Posts Tagged ‘workplace’
Racing to be the lead dog doesn’t always make you a winner
Grace loves the woods. On many Sunday mornings we go for a walk with a small group of people in search of mushrooms.She’s always in motion out there and I absolutely love to watch her graceful moves as she navigates around, over, and through a variety of natural obstacles in her way. On rare occasions…
Read MoreMake time to devote to your professional development
I’ve been on the road for the last couple of weeks – away on a combination of business stops mingled with a few family visits. I haven’t seen Grace for nine days and I really miss her. Of course, I miss my husband, too, along with all the routines that I enjoy in my life.…
Read MoreTalents worthy of recognition
It’s been said that the most effective form of motivation is recognition. It is all too often in our corporate world that employees feel underappreciated. Sometimes I hear from a manager, “Well, that’s their job. Do I have to say thank you for things that are expected out of them?” Grace is the perfect reminder.…
Read MoreLearning anything complex takes time—don’t shortchange the process
One of the agility obstacles that Grace and I have not spent a lot of time with is the weave poles. When first learning this particular skill, the poles are “open” to create a channel that the dog walks through. Eventually, the goal is to have poles “closed” or set in a straight line so…
Read More“We listen” is simple tool that results in high employee engagement
Sometimes the work of a manager can be best accomplished by doing something very simple. Both dogs and progressive employers can serve as reminders and role models for this powerful (and free) technique. When Grace ignores a request I make of her, it’s easy to accuse of her of not listening to me. That’s the…
Read MoreNailed!
At a cookout this past weekend, a friend was telling me about an experience at her workplace. Her manager had brought her in to discuss some issues with the details of her work and she said it was hard to listen to it. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to know the information; she just…
Read MoreThis is MY space!
One of the things I like the most about observing Grace is how literal her communication is. The same is true with our cats. Their body language tells it all. If we could observe human interactions with that level of objectivity and detachment, I think we’d often behave differently. There are two instances that illustrate…
Read MoreMaking the most out of what you have
There are lots of times when we expose Grace to new experiences. Of course some she enjoys more than others. We took her kayaking several times last year, and she tolerated it, but it was clear that she prefers land over water. This past weekend, we went out again. This trip was different. I got…
Read MoreSometimes you really need to state the obvious—sometimes the obvious just isn’t that obvious Part 1
This weekend, I took Grace to an agility event called “Show and Go.” It’s a mock competition – designed as a way to introduce handlers and dogs to a competitive experience without being judged. We were in a new, outdoor area, with different equipment, surrounded by more people, lots of dogs. My goal was to…
Read MoreIt’s not my fault!
During a conversation with friends at dinner last night, we were talking about taking responsibility for our own actions. I mentioned someone I know well that is often blaming another person for any and every little bad thing that happens – even though they are the one that created the situation in the first place.…
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