eight-foot platform onto the other end of the acrobatic teeter-totter on which they’re standing sometimes don’t land perfectly.

While these kinds of “mistakes” happen rather infrequently considering the number of acrobats and the number and difficulty of the stunts in this two-hour show, whenever one occurs…

The performers acknowledge themselves to the audience, bowing and asking for applause.

Then if the show segment time allows, they go back and do it again.

Until they succeed. Which on this day, was the very next time, for the few acrobats who repeated their attempt.

In a Nutshell:

Here’s a repeat of some key principles that you can learn from the performers of Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza.” These principles apply to business, of course, as well as to all aspects of life.

1. Practice the easiest, fastest, least expensive, most elegant, most effective actions that have CONSISTENT, PROVEN RESULTS. Don’t let boredom or some desire to “be creative” or “different” rule your choices.

2. Be consistent. Go with what works, every time. And keep going, with consistency of commitment and consistency of action.

3. Prepare for mistakes. Be ready to react without thinking, at lightning pace. Stay centered before, during and after something unexpected or undesirable occurs.

4. When you fall down… Acknowledge your attempt. Give yourself kudos and ask for them from others – simply for giving it your best shot, regardless of the outcome. Get up. Attempt it again.

5. Keep going until you succeed. And then keep going after you succeed.

What’s Your Opinion?

Is there a parallel between the principles I observed while watching “Kooza” and the principles that make for a successful business? Let me and others know your beliefs and experiences by asking a question or leaving a comment.

Jay Aaron
Strategic Visionary / Visionary Strategist
Follow me on Twitter: http://Twitter.com/newthoughts

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All contents of this article are International Copyright 2009 Jay Aaron. All International Rights reserved. Like the content? Please link to it here at this Web site. Please contact the author through this Web site to request permission to reprint it elsewhere.

P.S. I thought you might enjoy seeing “The Wheel of Death.” Here it is. Be amazed…