Can The Dog Whisperer Influence Your Management Style?
Given my background many people are surprised to learn that my major is in Business Management
and not Accounting. At the time I went for my degree I was working in our family business and assumed I would manage it someday. So better learn how to manage, right?
As most of you know, or for those of you just starting your career are about to find out, management is something that is best learned on the job. I am sure there is some percentage of people that have a natural ability to manage and lead. Others may find success from books. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Most just do what I did, gleaning advice, guidance and lessons from various sources and situations until the pieces start to fall into place. Eventually we all find our management style, hopefully one that makes us successful and respected managers.
As I was developing my own personal management style I found inspiration outside of run-of-the-mill business situations and the typical corporate management 101 courses. How a mother handles an unruly child at the market or how a river guide reacts to a crisis on a rafting trip. An unexpected source of inspiration came from watching “The Dog Whisperer”, the popular TV show with Cesar Millan. Maybe it was because I am a dog lover but I found that my desire to manage people and situations with a calm and positive attitude mirrored Cesar’s dog training philosophy.
According to Cesar’s philosophy “to establish yourself as the pack leader, you must always project a calm, assertive energy. This natural balance (calm, assertive leadership …) nurtures stability and creates a balanced, centered, and happy dog”. Now, I am not saying that the individuals I worked with were dogs! The dogs are symbolic and can represent people or any situation. By watching Cesar calmly but assertively solve seemingly unsurmountable situations (and their sometimes problematic owners) I came to understand how I could leverage his techniques and philosophy.
I have summarized and then adapted for managers Cesar’s 5 steps to achieving calm assertive energy.
Make it Meaningful - A bored, insecure dog without leadership and something interesting to do will act out.
As a manager it is your job to provide leadership, proper structure and stimulating work. Communication is key so get feedback on a regular basis to identify dissatisfaction and boredom. Look for ways to improve the situation before you lose a valuable resource. This is always a challenge since most jobs will have some tasks that are not considered exciting. But if you can normally find at least a few things to sprinkle into someone’s list of responsibilities that will add that WOW factor they are craving.
Attitude is Contagious – Dogs naturally pick up the energy of their master as well as the energy of other dogs.
Managers exhibiting negative or tense energy will tend to have a department of negative and tense people. Make it a priority to create a positive environment and monitor progress regularly. Actively celebrate successes and most importantly show that you have passion for what you and your team are doing. Regularly set aside time to do something fun with your team. Have a quarterly ice cream party, play Pictionary once a month, celebrate Birthdays with a monthly pot luck or make a funny video staring the organization and show it at your Department meeting. Most ideas can be done on a tight budget and soon happy, positive attitudes will start to infect you and your group. However, remember it all starts with you.
Focus on the Now: Dogs naturally focus on what is happening now.
Focusing on the past and worrying about the future results in negative emotions. We can learn from the past (see my post on mistakes) and prepare for the future without creating anxiety about it. As managers we can help others recognize the benefits of productive vs. non-productive focus - do not let regret and worry take over. As Cesar puts it “Focusing on what’s happening right now will help us find that place of calmness. It’s what our dogs do naturally, and it’s one of the greatest lessons we can learn from them”.
It is a Process - A puppy will pee in your house and chew your shoes but if you are patient and invest time, energy and reward successes you can bet you will end up with a great companion.
As a manager you will be presented with people and situations that you must invest in. Often we think we don’t have the time, don’t like dealing with difficult situations or simply don’t know what to do. Be proactive. Make the investment. Take the time. Look at what worked for you in the past. Reach out to your peers for what works for them or to your HR partner. Make the investment and follow through with celebrating the successes no matter how small. And remember that solving a difficult situation and finding a management style that works are both processes. You will see improvements over time but only with the proper investment.
Take time – Take time to enjoy your dog, turn off your cell phone and just observe and enjoy what’s around you.
All work and no play results in a bunch of grumpy, tense workers. Everyone from the top down in an organization needs to take time. Time to connect with family, hike a mountain, travel to that place you always wanted to go, what-ever it is that will get you to a place where you can focus on something other than work. It will be at these moments when your mind becomes free that you fill find inspiration all around you. Set the example and then work to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take the time to enjoy life outside of work.
Your energy is only one of many factors that can impact your success as a manager. Company values and other circumstances will determine how you react and manage. Sometimes the calm positive approach is not appropriate or is not accepted. A more aggressive and negative style could be the norm in your organization because it can provide desired results. This may bring success in the short term but produces a high employee turn-over rate and other long term negative consequences to the business.
Look around for inspiration (you might find it in unexpected places), find what works for your specific situation and be willing to adapt. Use your positive energy to be an agent for change - remember attitude is contagious!
For me, I am much happier as a manager, peer and subordinate when I am working in a calm positive environment, working hard, sharing passion for the common goal and having some fun along the way. Hopefully you are too.
