I suppose that it is to be expected. He is of a completely different species. Mother nature designed canines and humans tinkered with dogs for millennia. However he evolved or was bread, my dog has never had a thought he has not acted on. My wife thinks he has never had a thought.
I think dogs have thoughts or the dog-equivalent of thoughts. Maybe we’ll never understand them. I’ve seen shows and videos of savants who are so intuitive in reading dogs’ body language that they understand dogs on a level that I will never get to.
My dog, “Cal” is a young hunting dog (we think German Short-Haired Pointer mixed with Labrador Retriever) with more energy than sense. Sometimes he will tear around the backyard for no particular reason. And then he might just as likely flop down onto the floor with no warning in what seems like the most uncomfortable position and quickly fall asleep. Often, he wants to protect me from the lawnmower by ferociously barking at it.
Sometimes he will cuddle right next to me with his head draped on my lap in the picture of contentment and oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone that has been over-simplified to be known as the ‘cuddle hormone.’ Oxytocin is far more complicated than that but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll say that when my dog wedges in next to me, both he and I are awash in oxytocin.
As cute and cuddly as he sometimes can be, he is in fact, also a hunting dog who has single-mindedly run down a young deer. I don’t know why. He is more than well-fed at home. When he tripped the deer and immediately clamped onto its throat, he terrified my daughters. As terrified as they were, they were able to yank him off the deer. The deer limped away.
Cal was none too happy. He was a muscular ball of fury and blood lust. For at least an hour, he was a raving lunatic who pulled on the leash all the way home. At home, he paced, whined, and generally radiated predatory energy. Having said all of that, later that night, he was snoring in one of my daughters’ beds wedged in as close as he could be to her as if nothing had happened.
His weirdest and quirkiest behavior is his tendency to collect treasures. Stuffed animals, dog toys, shoes, and sticks. There are two distinct areas in my backyard where he will deposit his treasures. He isn’t actually a chewer, he just likes to get something of value, scurry away with it, and then lie down in one of the places he has chosen as his depository. We think it has something to do with him initiating a game of chase. As a puppy, he would grab something he shouldn’t have and, we would attempt to get it from him, he would run away, and we would chase him to get it away from him. In that, he trained us rather well.
So back to his treasures, I haven’t been able to figure out what makes a good treasure in his mind. It certainly isn’t store-bought pet toys. Those things are a complete waste of money in my house. 90% of the time, he is content to steal something that one of us humans need, run through his doggie door, plop down in one of his places, and just sit there like a dragon on top of a treasure heap waiting for us. When we don’t pay attention to him, then he will change his mind and bring his treasures back to us. Of course, when he does, he generally shoves them into the crotch area with way too much force.
If he is left to his own devices in the backyard, he’ll find a stick. Well, actually, he’ll find bark. He loves to rip the bark of the logs in our wood pile. I don’t know if it is the smell, taste, or texture. He seems to love crunching it up, mixing the bark crumbs with his drool, and making an unholy mix of brown slime. And, if he thinks we have ignored him, he will bring the brown slime to you in a display of proud triumph.
Every now and then, when you are least expecting it, he will surprise you by bringing a half-chewed, disintegrating piece of bark. He doesn’t just bring it to you. He brings it at you and on you. He miraculously times these deliveries to coincide with the times when a person happens to be wearing nice slacks, a skirt, or anything that they do not want soaked in brown, bark slime.
I’d like to say I had perfect patience. By the way, it is a side project of mine to investigate the concept of impatience with others as a form of ableism. When I find myself impatient with someone, it is generally because that person doesn’t have the skills, resources, or knowledge that I have. I am not bragging, just reflecting on how fortunate I am. First sophism, can you rightfully blame someone for not having the knowledge and skills that you have?
Back to my specific impatience with my dog Cal. I remember an instance when he gleefully shoved his half-digested hunk of bark onto my light grey slacks. When he did that, I happened to be leaving for a conference where I was supposed to speak. I was rushed and I just didn’t have time or patience right then. Maybe at another time I would have laughed it off.
But not then. I yelled at him. Pushed him away and made it very clear that I was not interested in his stick. Like I said at the beginning, I don’t understand my dog’s mind, but it’s not hard to imagine his little doggy feelings were hurt. Maybe he knew something I didn’t. He was giving me his prize possession and asking me to play. While we have played a zillion times since, I wonder if that interaction decreased his willingness to play with me just a bit.
Second sophism. Now imagine that eager-to-please ball of playfulness shows you his favorite stick. He really wants you to play. But this time, he brought you a one-ended stick. How would you grab it? That mental stutter step, where your mind couldn’t envision a one-ended stick, that sliver of amused confusion that you felt was just like the feeling you had right before your last good idea. By getting into that state more often, you will invite good ideas to arrive more often. Remember, increased sales or whatever your goals might be are only one good idea away.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the unfathomable mind of a dog is a good metaphor for our unconscious. Just like my dog bringing me seemingly random objects, my unconscious can sometimes bring me seemingly random thoughts. And, often they are unpleasant.
What in the name of partially digested wood fiber does this have to do with helping sales managers help their teams increase sales? There are at least two levels to this. As mentioned above we, (you, me, and your team) need to work on our relationship with our unconscious if we want to have good ideas more often. The other level is that one of your team might bring back a crappy sales prospect. They might be prospecting in the wrong area. Their efforts might be the equivalent of a dirty stick. The question is what are you going to do about it? I’ll give you a hint. Dogs fetch better when they think it is a game rather than if they think they must fetch.
Have you ever had a thought that grossed you out or even disturbed you? I’m sure you have. Let me stop here and offer a disclaimer. This chapter or anything associated with The Creativity Algorithm is not intended and should not be taken as therapy or clinical advice for symptoms of mental illness.
There, got that out of the way. I’ve got a two-part sophism for you. First part, think of a thought that you had that disturbed you -just like the dirty stick. Second part of the sophism, don’t turn away from it. Your unconscious brought it to you. If you push it away like I did with my dog’s offering, you are losing an opportunity to engage, learn, and benefit.
I can tell you that in all of the times that I have done yardwork and outside projects, there have been times when I have actually needed and used a big piece of bark. So, what if an employee brings you a seemingly meaningless concern, idea, or prospect? What if their office chair squeaks? What if their mouse buttons stick a bit? Will you dismiss it as I did with my dog’s important overture?
I’m not saying everything that comes from any employee is critical and needs to be attended to immediately. Nor am I saying I should indulge my dog’s every whim. Nor am I saying you should unquestioningly listen to your unconscious.
What I am saying is we all need a system. Perhaps I need to set clearer rules for my dog shoving his toys into people’s crotches. Perhaps, when my unconscious delivers an idea, even an unpleasant one, I should make time to engage with it when I am not busy. And, perhaps when an employee brings a manager something they think is important, the manager should engage. Maybe not right away,
A system of regular engagement with our unconscious is important for overall mental health and for having good ideas more often. A system of regular engagement between the knowledge pool of the employees and the decision makers of management can make an organization healthier and more vibrant.
TakeAway for this Week: In the previous chapters, I have said that we must make time to find an alpha state, play with the sophisms and invite good ideas to come to us. I don’t think that is specific enough. I think you and I need to write down what we will do, when we will do it and how we will do it. So, create a time and a space for you to engage with yourself. Reflect on a thought you had that was less than pleasant. Ask yourself if it was truly random or if it had meaning and purpose. In order to find out why my dog brought me that stick at that time, I might have to get my hands dirty. That just might be true for you and your thoughts.
Spreading the Thoughts: Ask your coworkers if they have ever had a weird, unwanted thought pop into their head. Ask them if they think there is a reason for such things. If they say they don’t know, then tell them about The Creativity Algorithm.
Next Post: Missing a Virtue
For more information on how to help yourself and people in your organization learn how to have good ideas more regularly, please go to:
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