“You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his dog….” anonymous
Surprisingly, dog owners and trainers can teach valuable lessons to business owners about establishing and maintaining good relationships. And while dogs are known to be loyal to their owners, there are some things owners do to advance the bond, instill loyalty and develop long term, meaningful relationships. Obviously, I’m not suggesting that people are as simple as dogs but when it comes to good relationships there are certain basic principles which apply.
What Does It Take to Endear a Dog?
Dog breeders and veterinarians alike agree that dogs are very loyal and intelligent animals. You can create lasting friendships with them and make them loyal to you by implementing consistent, transparent and well communicated rules of the relationship
Training and Building Loyalty
Clarity and repetition
Every trainer will tell you that being consistent and showing empathy will endear your pet. To perform our best we all need to understand what is expected of us. When we have challenges outside of work, we never forget those employers and managers who offer support. When employees are treated with respect, recognized as multi-dimensional human beings with lives outside of work, typically there is a great return on the investment; employees show loyalty as they don’t feel like another cog in the system.
Use Clear Language
Make your rules and regulations clear to everyone. Just as a trainer must give clear commands so as not to confuse his pet, employers should do the same for employees to eliminate confusion about their job description, expected behavior at work and the consequences that result from breaking the rules. At the very least, employees can’t get away with saying they didn’t know the policy on that issue. Clear communication and succinct job descriptions let everyone know what’s expected of them and how they’ll be evaluated.
Praise
When your dog behaves favorably, the smart pet owner praises and rewards him. So too for employers, people need to have positive feedback and recognition for a job well done. Let your employees know when they’re doing a good job and let their peers know as well. Also, rewards that are personal (vacations or theatre tickets) have a greater impact on building loyalty that plaques and awards.
Tone of communication
When your dog does something wrong, use a stern, friendly tone to reprimand him. Your tone is also important when critiquing an employee. Too aggressive and harsh puts someone on the defensive. A stern yet controlled tone expresses respect.
Time together to establish a relationship
Petting and playing with your dog is an important way to fend off boredom and keep your dog happy. Taking him for walks also boosts your dog’s energy and helps him work off pent up energy and avoid becoming depressed. While petting an employee could get you in big trouble, allowing them time for exercise and providing a venue for workouts can increase productivity and enhance your employees’ sense of general well being.
Environment
Make the dog believe she belongs. The owner or primary caretaker of the dog should be at the top and your dog should respect this leader. This will ensure a happy home where both you and your dog are safe. But include them in the space wherever you and your family are as much as possible. So too with employees. Give them chances to meet with superiors as mentors and include them in meetings and brainstorming sessions.
Discipline carefully
Dog owners who are overly harsh in disciplining their pets are said to breed ‘angry animals’. Being sensitive yet firm when disciplining displays sincerity and discretion. Understand and respond before accidents happen. Give your employees a heads up before disciplining them. Show them how they could improve and encourage them and never scream or reprimand them in public. Humiliating employees breaks down the trust and will inevitably destroy the loyal bond between employer and employee.
Enrichment and perks
Just as dogs enjoy outlets for stress, boredom, or frustration, so does humans. While the dog may be satisfied with her chew toys or balls, humans may require other perks to lift their spirits. Offer a budget for courses that could develop skills or bring in guest speakers who are experts on topics that interest your employees to inspire them and encourage creativity.
At the end of the day, we all know that dogs and humans are widely different. Humans are capable of solving complex problems and dogs are intelligent yet limited in what they can innovate. Dogs are generally agreeable friends-they ask no questions and offer no criticisms. It is their nature is to look up to us. That being said, there are some shared instincts that these animals and humans have: an inclination to seek comfort, pleasure and attach to those who care for them.
Observing how consistent and clear communication of dog owners result in loyalty leads one to conclude that strong bonds are developed when the leader is empathic, compassionate and tries to understand meet the needs of his followers.
Respect and loyalty are usually the outcome of a leader who properly treats his employers well. Perhaps, increasing productivity, motivation and engagement has its foundation on those simply truths. Dog owners love their pets and show it thereby getting their loyalty in return. Show a little more love at work and you too may earn the respect and loyalty of your employees or the lack of it may “come back to bite you”!
