My daughter and her husband have a handsome 2 yr. old Boxer.
Titus is 70 pounds of energy, love, and affection. And man, he is a handful!
He chews, digs, barks…and when she’s walking him, Titus pulls my 105-pound daughter like an eighteen wheeler with an empty load.
Whitney did a lot of research to find a really experienced behavioral trainer, and she hit pay dirt with Clem, an honest-to-goodness dog whisperer who’s worked with canines for almost fifty years. Clem doesn’t go for the shock-collar technique or traditional methods of dog training. Instead, he teaches his students that the way to connect with a dog is to think like a dog.
Clem spent hours training Whitney and Chris before he invited their dog to join in. One of the first things he taught them was the importance of varying their voice tone and inflection to communicate the three basic emotions Titus must understand.
This tactic alone has made a significant difference in their prized pet’s behavior in a short time. Although I have no data to show that Clem’s methods work with humans, I believe there is a takeaway lesson that could prove successful when managing employees of all ages, especially those that frequently exhibit poor workplace behavior.
• Whine your praise. (Think of a happy puppy whining it’s exuberance when being held.) Although your dog loves treats, his utmost desire is to please his master. To communicate this, Whitney has been schooled to let her ‘praise voice’ go high-pitched and adoring like she’s cajoling a smiling infant. This immediately lets her pup know that she’s elated about something he’s done. Remember the axiom – behavior that’s recognized and rewarded is repeated.
• Bark your commands. The shorter, sharper, and firmer you are in giving instruction, the easier it is for the dog to quickly understand and know that you mean business. A very kind, soft, and gentle, “Sit down now, buddy” rarely works. Locking eyes and saying “Sit!” in a crisp, loud (but not yelling) and clear tone works every time.
• Growl your disapproval. When Titus has misbehaved, he needs to know at the core of his being that his master objects to his conduct. The key here is to not lose your cool and scream as that tends to scare the dog and it immediately puts them in a defensive mindset. If you want to deliver the message that this behavior will not be tolerated, you must deepen your voice, slow your pace, and practically growl “Bad Titus!
NO, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ‘DOG’ YOUR EMPLOYEES
You’re probably thinking… “People are not to be treated like dogs, Chester!” But before you throw this idea overboard, take a deep breath and hear me out.
I’m not suggesting that you should whine, bark, and growl to the people around you. But ask yourself how much your results might improve if you delivered the praise, instruction, and discipline you gave your people very differently, and each with greater consistency, conciseness, and clarity. And great leaders are always looking to improve.
No one respects a drama king or queen. But a manager who never shows any emotion in an effort to conceal their disappointment, or worse, their elation regarding an employee’s behavior and/or performance will leave that individual confused and unsure of how to behave and perform in the future.
ELIMINATE AMBIGUITY
Over the years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of employees who’ve confessed to me that they really don’t know what their managers want from them and that they don’t have an accurate reading as to how they are doing. This leads the worker to focus valuable time and energy on where they currently stand with the boss, wondering “Is she mad at me?” “Did I hit the mark?” or “Is he serious about that?”
So if you want your employees to see you as capricious and enigmatic, be completely unpredictable and never let ’em see you sweat or smile.
If, however, you want them to perform up to your high expectations and respect your authority, don’t be afraid to expose a little of your inner joy or pain every now and then, and continually strive to be more clear, concise, and consistent.
