Harnessing Your Inner Animal Control Officer to Lead Your Team

Dogs are an important part of my life. Yours too? Growing up, my family always had a small dog and she (it was always a “she”) was a member of our family. The first was Bobbie, the one who sadly taught us the importance of not allowing puppies to dash out the door unrestrained. Next was Pixie, from an “oops” litter one of Dad’s co-workers had. Then came Buffy, the Pomeranian Mom always wanted, who joined the family after I moved out to chase my dreams. Who were the pets you grew up with, and are your memories as fond and bitter-sweet as mine?

Animals in general and dogs in specific are the launching pad for today’s newsletter. This week holds the dual, related designations of Dog Bite Prevention Week and Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week. Both are celebrated annually during the second full week of April, and both aim to educate, one about the responsibilities that come with dog ownership and one about the important role animal control officers play as first responders in animal-related emergencies.

Let’s extrapolate a little bit and use the twin recognitions this week to discuss team dynamics.

First, let’s talk about dogs and dog bites. Any dog with teeth can bite, and according to Dr. Ian Dunbar’s extensive research into canine aggression, there are six distinct levels to biting behavior in dogs, from menacing/snapping with no skin contact, all the way to inflicting bites so severe that the victim dies. Think about the people on your team – do you have anyone who might fall into that scale, temperamentally?

Most teams have at least one person who growls and snaps at teammates, and some teams have a person who doesn’t care whether their words or actions inflict pain and lasting damage. If you’re a peer on the team, your options are limited. If you lead the team, you have much greater latitude to help those aggressive employees behave better for the good of the entire team, company, and bottom line. In a sense, you can think of yourself as the animal control officer on the team – the first responder who initially works to educate, and if that doesn’t work, who must make the tough decisions to maintain peace and productivity in your work environment. If this resonates with you and you’d like some suggestions on how to handle those situations, these short podcasts (90 seconds long or less) are designed to help you.

• Need help effectively sharing how you feel? There’s a Tiny Bite for that!
• Need a little make-believe to make things better? There’s a Tiny Bite for that!
• Does your team argue all the time? There’s a Tiny Bite for that!

Check out the Wellbeing Wisdom Tiny Bites podcast every day for evidence-based solutions you can use right away. Get it wherever you listen to podcasts and on the Center for Workplace Happiness website.

Remember that just as any dog with teeth can bite, any team with people can become a bit unruly at times. As a leader, put on your animal control officer persona and do what they do – watch for issues, try support and education first, use something stricter if you must, and remember to celebrate the success of your team.

Gooooooood job…you get a cookie for your good working!

Wags, Sandy Weaver, Program Director, Center for Workplace Happiness

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#wellbeing #success #leadership #uncertainty