As a leader in the pet space, you may be experiencing abundant times, worrisome times or even those tough times — and likely issues you never expected.

One thing is for certain, though: You control your attitude.

Recently I “failed” for the first time with a foster pup. His name is Mason, born with a deformed right front leg and an especially sweet heart. He was at the local shelter where I volunteer, but held back by staff so they could do more to help him.

Weeks passed as I came and went, fostering other puppies and dropping off supplies. During these times, I would check in on Mason. He is memorable, he is adorable, and his leg was unusable.

Adopting a three-legged pup was not on my agenda, not something I had ever contemplated, and something that scared me a little. Mason, because of that leg and the eventual surgery, had lived his first four months in a shelter, never touching grass, never experiencing rain, never navigating stairs — all of which are abundant in my environment.

But a good thing for us all to remember: Just because we haven’t done something, that doesn’t mean we can’t, regardless of the circumstances.

D. H. Lawrence once said, “I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.” This is a powerful reminder.

The lesson I want to convey to you as a leader is this:

• Feeling sorry for yourself is wasted time.
• Feeling sorry for your team is wasted time.
• Feeling sorry for the circumstances you find yourself in is wasted time.

Mason spends his time, like most dogs, sniffing around, looking for treats, getting into things he shouldn’t, and attempting to make his big and much larger brother play with him.

He has taught me something valuable to remember during uncertain times, odd and argumentative times, fearful and fraught with conflict times. It’s up to me (and you) to decide to be happy, and you can’t be happy if you feel sorry for yourself, others or the way things are.

As you traverse your leadership role, remember that you are a wild thing, a wonderful thing and you do indeed control your attitude. If you want to be happy, then simply decide to be and your team will follow.

The post How a 3-Legged Puppy Made Me a Happy Leader appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

One thing seems to fit into another, doesn’t it?

“Engagement” is an interesting word. The Employee Engagement Survey conducted by CustomInsight defines it in a business context as: “the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization and put discretionary effort into their work.”

The term “discretionary effort” then must be addressed: Aubrey C. Daniels, Ph. D., of Performance Management consulting company, defines it as “the level of effort people could give if they wanted to, but above and beyond the minimum required.”

I believe this is what we want, crave and are reading this column for!

So how do we make people want to work for us, give more effort and feel passionate about work?

Here’s my take:

By making them understand how their contribution helps or serves someone else.

And there’s the rub. Most people don’t feel they make a difference, but instead feel like they are simply filling a role. Or that they are working to make their bosses or the organization wealthy.

When you ask someone what they do for work, it will tell you if they are engaged or not.

Examples:

• I work the register.
• I mostly clean up.
• I have to deal with customers all day.
• I do whatever the boss tells me.
• I work at a pet shop, grooming salon, training facility, etc.

None of these answers are from people who are engaged, because they are doing a “job.” They are focused on tasks and labels and expectations.

What you call them also disengages them:

• Sales clerk
• Employee
• Staff

If you are following me, the goal is that you will begin to shift your mindset and start to engage with your team in new ways.

I use the word “team” deliberately. When I am an employee, staff, sales clerk, I am solo-focused, taking care of my job, just doing my time.

As part of a team, I know that my contribution combines with others, that my performance, attitude and skills matter to a larger group. And if that is combined with a shared goal that everyone understands and believes in? Open the flood gates!

I work with leaders and entrepreneurs all the time on these issues, and it’s not a quick fix. However, to begin this process, here is the first thing you can do:

Get rid of the labels that pull people apart. Employee, staff, sales clerk, manager, supervisor. And please, for heaven’s sake, refrain from putting the word “my” in front of them. My employees, my staff, my manager. Do you own them? How do you think that makes them feel?

Next, and last for this space and idea, spend some time in your team meetings and team communications talking about how each person contributes to the shared goal. And a shared goal isn’t about your profits.

When you do this, you will have engaged team members, and engaged team members are much more likely to stay. Isn’t that a wonderful thing?

The post Do the Employees at Your Pet Business Feel Engaged? appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

One of these routines is that he runs ahead of me when I drive or walk down to the barn to take care of my other handsome male, Patric, my Appaloosa gelding.

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Yes, I know I’m biased when it comes to my boys.

Recently I’ve been dogsitting a mature yellow Lab named Daisy for a dear friend. Daisy is a doll, no trouble and goes wherever I go. Which means she gets to run down to the barn, too.

That isn’t sitting very well with Kingston. Instead of a wonderful lope down to the barn (I live on a hill), Kingston runs down in front, stops to run back up to put Daisy in her place, runs to catch up to me, only to turn around two or three more times to ascertain that Daisy isn’t getting anything good out of this exercise.

Jealousy. It’s tiresome, changes nothing and makes the jealous party look if not ridiculous, at least less than smart.

Here’s the thing that some animals and people know. There is enough to go around. Daisy has this dialed in. Kingston is learning it.

There is enough love, food, exercise, whatever, that everyone, every dog, cat, etc., can have some. Probably more than they need.

Are you feeling jealous of someone or something?

When I used to feel jealousy, it hurt. I behaved less than the person I wanted to be, and it changed nothing!

So I listened to wise advice and guidance, which I am now sharing with you:

If someone has something, anything — it proves that you can have it, too!

When this sunk into my bones, it freed me up in the most wonderful way. No envy, no jealousy, no hurt or pain. Just three questions to myself:

1. What are they doing to get that result?

2. Who are they being that brings good things to them?

3. How are they thinking, behaving, speaking that works?

Once we have the answers, we can shift our focus from what we don’t have to taking action to get what we want.

Another question to ask yourself:

4. Do I even want what they have?

Kingston has everything he could want or need. There is no reason he needs to keep Daisy in her place. Interestingly, as he was corrected and as time went by, they have come to a coexistence that works for all of us.

If they can do it, so can we! Give it a go and let me know what happens.

The post Are You Jealous of Another Pet Pro or Business? appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

The young woman working there gave us an enthusiastic greeting, down on her knees for some exciting petting. “He’s so cute!” she exclaimed, which are my sentiments exactly.

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“I’m here for the brand of food the breeder said to feed,” I informed her. She was up, swiftly heading toward the food I named. After we determined I needed the very largest bag, she carried it to the counter for me. So far, this had been a very pleasant experience.

Then she asked, “If I told you about another brand that is privately owned, has all the same ingredients, has never been recalled and is $10 cheaper, would you be interested?”

Who trained this girl? Of course I said, “Yes!” Then added, “It’s got all the same ingredients, right?” which was my biggest concern since I wanted my pup to not have an upset tummy or diarrhea.

“It does,” she said and continued, “And they have this program that if you buy 10 bags of the same size, you get the next one free.” “Sign me up!” was my reply. She asked for all of my info, which I gladly gave, and when I asked if I had to go online or do anything special, she assured me that, “No, just make sure to give us your last name when you come in to buy, and we’ll handle it all right here.”

Pleased as my pup after a tasty treat, I handed over my credit card. She then told the people shopping that she would be right back, and she carried my big bag of new puppy food out to the truck.

Confession: I had stopped at this little feed store on a whim. I normally go a different route and shop at a different store. I had noticed, though, that the little lot was full and people were loading their vehicles up with goods.

As I drove away after shopping, I thought about what had just happened.

Truly I had stumbled upon something wonderful. The store is a gem, and now I must return, not only for the excellent service, but because I have a free bag of puppy food waiting for me nine bags away and I need do nothing to qualify except shop there.

Then, I started thinking about how easily I chose one brand over another. And I did so because of a brand advocate.

Many people aim to advocate, but don’t offer the information that matters to others.

The breeder believes she is an advocate, yet she didn’t give me anything concrete to continue with the brand except that if I switched, it could upset my little guy’s tummy. This is a recommendation, not advocacy.

So how does an advocate behave? Well for starters, this woman wasn’t overly zealous, just informed and wanting to help me. This is key, especially the wanting to help me part.

Here are three things she did well, all of which are teachable to your staff. She mentioned that the brand:

1. Was privately owned — This appealed to my entrepreneurial spirit and that of this small independent store.

2. Has never been recalled — Big trust issue here. The fact that she brought it up meant something to her and this store. Reputation is everything. Did past “Big Brand” recalls hurt the store?

3. Rewards loyalty — The “buy 10 bags, get one free” concept. It helps to bring me back, and she was delighted that it would ultimately benefit me.

Many brands, my own included, believe we have advocates. Now, are they informed? Do they understand what sets us apart? Are they truly advocates or simply recommending us?

Let’s do a better job of helping them. When an advocate knows and loves a brand, they not only sell it, but they benefit greatly, too, and everyone, especially the customer, is happy.

And isn’t that the ultimate goal?

The post Advocate Instead of Recommend to Boost Sales and Create Loyal Customers appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

Love your clients. Love your followers. Love your lists. Love your audiences. Love those angry folks out there who are most in need of love.

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Is it easy? Nah. Is it effective? Absolutely! I do it all the time, and people can feel it, can you? I love through my fingers as I type this out. I love through my voice and smile and questions. My goal is to love like a dog.

So what is love?

The dictionary says it this simply:

• an intense feeling of deep affection.
• a great interest and pleasure in something

You can love your clients, lists and followers then, can’t you?

Here’s the thing, though: Love isn’t a light switch you turn on and off. It’s not something fake or contrived to gain something from someone.

Love is more like a frying pan. Growing warmer and warmer the longer it’s on the heat. This is the true testament to love in my opinion. When you’ve been serving people for a while, when you’ve had every kind of customer imaginable, when you’ve been hurt, lied to, stolen from or bad-mouthed on social media. Can you still love then?

That’s where the dog part comes in: Dogs keep loving. Dogs seem to take whatever life throws their way and adapt, forgive, get over it and love anyway.

I recall an old story I heard once about a husband who went to a counselor to complain about his wife. He told the counselor that he no longer loved his wife, yet they had children and obligations. What should he do? How could he divorce her?

The counselor instructed him, “Love her.”

The husband was upset. He reminded the counselor that he no longer was in love with his wife, and that wasn’t going to change.

To which the counselor said again, “Go love her.”

The husband nearly shouted, “I’m not in love with her anymore! I don’t feel any love for her!”

And the counselor then said, “Love is an action, not an emotion.”

What? Huh? Love is an action? You mean I can love someone without the feeling of love?

The counselor instructed him to do loving things like giving compliments, checking off chores, showing kindness to demonstrate the actions of love. Then he asked to see him in a month.

After the month when the husband returned, the counselor asked him if he still wanted to be rid of his wife? “What?” the husband exclaimed, “Why would I want to leave the most wonderful woman in the world?”

When we show love to others, they change, they blossom, they sometimes love us back, though that’s just one side benefit of loving them.

What if in this new decade we’re in, and with all the craziness happening in the world, you made it your goal to love others. Without any expectation, without any obligation. You just act with love in everything you do?

What if, instead of working from your feelings, you simply did loving actions every day? Yeah, just like a dog.

Let me know how it goes. The world can use more love right now, don’t you agree?

The post Make It Your Goal to Love Like a Dog, Without Expectation or Obligation appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

It doesn’t bother me. Matter of fact, I’ve come to love this time I take, usually in the morning, to serve animals that can not serve themselves in this task.

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I mention it here because as leaders, there are certain consistent tasks that we can either embrace or rally against.

People sometimes ask me, usually when I’m dressed up, looking and acting highly professional and engaged in complex conversation, “Do you clean your own stalls?” Or, and pet people can so relate to this, “Doesn’t it bother you that you have to feed, care for, pay attention to your pet every day?”

This is usually a person who had decided not to have animals. Who uses the excuse that they travel too much, or that they don’t want to go through the heartbreak when a beloved pet dies, or even, that it would be “unfair” to the animal since they really don’t have time.

I am in agreement that this person is smart not to have a pet. Each person has to make their own choices, and yet they are the ones who seem to have an opinion about the time, money or energy I spend on my lifestyle and four-legged charges.

Why do I mention any of this? Which camp are you in? And how do you think about the consistent and repeating tasks that being a leader assumes?

Here are a few ideas to mull over, maybe while you’re doing whatever your flinging manure task is?

1. What’s our big “why?” Simon Sennick in a TED talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” explains the golden circle that encompasses the What, the How and — the deepest — the Why. It’s worth a watch (petsplusmag.com/2203). I challenge you to determine why you picked this life, this career, these tasks.

2. Remember that it’s your choice. When we have repetitive tasks, like cleaning horse stalls, doing your books, writing your goals, it’s easy to slip into a rut that sometimes feels like a deep ditch, and since there’s no finish line, can become tedious. Or not.

3. Color it with love. Though I cannot say I love manure, I do love flinging it into the wheelbarrow. I consider it an act of love. Love for my horses, love for my lifestyle, love for the exercise it gains me and deep love for a job well done and finished.

What if all the tasks you do are embedded with love? What if you played a game with your repetitive tasks to find ways to expedite them? Shift them into a test? What if you looked at every task as an opportunity to tweak, improve and excel?

Example: I have set up my barn in ways to do things with more ease, more fun, and that allow me to use my flinging time to improve myself. People ask how I listen to so many books. Manure-flinging rules!

Check in with yourself about those tasks you think are mundane or repetitive — maybe even gross. I mean, manure doesn’t have many redeeming qualities, but I have come to appreciate it for what it does for me.

The post Embrace Manure Flinging: It Comes with Animals … and Leading a Business appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

Admittedly, I am a curious sort; I ask more questions than most. It’s my job, after all, as a leadership coach, so when I began by asking, “Tell me a little about yourself.” I did not expect to hear what I did: The interviewee went on to share and to overshare. We found out about her marriage history, abuse, blended families, a home lost by the recession and what was wrong with her last employer.

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She was talking too much for us to ask additional questions.

According to her resume, she had the skills we needed, but we decided we wouldn’t hire her because of her oversharing habit.

Oversharing lost her the job. Over-sharing can lose you customers, too.

What is a leader to do? Well, first, be sure you aren’t the one who overshares.

My coaching clients learn early that most leaders do three things often.

1. They tell. Usually, leaders are telling their team how to do things, what the vision is, how to handle customers. Leaders tell and tell and tell. They do this because they are the ones in the know. They are making the decisions, and to be good communicators, they tell their teams.

2. They sell. This is one most leaders don’t realize they are doing, but they do it all the time. After all, you want your team bought into your vision, and you want people to get excited. Leaders are the most knowledgeable about the product or business, and most started by selling so they sell.

When you are telling and selling, sometimes you forget and overshare. Leaders get zealous about things and sometimes that leads to oversharing.
What can you do to stop yourself from the overshare? What would have helped the interviewee land the job?

3. They ask. Leaders learn to be expert askers. When you ask questions, many wonderful things happen: The people you ask questions feel valued — like their opinion matters. You learn something. And you allow others to talk, which means you aren’t talking or oversharing.

To become an expert asker, all you need do is, of course, ask questions. This is a simple concept like dieting, and, like dieting, usually not easy.

Here are two questions most any leader or anyone will benefit from asking:

What is it you want?

This question helps the other person define their goals. For customers, it helps you help them. Note: Be prepared for some silence, a lot of people really don’t know what they want. If they are quiet, simply smile and ask them something else like, “What makes you happiest?”

What can I do for you?

This question gets to the core of need. It also shows them that you are focused on them. That’s the beauty of questions: They are outward focused, and when you are outward focused, it helps you be the kind of leader, teammate, partner, a parent that others want to be around.

If nothing else, please think before you overshare!

The post True Leaders Learn the Skills of Telling, Selling and Asking appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

I like to think I keep a cool head and open mind, and I hope I do. However, recently when I was working with a client, I noticed something she does that is effective and helps her move through things in not only a more professional way, but in a way that allows deeper learning.

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Her way is to look at everything as if it’s a puzzle or something to figure out, dissect and alter. This is a new way of thinking and being that will help you.

My client, when confronted with something new, or an issue, or even a correction, will pause for a moment, then comment, “Isn’t that interesting …,” as she allows her mind to work.

This does several things you can use too.

First, it shifts the energy from shock, dismay or any reaction that is negative, to one of curiosity and inquiry. The mere idea that anything new or presented is “interesting” makes it so.

Many people react with “That’s terrible!” or “Oh no!” or pure disbelief. This reaction, though common, puts the energy in a downward spiral. It becomes something to fix rather than something to learn from.

When you say to yourself or out loud, “Isn’t that interesting ….” You look at it differently, and you feel differently about it. The best part is, you begin to explore ways to work through things or seek the lessons in what has happened.

Making everything that is said or done, “interesting” shifts anyone else involved away from fear or turns excuses into calm and curiosity.

If in another’s mind they can think, “OK, not angry, not upset, just ‘interested,’” think how much easier it will be to work things through.

You can also use “interesting” to pave the way for new creative thinking.

Phrases that help creativity:

• “What’s interesting about this is …”
• “The interesting thing it seems is …”
• “What do you think is interesting about this?”

When you find life, people, pets — anything — interesting, you’ll find your life more interesting, and you will come up with more creative — and yes, interesting — solutions. And a leader who uses “Isn’t that interesting …” in the face of a challenge or bad news has an immediate advantage by allowing others to relax, and by giving you time to think and find creative solutions.

Isn’t that interesting?

The post 3 Words to Project Calm and Give Yourself Time to Think appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

This would be the first time I did something like this, and the trip was a big loop over to the Oregon coast over two-lane winding roads and through dense forests and gorgeous landscape.

In a car it’s great, and I thought on the back of a motorcycle it would be a wonderful adventure.

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This article is about the difference between control and trust, something that I grappled with the minute he zipped me into leather chaps, and a high-tech helmet we could converse through while riding. He instructed me about the perils of wiggling, sudden movements and keeping balanced.

I realized I had absolutely no control over this situation.

I was a passenger, extra weight on an already heavy bike, and I could pose a challenge that could end both of our lives.

Yes, I still got on.

When you are hiring someone or when you are taking on a new vendor or when you agree to advertise, how do you feel? Like you want to control the outcome, or that you will trust the process?

This is a great question to ask yourself. Believe me, I was asking myself this exact question a variety of times over the five hours we did the loop.

“Am I feeling anxious because I’m not driving this? Because I don’t have control of the bike?” My answer was: “That isn’t it. I don’t have control of planes, trains or autos I’m a passenger in.”

“Am I feeling anxious because I don’t trust this driver?” This I think is the key to a lot of what we do in business. How do we put our trust in people we don’t know well? How do we know that the new hire won’t steal, that the vendor will deliver or treat us fairly, or that the advertising will work?

The truth I realized as we sped around corners, leaning to the side with the wind whipping past us and the engine roaring was: We don’t. We don’t know, and so we have a choice. Trust and move forward, or distrust and keep doing your life and business as you have been.

I also asked myself whether I would have felt better, differently even, if I had been the one driving the Harley? If I had control of the bike? Would that have made me feel better or safer? My answer was no. I am not versed in that. I have never done it.

So if I want to experience more, have more, do more and live fully, I will have to trust others.

It’s the same in business. Those on my team, the people we hire for all those things we need, the places we advertise or things we decide to sponsor. We do it and I’m assuming you do it because if we don’t do it, we are not growing or risking or, maybe, we aren’t really living as fully as we could.

My challenge to you today is this: Who will you trust today? Maybe it’s simply trusting yourself enough to get on the bike and let things unfold as they will. Who knows, it might be one of the best things you’ve done in a while.

The post Control or Trust? The Two Don’t Have to Be Mutually Exclusive appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

I share this with you because Herbert has taught me an important leadership lesson recently. He was in the house uninvited. Sometimes I invite him into my office, which has a door to the outside and stone floors for easy cleanup of dirty hooves, but he snuck through the barrier and into the main part of the house and was heading in the direction of the dog food when I spied him.

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Immediately, I got behind him to push him back through the door and into the outside. He was having none of it. He planted his little hooves, and the more I pushed him, the more he grunted and squealed his displeasure.

That’s when I realized you can’t push a pig. Especially one that outweighs you.

This situation is like others we encounter where we want one result, and it seems nearly impossible to attain it by what we’re doing. Think about how you have sales goals — and because of those sales goals you do some pushing. And if you are feeling behind or overwhelmed, you might be pushing from behind. And nothing is happening.

Kinda like pushing a pig. No matter how hard you push, no matter how much you want to move forward, no matter how “nice” you are, that pig is not budging a bit.

So I stopped pushing.

I would like to say that I made this decision with a clear head and without using any off-colored words, but let’s suffice it to say after exhausting my strength and patience, I decided to take a different approach.

Do you quit pushing when the results are not there? Or do you keep at it because it’s the easiest thing to do or the thing we know? And do you notice that the harder you push the less you accomplish? This is true for so many things.

For me, it was my immediate reaction and that’s the real lesson. If I had stopped for a moment and thought about it, I had several other options that I could have done, including the one I did next: I went and got some pig food and put it in a pan so when I shook it, the sound made the most alluring and effective noise that Herbert wanted to follow. Which he did, right outside!

Next time before I — or you — push the pig, remember this lesson:

• Think before reacting.
• Determine the best plan or plans.
• Lure rather the pressure.

Anytime things come to a standstill in your business, stop pushing the pig and do something else.

The post Pushing the Pig: Try It, and You’ll See Why It Doesn’t Work appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

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1. Have the right goal. The more you know and communicate what you want from a mentor, or what you want in seeking mentorship, the better. You don’t get results without stating what you want them to be.

2. Determine a time frame. When each of you knows what you are agreeing to, you can use your time more effectively. From the length of the mentorship to when and where and for how long you will meet. Treat this like any important appointment and respect each other’s time.

3. Be prepared. When someone has asked me to mentor or wants to learn from me, I usually ask them to come up with the top questions they want to ask. This throws people off, which is surprising. If you are going to use leaders’ time, then use it well. Asking them to tell you their story is a waste of their time. Get to what you want. If you do not know what you want, then you are not ready for a mentor yet.

4. Set clear expectations. Mentors are not your teachers, your parents nor your accountability police. They are guides, so seek their wisdom rather than their secrets or systems. If they choose to provide you with those things, it’s wonderful; however, ask questions that will help you move forward rather than expecting the mentor to give you a plan. You can even ask them how they would most like to provide guidance, and then you can adjust from there.

Most important of all, a mentor is someone who is willing to give you their most important asset: their time. And so the most important thing to remember is to use their time well, which in turn will be an excellent use of your time, too.

The post 4 Steps to Pair with the Right Mentor appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

When the food came, the female server set it down with a flourish, and it looked great. I barely had a moment to admire my salad when the man sitting opposite me said, “The fries are cold.”

The server was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered and said, “I’ll bring you new ones.” And she hightailed it out of there to have a word with the kitchen.

There was a pause, so I said, “I’m so sorry you got a bad order, this place is usually great.” Because, of course, I’m feeling bad for suggesting a place that, it turns out, serves cold food. What does that say about my taste and judgment?

Then he said, “No worries, the fries aren’t really cold. There’s just not enough, so now they’ll bring more.”

I blinked in stunned silence and then gathering my wits about me asked, “Do you do this often?” To which he said, “Only when I think I’ve been shorted on something.”

Think about this for a moment. Where do you land on the right or wrong of this exchange?

As a consumer, you might agree that if you feel shorted in service, or product, or value, it’s within your rights to complain or ask … but to lie?

As a business owner, you may feel outraged and taken advantage of by a customer who is clearly misleading you or your team for additional gain.

Here’s my take from a leadership standpoint:

• Pause to take a breath. This can allow you to get emotions in check.
• Smile. This may be forced — after all, they are bringing up a complaint.
• Ask a question. This is the best thing however only if it’s a question that still makes the customer feel in control (rather than wrong), and it clarifies the real issue.

The example in this instance may have been that the server could have paused, smiled and asked, “Do you want me to replace them?”

Since the answer is most likely yes, then take the whole meal away.

If you get pushback — “It’s OK, just bring me more fries” — this is when you know the real intent behind the comment, and you can say, “If the fries (or whatever the complaint is) are not to your liking, we must check your whole meal so you are completely satisfied.”

If you have a pet business, you’re not selling fries, of course. However, you do have some customers who are hard to satisfy, and they can surprise you or take advantage of you, all the while feeling justified in doing so. Luckily, the same techniques will work: Pause, smile, ask a question.

Think about and discuss with your team the kinds of questions that are able to get to the bottom of the issue (or customer intent) without making the customer feel wrong.

For me, I learned several things that evening, the most important being to put myself in the position of both the customer and the business owner. If all of us did that more, maybe the experience for everyone would be better.

The post To Get to the Bottom of a Complaint, Pause, Smile and Ask appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

For me, it’s shifted from a destination to the journey — or what I like to call an adventure — because for me, life, love, pets and relationships are all adventures, usually to undiscovered places or experiences.

As we travel forward in life, we can hold success out in front of us like a carrot for a horse, or we can experience the pleasant feeling of being successful every time we take an action step.

So when you have the aim to learn something, and you do … success!

When you set out to make a customer smile, and you do … success!

When a new concept is presented, and you learn it, use it and excel in it … success, even though the process, the adventure may not be not complete.

When we think and feel successful, we do the actions that produce the results we seek. We also skip the painful process of thinking: “When I reach X, I’ll be successful,” or, “After I have Y, I’ll feel successful.”

We can live more fully, more engaged, energized and creative because every action is a success when we move forward with the right intention.

Let me explain it further with two mountain-climbing analogies:

In one case, the climber is the Seeker: Every prep, every step, every hurdle and every experience is a success getting to the top, and more important, returning from the top of the mountain.

In another case, the Conquerer: Success is only at the top. This permits less focus on getting back down gracefully or safely. So success is measured only by being on top, by taking control and forcing it.

Stop and ask yourself whether you relate more to the Seeker or the Conquerer. I’m not going to judge you. However, in my work with wonderful, successful professionals, I do know the happiest ones are those who seek and experience that happy jolt of success every step, every hurdle and every sale they take or make each day.

How do you become a better Seeker?

1. Set up all the action steps to take you where you want to go.
2. Track those steps so you know you accomplished them.
3. Note your progress and celebrate how far you’ve come.
4. Bask in the fact you are moving in the right direction.
5. Embrace the knowledge that there is no top/end to attain.
6. Revel in being a Seeker because those who seek, find!

This feeling of success is truly wonderful. Being a Seeker reminds me that I am creating the life I live, and if I can do it, so can you.

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Here’s the definition of a white lie from the Urban Dictionary: “A minor, polite or harmless lie. A white lie can be excused because it doesn’t cause great harm.”

And this is where the slippery slope begins!

What do you believe about lying? Is it totally wrong? Or are little white lies OK since they don’t cause great harm? And what is harm, anyway?

How do you feel about your customers and clients telling you little white lies? Like: “I’m not really looking.” Really? They called or came in, right? Apparently they are at least looking …

Or what about us? If we leave out something that affects someone’s decision, is that harmless?

An example would be a little white lie that there is only a limited number of something, when in reality there are plenty more.

There is a belief that people are not honest when they deal with others, that most people are focused on themselves, on getting the best deal for their needs.

Though there is truth mixed in with most things, today I want you to really think about what you believe about your clients and customers.

The reason is, if we believe buyers are liars, then that will affect how we treat them. With suspicion, with uncertainty and with our guard up.

Shakespeare once wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

And so it is with people.

What if we chose to believe, “People are neither good or bad, but thinking makes it so”?

What if we decided, right this minute, that:

• All my customers are special.
• All my clients want attention and guidance, and I know how to deliver it.
• All of those who inquire about my business and services are looking for what I offer.
• People are generally good.
• Pets are the best thing about life (I know you believe this already!).

The bottom line really is: What do you believe about your customers? Answering that truthfully and determining that you will, from this point on, believe only the best will made a profound difference in your results.

If you already have this positive belief, ask yourself whether you are sharing it enough with your team and community. If not, there’s your action plan for this month!

I believe in you!

The post What You Believe About Your Customers Influences How You Treat Them appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

A company hired me to work with its leaders, from the founder — who was a brilliant man who didn’t like titles since he expected everyone to feel ownership — to all the other C-suite leaders who also didn’t have titles.

I adored working with this team. They were innovative, eager to learn and grow, and we saw huge leaps in productivity and profit.

Because the top leader was carrying much of the burden, they hired someone inside their industry to join the team and take some of the responsibilities off his plate. You may have done something similar or said to yourself, “If I could only clone myself, things would be easier!”

The new hire, a man in his middle years of work experience, got a bit sideways with the top guy when he refused him a title. “What am I then?” he asked. To which the founder said, “Worry less about what title you have, and let’s get things done.”

This man — let’s call him Kurt — would not let this go. When we coached, he wanted to spend time second-guessing the founder. When he spoke to others,s he would lament, “If I had more power, I would get more done.” He was missing the entire point that a title doesn’t give someone power. Leadership does.

Several months later, Kurt is no longer on that team. It was painful for everyone since he was liked and respected, but he proved that he couldn’t actually lead (or so he thought) without a title.

Which brings me back to my point: Is leadership given or taken?

Think through this for a moment.

With a title comes what? More responsibility, more power, more money? Or is it your responsibility to lead regardless of those things?

You, like me, have probably been in some sort of group that was given a task, volunteering perhaps or in an association, and there are people who naturally step forward to lend a hand, take responsibility, to encourage and lead, though they were never given that job nor that title.

The others naturally follow, or if the person is a good leader, he works things through together, with everyone sharing and taking turns leading.

You, like me, have no doubt also been in a similar situation where the actual leader was not leading, not encouraging and where things ground to a standstill or much time was wasted.

If you are like me, you might have gently stepped in to sort it out and lend a hand, since that’s what leaders do. Everyone, everywhere, can be a leader. And you don’t need a title to do it.

What you need instead of a title:

• Ability to see the goal or end result. (You know what needs to be done.)
• Courage to encourage some type of collaboration. (You can join all the talent together.)
• Skill in asking questions that bring people forth and safety for them to provide answers.

There are more traits great leaders have, but for today, what if you looked at your pet business and determined whether you have leaders because you’re providing a safe environment or title holders who are working simply because they were placed in that position? Is it time to hire more leaders?

The post 3 Leadership Aspects You Need Instead of a Title appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

When this happens, I’m delighted because that leader is becoming more aware that she has control over those words and how they may or may not land. However, sometimes it’s not the actual words but the intent behind them that makes or breaks the situation.

Let’s dig deeper into this.

Here’s a standard miscommunication:

When you say “Would you please do X task?” your words, in your mind, may be clear and determined.

You are asking them actually to do the task, right?

That’s what you think.

In reality, it’s an inquiry with no clear intent of when it must be complete or even a determination of end result.

When I’m coaching clients, we take it down to the elements that will actually produce results.

First question: What do you want? And let’s go deeper than having the task done. Aren’t tasks the means to an end result? If you are spending a lot of time on “tasks,” you may have a checked-off to-do list and still not have the results you desire.

Ask yourself instead: “What will having this task done accomplish in regard to my big goal or highest priority?”

That question will shift your thinking to shift from “task doing” to “results producing.”

But what do you ask then if not, “Will you do X task?”

You have many choices. and all of them depend on the intent.

Intent one: Get a task completed. To do this, ask it as is with the addition of a timeframe: “Will you do X task by 3 p.m. today?” The specificity will help you both.

Intent two: Get a commitment to a result rather than a task. Say: “To further the goal of X, please provide me with a list of tasks and who is best to accomplish them inside our timeframe.”

This request will allow the other person to take leadership of the goal and either take on the tasks or find those abler to do so. Remember, of course, to include a timeframe.

Intent three: further action on your end goal. Ask a new question: “To make sure we reach X place, what do you think is the best plan or path to accomplish it?”

This will help them buy into the goal and give you new ideas.

As a leader, we usually know the goal and know the steps or actions to take. That doesn’t mean we should do those actions, nor that others know the goal.

When you shift your thinking like this, things in your world begin to improve. I see it all the time in my coaching clients. If you want the same results, the first step is to stop and think, “What is my intent?” and then the words will come easier.

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Vince Lombardi once said: “If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?

When you keep track or keep score, you have so much you can do with that information:

1. Know how far you’ve come. One of my business coaches pointed out how often we are focused on the future, and so we miss celebrating how far we’ve come. When you track your progress it’s easier to say, “Wow! We’ve come this far, let’s keep going!”

2. Know if you are winning and by how much. We wouldn’t watch basketball, baseball, or any of the ball sports if two teams were simply playing for fun. We want to know who is the stronger, better or luckier team that day, and we know there is an ending point. We stay to see who won, by how much and how each team acts afterwards. When you keep track of your results, you know where you are and when.

3. Tweak your actions to shift and improve your results. When you track things, patterns emerge. As a coach that’s one of my jobs: to note my clients’ patterns and tweak to improve results. When you track your progress and results, you are giving yourself the gift of seeing what is working and tweaking or eliminating what isn’t.

4. Celebrate along the way. This is something I missed when I was starting out, and it cost me some team members. I was too focused on the doing, going, getting-it-done attitude, and so I didn’t stop and recognize some of the milestones that would have given me and the team a break, a bigger reason to keep going and a way to create culture. Like dog training, when you recognize and praise the right actions, you get more of them.

5. Teach it down and out. When you track your efforts and results, you have the opportunity during the review of those efforts and results to teach, to demonstrate, or to ask for a lesson in how it worked and how to repeat it. “Show me how you got this result” is a powerful request for when it’s going well and when it isn’t.

If we don’t track what was done, it’s all a mystery. You’re planning or buying or reacting in a void. Are you willing to live in the dark this year?

The post Keep Score. Are You Missing a Big Piece of the Business Puzzle? appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

OK, I get that it’s a shameful thing to admit from a successful and seeking business person. Our conscious mind says, “I should be reading a business book, learning how to use social media better, or do the paperwork that’s long overdue.”

But somewhere in our mind, we are compelled to turn on one more episode of this series that is doing really nothing for us but taking up time. We keep doing it because it feels good.

Why we do this may just be the secret to getting people to be that sucked into our business story.

So let’s break this down. People follow:

Interesting characters: That would be you, and those you employ, and those you attract. In your favorite series, you begin to feel for the characters. I say “feel” because sometimes you hate a character too. The secret is this: The characters are interesting.

Are you being your most interesting self for your customers?

Tip: Those who are interesting are usually interested — asking questions, telling stories, being quick to laugh and having a sense of fun.

Ongoing challenges: Things to overcome that others can feel involved with. When your characters are tackling an obstacle (many times that they created themselves), we love to watch, weigh in and talk about it.

What are you sharing with your customers?

Tip: Share more of your goals and journey with your clients. Let them in on your big plans. The feeling of, “We’re in this together” is a sure way to keep them tuning into you.

Real connecting: Most great storylines show people deeply connected, sharing times, laughter and tears and sacrifices for each other. Day to day seems so much less dramatic than our shows, but it’s only that way if you think it is.

Do you consider your life like an epic novel?

Tip: Your life is like a novel. Focus on those big and small connecting moments and put as much energy as those you’re watching do.

Cliffhangers: Often, not knowing how it ends is the most tantalizing thing (and sometimes frustrating too!), but we keep watching and giving our time to something that makes us curious.
Businesses do this all the time with sneak previews and hints about new products. Are you doing this enough?

Tip: Give your customers something to look forward to. Either surprises or annual events that are fun and engaging. If you are already doing this, how can you use the techniques from successful series to add more mystery or intrigue?

Next time you watch your favorite show, note what you love most and ask yourself, how can I do this for my pet business?

The post Make Your Business Binge-Worthy appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

If you have a pet business, you know all about excitement and risk.

On the one hand, you know expansion is smart, needed and potentially lucrative. The end goal, right?

On the other hand, there is a lot of outlay, many moving parts, and it’s uncertain how much or how fast the investment you’re making will pay off.

Somewhere the expression, “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room,” crossed my mind. Though funny at the time, that feeling of hanging on by my toes is a good description for what I  experiencied as the project swirled around me.

To make this project work, friends stepped in to lend their expertise. To do the work, we ordered a bulldozer and an excavator at great expense. One of my friends can operate both, and both were needed. But he couldn’t do both at once, so the excavator was sitting idle a majority of time that first day.

The cost of this idle time was weighing heavily on me. You know that feeling?

So, I thought to myself, “How hard can it be to run this thing?”

I think that most lessons or experiences begin with a question like that. You might have thought something similar before you jumped into business, “How hard can it be?”

And then we find out.

Running an excavator is not that difficult, after all, and so the point is made that nothing is impossible or difficult, at first. What I learned, however, is how difficult it is to do it well. And how frightening it is when you get yourself off-kilter or to close to the edge. I nearly tipped it over a handful of times and scared myself silly in the process. But I figured it out, same as you do.

What I learned from this adventure are a couple of things that will help me, and you, do business even better:

1

Take the risk. If you’re not growing, expanding and stretching, what are you doing? And if something really scares you, remember you are strong enough.

2

When you get on shaky ground, back up a bit. It’s unlikely you’ll tip over, but moving back a bit will gain you confidence and help you reposition for higher success.

3

Even when you can do something, hiring an expert, or turning it over to an expert, is smart, especially if you want to get more done and in a better way. Necessity may be why you climb into the seat, but it doesn’t mean you should stay there. I was happy I took the controls and even happier to relinquish them to a better operator who magically appeared.

The project is still in process, but it’s turning out even better than imagined so far, and I have a feeling the risk, the stretch, the fear will not only be worth it, I will remember all of it fondly when I say, “I even ran that big excavator myself!”

The post What Running an Excavator Can Teach You About Business appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.

“Go lie down,” we say to our canine companions.

We don’t need to tell them to do this. Dogs lie down to wait, they lie down to rest, and they settle down when the action stops.

Are you doing that for you? When do you plan on lying down awhile?

If you have a pet business, you’re already thinking about Christmas, but taking some time now to stop all the activity could be the best thing you can do for your business.

But how? Most pet professionals feel overworked. The really healthy and successful ones know that the time they take to refresh and renew is time invested in helping them think more clearly, come up with new ideas and give a fresh perspective to their team and customers.

• Go to water. Airbnb is so easy to use, and it’s staying someplace people actually live, rather than a sterile hotel. Plus, you can be close to water, which has a calming effect on nearly everyone. The ocean, a river or a lake — any of these will help you re-level your tank. Extra idea: Blow up the air toys and float on the water.
• Give yourself a spa day. Nourishing your body with healing touch is one of my favorite re-energizing activities. Our pets are healthier when we pet them (and, yes, it benefits us too). But who “pets” us? Hire a professional for a massage, a facial or a pedicure, and feel the love as our pets do.
• Lie or walk barefoot on the earth. You can do this during a picnic, when you camp, or even at home in your yard. It’s amazing to me how humans no longer connect to the energy of the earth.

Dogs lie down on the ground often, and they are healthier for it. Why not us?

Ask yourself when was the last time you actually touched the ground? Walked barefoot outside, got your hands in dirt? This is the best way to ground yourself. Dogs get this.

These refreshing ideas will benefit you, but even better, they will help your family, team and customers because you will feel, look and communicate better.

The post Go Lie Down! How Taking a Break Will Help You and Your Business appeared first on PETSPLUSMAG.COM.