Canton on Emergency Management

Focus for success: A Tail from the Dog Park

Kona's best friend, Nala, is all about focus. She hits the dog park running, wrestles hard with Kona and some of her other friends but it's just a warm up. Soon she's looking for THE BALL. And it's not just any ball she wants - it has to be the specific one she has decided for whatever reason is hers for the day. She doesn't take no for an answer and god help any dog that comes between her and the chosen one. Normally the sweetest of dogs, she will attack another dog who makes the mistake of going after THE BALL. (The one exception is Kona, who can actually pull it out from Nala's mouth.)

Nala understands that to get ahead in life, you must focus on the things you want. Allowing yourself to become distracted frequently leads to failure. And you have to be prepared to sacrifice and fight for what you want.

However, there is a downside to being overly-focused and crossing the line into obsession. Nala has been disciplined and taken home early for fighting with other dogs. She sometimes misses out on great play with other dogs in her single-minded pursuit of THE BALL. She pays a price at times for her obsession.

So remember that while focus is absolutely essential in achieving success, it must be balanced with the ability to recognize and pursue unexpected opportunities. There's more than one ball in the dog park, after all.

Teams are made of individuals: A Tail From the Dog Park

Our labrador/border collie mix, Kona, has a rare gift. When she meets a new dog, she sizes them up almost instantly and adjusts her play to the other dog's needs. With some, she's the aggressor, clearly dominating the other dog in their puppy wrestling matches. With others, she's more passive and allows herself to be the dog on the bottom of the pile.

The size of the other dog doesn't matter. She outweighs her best friend, Naula, by a third but Kona lets Naula win their wrestling matches. On the other hand, she's all over her friend Lola, even though Lola is a much heavier boxer mix. I've seen Kona romp with a great Dane and then play gently with her friend Princess Leia, an 8 pound ball of fluff who thinks she's a great Dane. Kona always seems to know how to adjust her play to her playmate.

We can learn a lot from Kona. If you're going to build an effective team, you need to understand the needs of your team mates. While you may share a common goal, each team member brings a different agenda and level of experience to the team. Motivations will be different. Organizational culture will be different. The trick is to see individuals, not just the team, and have a unique strategy for dealing with each one. Their feeling of inclusion will increase and you'll make quicker progress towards your goals.

Hey, if a dog can do it...

Risk Management Lessons from a Hawk - A Tail from the Dog Park

My typical day starts with an early morning walk with our dog, Kona, affectionately known around here as "Kona the Destroyer". We always end up at our local dog park where Kona gets off-leash time with her buddies and I get to gossip with other doggy parents.

The other morning I heard a shout and turned just in time to see what looked like the world's biggest red-tailed hawk swoop down past one of Kona's playmates. Wilson is a 30 pound labradoodle and it was clear that the hawk was planning to invite him back to its nest for breakfast but had changed its mind at the last minute. It was over in an instant and Wilson never even realized how close he had come to being the special of the day.

It's a simple story but it demonstrates a number of points about risk that we sometimes forget:

• Risk is not static - it can change over time and needs to be reassessed regularly. We had heard stories about the hawks being a danger to smaller dogs but never considered that a large hawk might choose to up his game.
• Risk can change dramatically in a short time and take you unawares. The incident was over before we realized what was happening.
• Risk is not always apparent to those most affected by it. Wilson never saw the hawk, never reacted to it flying overhead. Frequently those most at risk have a strong sense of denial and won't acknowledge risk.
• Increased risk doesn't necessarily produce change. All of us were back at the park this morning as usual, although we are passing on a warning to those with smaller dogs.

There's also a lesson to be learned from the hawk as well. The hawk decided that his target was too heavy, made a minor adjustment, and changed his strike into a graceful swoop.When you're committed to a goal and focused on achieving it, it sometimes pays to reassess your risk. Decisive action can make the difference between disaster and survival.

You can learn a lot from a hawk.