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What I Learned About Managing People From... Our Dog Trainer!

by Kirk Aubry

I know what you’re thinking. What’s next?  The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Hamsters?  Interesting, but no.  I almost didn’t write this.  Having once been assaulted by a manuscript for a completely ridiculous book entitled: “If Only a Cat Could be CEO?”  Yeah, right, if only! So now in some kind of karmic payback for the nasty thoughts I harbored for the author of that truly unique piece of… business literature I now find myself compelled to share what I learned about management from… the man who helped us train our dog.

We rescued an 8 week old puppy from a shelter and by the time he tipped the scales at over 100 pounds a couple of months shy of his first birthday we figured we better train him. So, after some research we found Sam Jones, (his real name) President and Chief Training Officer of Humane Train, based in Traverse City, Michigan. Humane Train helps people create well-behaved, well-adjusted pets using positive reinforcement ONLY. Their approach turned out to be simple, straightforward and pretty easy to do. That was a surprise. But even more surprising was what going through that process taught me about managing people.

Sam arrived at our door covered in dog fur and signs of prior slobber sessions, to inform us that the training, much to our dismay, was more for us than it was for the newest member of our family. He also made the point that most dog behavior problems are rooted in how they are initiated into a family. Sam boiled it down for us into five simple steps:

  1. Show
  2. No opportunity for mistakes
  3. Enthusiastic rewards for the desired behavior
  4. Correct quickly, consistently and without anger
  5. Practice (or do it again)

SNECP – Not exactly one of those catchy acronyms but aren’t we all a little tired of excessively cute abbreviations? As you’re going through the steps think about replacing the word “dog” or “puppy” with “employee”. Here’s how it works:

1. Show the dog what you want him to do and make it fun and interesting.

Explicit instructions, clear illustrations, model the behavior – show him what it looks like. First you have to make sure you’re crystal clear about what you expect of the pup. He has to be able to know what’s expected in order for him to do himself. So you start by demonstrating the skill or behavior you’re trying to engrain. 

2. Avoid letting the puppy make mistakes.

Sam told us, right up front, that the key to successful training is doing everything you can to avoid letting the puppy experience failure. Assuming you’re ready to show the pup what you want him to do, stay close during the learning phase. Provide lots of support and continue to demonstrate what the behavior is supposed to look like. The thing to keep in mind here is that the puppy, regardless of what you might think, isn’t trying to screw up. He may be trying to get attention, or have some fun but he didn’t wake up from his nap with the newfound goal of driving you crazy.

3. Be wildly enthusiastic when the puppy does what you want him/her to do.

Sam’s admonition here was pretty straightforward. You want to make the praise so “over the top” that your puppy wants to get it again and again. Make it feel like a party.  Sam told us that one of the hardest things for him to get his clients to do is make their praise visible and substantial. Contrast Lurch on the Addams Family with Mr. Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch.

4. If the pup makes a mistake correct him quickly, consistently and without anger.

The idea is to ensure that the correction isn’t an unpleasant experience but it’s a whole lot less fun than when he/she does the right thing. And you very quickly go back and show the puppy what you’re expecting – and give him the opportunity to succeed – and to get the praise that the furry little critter is beginning to thoroughly enjoy.

5. Continue to practice and reinforce the desired behavior/skill.

Apparently, people frequently go to training and work with the puppy during the classes and then assume they’ve done their duty. The key to success is repetition. The goal is to “imprint” the desired behavior on the pup. I know this sounds a little like brainwashing but think of it more like learning your multiplication tables.

So, how different is it really than what we do with new employees or people taking on new assignments. I’m not implying that people and dogs are the same. The people at PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) would probably picket outside my office.  But I was struck by the similarities of people in new jobs and puppies in new homes. I hate to admit that over the years I have:

This simple approach can help us all be better managers…it works for dogs, too!