|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
What Leaders Can Learn From Dog Obedience Training
Written by: Greg SchinkelArticle Overview: It is interesting the similarities between managing the behavior of a dog and managing employee behavior. In this article we look at communication, correction, praise, structure, repetitive learning and pack behavior and how it applies to the workplace.
 |
Free Download - Productivity Improvement from Employee Engagement, Process Improvement By Greg Schinkel |
What Leaders Can Learn From Dog Obedience Training
After many months of discussion and pleading from my daughter, our family decided to adopt a dog from an animal rescue. Dundee is a cross between a shih tzo and a poodle (a.k.a. a 'mutt') and in the past three weeks he has captured our hearts and settled into our family.
Not having owned a dog before, we did some research and discovered an excellent book by John Ross and Barbara McKinney called Adoptable Dog: Teaching Your Adopted Pet To Obey, Trust and Love You. As a leadership trainer and coach, I am called on to teach managers and supervisors how to shift their leadership style to achieve greater success. Often the individuals being trained have been in the position for a while and have some bad leadership habits that need to be replaced with constructive techniques. In reading Ross and McKinney's book I couldn't help but notice some similarities between managing the behavior of a dog and managing employee behavior.
What Leaders Can Learn From Dog Behavior
- Communicate So They Understand: Ross and McKinney say that it's easier to get your dog to do what you want when you learn to speak dog. That means a deep growl to show displeasure and a high friendly pitch to show pleasure. We're not suggesting that leaders growl to show displeasure, although I have met a few aggressive managers who have come close! We want to communicate with words and tone that gets the message across clearly to employees. Get rid of the corporate speak mumbo jumbo and talk in plain language.
- Correction and Praise Needs to Come Immediately: Conventional dog training would say if you come home to discover that Rover left you a present on your carpet, you should bring him over and rub his nose in it so he knows not to do it again. Unfortunately Rover doesn't link the punishment with the crime. Instead Ross and McKinney say to offer immediate feedback (and they mean immediate) so the dog understands the difference between right and wrong. Similarly some managers and supervisors wait too long to express their displeasure with employees who are not performing; the behavior continues, the manager gets more frustrated and often the employee is oblivious. Similarly immediate praise for a job well done helps increase the probability of repeating the success. Even though Dundee was 18 months old when we brought him home, he was not housebroken. By watching him closely and catching him before the act, we got him outside and gave lots of praise when he "did his business". There have been no accidents since his fourth day in our home.
- Structure and Routine is Important: As pack animals, dogs like structure and discipline. Employees also appreciate knowing what's expected and enjoy a degree of predictability. Even in a rapidly changing environment, create structure to allow employees to perform to expectations.
- Learning Through Repetition: Breaking an 18-month old dog of bad habits can take as long as he's been alive. We were lucky to solve the housebreaking issue so quickly. Teaching the basics of sit, stay, lie down and come are more challenging with an older dog than a puppy. Using a combination of compelling the behaviour, and inducing the behavior is the best strategy for success. For "sit" that means lifting the collar at the same time as pushing down the back side, and using a treat as a reward. Similarly employees need to be trained to do what you want (likely more than once) and they need to be praised for doing a good job.
- Fitting In Is Important: Dogs are pack animals and they will jockey for position within the family just as they do with their litter mates as puppies. In our home Dundee finds it easy to dominate my 11-year-old daughter with her higher pitched voice, but he is leery of my 15 year old son (perhaps the shaggy hair throws him off!). Showing the dog who's boss means making sure he knows that he is not the pack leader. One of the prime motivators for employees is the desire to be part of the team. Employees tend to establish their position on the team including the troublemakers who decide their role is to aggravate the boss and humor co-workers. Help employees feel part of the team by keeping them informed, not playing favorites and not talking behind people's backs. Help troublemakers find a constructive role in the team by building on their strengths.
Related Articles
Train Your Workers, Develop Your Leaders
Computer Obedience Training
Sales Digging In Progress: Get Prospects to Listen to You
The Art of Influencing and Empowering Others
Leadership: it’s a “no-brainer”
Article Tags: animal rescue, barbara mckinney, constructive techniques, corporate speak, differen, displeasure, dog training, dundee, employee behavior, family br, john ross, leadership style, leadership trainer, li li, mumbo jumbo, mutt, pitch, plain language, poodle, shih tzo
|
About the Author: Greg Schinkel RSS for Greg's articles - Visit Greg's website  Greg Schinkel and his team help entrepreneurs and business leaders improve profit and grow their business by providing management training, supervisor training, team leader training, lead hand training and executive coaching. The challenge for many successful organizations is that leadership becomes diluted from the senior leadership team to the front line leader. For organizations who choose to be union-free, Greg and his team equip leaders to maintain excellent employee relations while focusing on results. For unionized workplaces, the focus is how to effectively lead employees within the boundaries of the collective-agreement while achieving results. Greg Schinkel has reached more than half a million people through his writing, broadcasting, speaking, training and coaching. Greg has appeared on television, radio and in print more than 200 times for his leadership expertise. He is co-author of the best-selling book Employees Not Doing What You Expect, published in North America, India, Latin America and Korea. Since 1992, Greg has owned and operated Unique Training & Development Inc., a leading provider of supervisor training, management development, team leader training and lead hand training. His website is http://www.UniqueDevelopment.com Click here to visit Greg's website   Want to Grow Your Business Stop Blaming the Customer Great Leaders Know the Value of Candid Feedback Leadership Tips to Manage Resolve and Prevent Conflict Defending Profit Margins Dealing with Prima Donnas in the Workplace |
Related Forum Posts
7 words or less for Structogram
- Some "7 words or less" (more or less) for Structogram for your comments:
Training to get your message across(6)
Secrets to get your message across (6)
Training so people will listen to you (7)
Helping you get your message across (6)
Training to learn to get your message across (8)
Communications training for yourself and your team (7)
Re: March 21 Triple Crown Update
- Congratulations to the first three Leaders in the Forum category. Keep it up.
Re: Forums Question
- Ok guys - the This Month's Leaders should now be working - thank you for pointing this out!
Re: Forums Question
- test post to check for This Month's Leaders - no need to reply
Re: Forums Question
- test post to check for This Month's Leaders - no need to reply
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
by: 
February 2012 Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow on Twitter
Please Stop Calling it Coaching!
Measuring the Quality of Your Hires
The fine line 
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Leader's Success Secret: Celebration
The OLD Way of Advertising, May Not be so OLD
Mistakes Made by New or Inexperienced Sales Staff
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.