Sometimes what we can do and then obviously also what we shouldn’t. Have some fun with me…
1. Definitely we should greet our clients and colleagues with the exuberance and excitement that dogs afford their humans, a no-brainer this one!
2. We can learn loyalty from them, whether that loyalty is to our clients, our brand, our company, our managers, ourselves; it does not matter as long as it is consistent, well-articulated and best of all if it can be loyalty to all of the above!
3. We can learn to have fun, often in business we take ourselves way too seriously, instead we can laugh some things off (especially negative office politics) and come back tomorrow and it is likely that no further intervention was ever needed.
4. We can learn to forgive. Forgive the little errors cultivating a culture of learning and constant improvement, while at the same time cultivating the same tenacity a dog with a bone would show in ensuring that the end result is perfect for all concerned.
5. We can be braver. Have you ever seen a Maltese poodle taking on a St Bernard? I have, in his mind at that time he was Goliath the giant. How often do we keep our opinions to ourselves only to have bad decisions implemented as procedure, and simply because we are too afraid to speak?
6. We can be more engaged. Dogs love to engage with their humans whether they are in obedience training, just in the mood to play or even if the humans are simply visible. Can you imagine the possibilities if this type of engagement is paramount to every individual in the department? Wow! Wouldn’t work be challenging, fun and …engaging?
So come on dog lovers, what else can we learn from our best friends?
© Debbie Engelbrecht
Debbie is the MD of Staff Training, a soft skills training company offering more than 60 short courses including Etiquette, Diversity, Customer Care and Conflict Management. Find out more here.