There were snacks in the kitchen at work yesterday. Aside from a nice, little afternoon pick-me-up, they provided great conversation too. I found myself talking with two colleagues from other parts of the company. As we nibbled bits of cheese and cut up fruit, we discovered that we were all dog owners.
One said she was working with a trainer to get her dog to be more social. She talked about how she is enjoying walking her dog way more than before.
I causally asked if she was seeing the positive benefits spinning off into her work. She paused and thought about it. Then she got a bit excited. It seems that the dog trainer had commented on how much more confident she seemed and that she was definitely carrying herself differently.
Her manager and colleagues had noticed the changes as well. We are going through a lot of change in our organization and it’s been a tough go for a lot of people. She has become the go-to person for helping to sort out problems and find solutions.
All from learning to be a better dog owner…..
There are two lessons to be learned here.
Keep developing yourself. It could be an academic course, a sport, a craft. It does not really matter what it is as long as you are learning and pushing out from your “usual”.
Let the things you learn come out in all parts of your life. Don’t hold back. If you have mastered the art of squaring your shoulders when you snap the leash on your dog, you can do it when you get on the elevator at work too.