Paul McGee on the SUMO Principles

Although the SUMO principles might offer an occasionally humorous perspective, they do offer some serious advice. They encourage people to consider how their attitude may be affecting their ability to fulfill their potential, seize opportunities and respond to adverse situations in a positive way. The six SUMO principles are:

1. Change Your T-shirt

McGee believes that some people, whether consciously or unconsciously, suffer from what he calls ‘the great BSE crisis’. BSE stands for blame someone else, and describes people who feel that their current circumstances in life have nothing to do with:

• any previous decisions they have made
• the actions they have taken
• the attitudes they have adopted

The first SUMO principle asks people to imagine that what they think or feel about themselves is written on their t-shirt. Metaphorically speaking, people who suffer from BSE wear a ‘victim’ t-shirt, where they tend to say and believe that ‘things are not their fault’, ‘life is not fair’ and ‘this is just how my life is’.

The change your t-shirt principle asks people to take responsibility for where they find themselves in life, and to become proactive rather than staying passive. This is done by replacing negative victim language with positive SUMO language. For example:

Victim language

SUMO language

I am a victim.

I am a survivor.

Life is just not fair.

I am unhappy about that, but what can I do about it?

This is just the way I am.

How can I improve?

There is nothing I can do.

There is always something I can do.

This first, and perhaps most important, principle helps people find the courage to start making different choices and taking different actions to improve their situation. As McGee says:

“Change does not happen when circumstances improve; change happens when you decide to improve your circumstances.” [3]

2. Develop Fruity Thinking

The second SUMO principle focuses on the importance of a positive attitude and mindset. McGee recognizes that many people have negative thoughts about themselves, which he terms ‘faulty thinking’. He identifies four kinds of faulty thinking:

• The Inner Critic. This internal voice highlights weaknesses and points out mistakes.
• The Broken Record. This type of faulty thinking repeats the same messages over and over again.
• The Martyr Syndrome. Martyrs feel that they always end up with the short end of the stick, and that life is just something that ‘happens to them’.
• Trivial Pursuits. This type of thinking is typified by those who get upset about issues that are very minor.

The develop fruity thinking principle is about encouraging people to break free from the confines of faulty thinking, to change how they think about themselves, how they respond to issues and how they interact with others. To do this, McGee has developed seven questions which people can ask themselves if they have a particular issue, challenge or problem in mind:

7 questions for fruity thinking

1. Where is this issue on a scale of 1-10? This is designed to help focus the mind upon the issues which are most important. Issues which are ‘1’ on the scale represent something insignificant and minor, whereas ‘10’ represents a major issue. Asking this question encourages people to re-assess their initial reactions, and reprioritise them on the scale.
2. How important will this be in six months time? As with the first question, this is about helping people to see the bigger picture, and to get things in perspective. It serves to remind people that what is causing them great stress at the moment could actually be forgotten in a short space of time.
3. Is my response appropriate and effective? Asking this question allows people to consider whether their response will ultimately help or hinder the situation they are faced with. A knee-jerk reaction that might seem appropriate at the time may be viewed quite differently after the initial period.
4. How can I influence or improve the situation? Rather than getting stressed about a situation, asking this question focuses efforts on problem-solving, and how things might be improved.
5. What can I learn from this? People can often feel guilty about what went wrong, and can dwell upon the negative aspects of a particular challenge or problem that they faced. This question encourages learning, even where something has not gone to plan.
6. What will I do differently next time? If people repeat the same mistakes, then they are not actually learning from them. This question asks people to reflect upon their experiences and to consider what changes they could make to their behavior and approach next time a similar situation arises.
7. What can I find that’s positive in this situation? This question moves away from what is negative or wrong, and instead directs attention towards what is positive and inspirational.

3. Hippo Time is OK

Sometimes people are not ready to move on from a particularly hard situation or setback. After a major disappointment, people need time to process what has happened, and to deal with an emotional low. In his third SUMO principle Hippo time, McGee likens the image of a hippopotamus wallowing in mud to people who need to be left alone to dwell on something negative that has happened. Although some Hippo time is necessary, too much can be damaging. To get the most out of Hippo time, McGee suggests the following rules:

• Be careful who you talk to. Some people can actively encourage others to wear the victim t-shirt. During Hippo time this can encourage more wallowing than is necessary rather than helping the individual to move on.
• Be careful how many people you talk to. The more times a person retells a negative experience or situation, the more the negative feelings and emotions associated with it are replayed.
• Be careful how long your Hippo time lasts. Some people, McGee believes, can get used to wallowing, particularly if they get lots of attention and comfort from others. The length of Hippo time should depend on the seriousness of the issue, the support received from others and the person’s willingness to move on.

4. Remember the Beach Ball

In the fourth SUMO principle, McGee uses the analogy of a beach ball to explain that a group of people looking at the same issue or situation don’t always see it from the same perspective. Consequently, some people can find it difficult to understand and appreciate the views and opinions of others, and this can create problems in their working relationships. It is recommended that people try to recognize when they are only seeing their side of the beach ball. For example, this can happen where language such as: ‘why can’t you see it my way?’, ‘there is only one way to approach this’, and ‘this is boring’ is used. To address this, McGee advocates using the following phrases to help people remember the beach ball principle as they work with others:

• ‘Help me to understand your perspective on this.’
• ‘I would be interested to know what you think about this.’
• ‘I’m conscious I’m only seeing things from my perspective; what would your view be?’

5. Learn Latin

Although people may be full of good intentions about changing their behavior for the better, in many cases these intentions can fail to become a reality. In the fifth SUMO principle, the Latin phrase carpe diem (seize the day) is used as a call to start taking action. To help conquer what is termed as the procrastination habit, McGee advises using the following strategies:

• Just start it. This is about taking the very first step towards completing a task, no matter how small it may be.
• Picture what success looks like. Focusing on the end result can inspire people to take positive action.
• Do the nasties first. Tackling difficult areas first improves motivation to get on with completing the rest of the task.
• Reward your progress. As progress starts to be made, small rewards (McGee suggests going to see a film, having a coffee and cake break, or calling a friend) can help to keep up the momentum.
• Make a date with a mate. A ‘mate’ does not have to be a friend, but rather is someone who can check upon progress and challenge inaction.
• Challenge your complacency. This encourages people to remember that regardless of their situation, it is never too late to start taking action.

6. Ditch Doris Day

The song ‘Que Sera Sera’ by Doris Day contains the following lyrics:

“Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be, The future’s not ours to see… ”

McGee says that his SUMO principles will have little meaning unless the person using them has a clear idea of what they want to achieve in the future. The song's lyric ‘whatever will be, will be’ suggests that people have no control over their future. McGee disagrees with this. The sixth and final SUMO principle is about encouraging people to take responsibility for identifying what they want from life, and making a plan to achieve it. To help people do this, McGee asks people to consider the following questions:

1. Have You Ever Considered What Success Means to You?

If not, McGee encourages people to create their own definition of success, rather than focusing on how other people may define it. McGee argues that people should take time to consider what success means to them in relation to four key areas of life: career, relationships (with family and friends), recreation (health and leisure) and contribution to the needs of others.

2. Do You Have Some Specific, Clearly Defined Goals in Life?

McGee says that having clear life goals provides people with a sense of motivation and purpose. Having goals (both short and long-term), helps people cope during difficult times and not lose sight of what they want to achieve.

3. If You Have Some Goals, Have You Shared Them With Someone Close to You?

It is important to seek the support of those closest to you rather than single-mindedly pursuing our own objectives.

4. Do You Have Some Plans in Place to Help You Achieve Your Goals?

McGee says that it is one thing to have goals in life, but quite another to make them a reality. To help people achieve their goals, McGee suggests that people first consider why a particular goal is important to them. He then advises that a realistic assessment is conducted of where someone is in relation to achieving their goal, and setting a realistic target. The resources needed to help someone pursue their goal should also be identified, and a clear plan of action drawn up to include next steps and timescales for action.

5. Have You Thought About the Kind of Memories You Would Like Your Family and Friends to Have of You?

This question asks people to consider how they would be remembered now if nothing were to change. Asking people to consider how they would like to be remembered acts as a powerful catalyst for changing their behavior.

Conclusion

The SUMO principles offer thought-provoking and practical advice to help people get motivated to change their overall outlook, not only in relation to their careers and workplace relationships, but also in relation to personal relationships and life in general. SUMO encourages people to stop living on auto-pilot, and start taking personal responsibility for achieving what they want out of life. SUMO offers people a practical roadmap for setting life goals and achieving them step-by-step.