Puppy training.

It’s been 33 years since I’ve had to train a puppy. Whatever skills I might once have had seem like they’ve disappeared in time and space.

Can you really teach an old dog new tricks?

Last month, we lost our longtime canine companion, Bella. She was five years old when we adopted her in January 2010, making her the ripe old age of 19 when she passed. Now that’s a heck of a long life!

The plan was to take a respite from dogs. Barb and I have owned dogs since 1991 and while there was a definite void, it felt like a good time to take a breather.

The respite was shorter than anticipated.

A friend from high school who is in the dog rescue business had recovered and was now fostering puppies found abandoned on the side of a highway in California. They were thought to be Jack Russell terriers. She knew my affinity for the breed and took a chance that it wasn’t too soon after Bella’s passing to reach out.

Fast forward a week and a half and we have a new puppy. And we are very happy about it.

While we’ve had dogs for over three decades, the first back in 1991 was the only puppy. All the other dogs, including the great Captain Jack, were adult dogs that came somewhat trained.

Bandon (named after my favorite golf destination Bandon Dunes) is 12 weeks old, still working on potty training, and never been walked on a leash. The good news is he sleeps through the night!

What’s now available on YouTube is mind blowing. I’ve become a sponge in learning how to do all the things that for so long I’ve taken for granted with my dogs. What I thought I knew before is now different, and the onus is on Barb and me to make Bandon a well-behaved dog, not on him.

This is very much the same with a group of humans we label “employees.”

When I entered the workforce shortly before starting that string of dogs, command and control culture for leadership was still a thing. Training and development entailed handing me a pen and pad of paper with a Thomas Brothers map book and wishing me good luck. It was my job to learn my job.

Many of you reading this might relate to this.

Similarly, there are those old school dog owners that eschewed formal dog training for their own command and control ways of barking commands to dogs, utilizing negative reinforcement tactics like sticking the dog’s nose in its urine, and banishing the mutt to parts of the residence unknown as punishment.

While humans and canines are certainly different species, neither of us respond well to those old command and control methods.

However, another problem still exists when it comes to both trainings. That is the misconception that both the dog and the employee a figure out how to behave and perform without formal training. That somehow, intuitively they will know how to take a walk or sell a product.

While command and control is (or should be) dead; the theory of avoidance is also as deleterious. The latter measure never allows employees to become “unleashed.”

Training and development too often are viewed as an “extra.” The formality, structure, and financial and time investments don’t overtake other more pressing issues. When this happens, the consequences are significantly bad.

Apathy, mediocrity, and conflict become hallmarks of the culture. Relationships not only aren’t built, but they might also get fractured.

You might be saying, “Dan, we have tried training and it never seems to last. It costs too much in time and money. And the employees don’t seem to be engaged.”

Maybe the problem is like investing time and energy into the problem but not enough into the “how” part of it.

One of the things I’m learning with Bandon is that that he can’t be expected to know how to walk well around the neighborhood if he’s never learned the concept of leash walking. He knows how to walk. He can see the street ahead of him. He just hasn’t been taught the expectations and the behavior.

It’s incumbent on me as the instructor to learn how to teach the behavior. I need to make it fun and engaging so he stays interested. He must get positive reinforcement from me because that’s what he craves. He needs me to be patient and work in small portions to progressively learn. And he needs to know that failing is okay and that we keep on learning together.

What if we did the same in our businesses?

My preference is to do away with the word “training” when it comes to humans and instead use “development.” Aren’t we really developing skills and expertise, rather than training a dog?

It’s the responsibility of the employers to develop good instruction. That means skill building for people while I’ll be coaching and mentoring others. That’s the foundation. Build a team that is willing and able to teach to any learning style in an encouraging and kind manner.

After you’ve developed coaches and mentors, there should be a progressive plan with qualitative and quantitative benchmarks for improvement. Unlike dogs, humans are motivated by results. We want to know that we’re improving and how to make changes when we fail. The process is the way and making it consistent is the key to success.

I will admit to being a little overwhelmed in my new role of puppy trainer. I’ve made the commitment to start the development with me as the coach and guide; and then to be persistent, positive, and consistent through the process, especially when we fail. And we will.

The result will be a well-behaved dog that gives and gains enjoyment in life.

When employers make that same commitment to the development of coaches and mentors and to a process that focuses on positive reinforcement and encouragement, the end results will be remarkable: happier and more productive employees that have a commitment and loyalty to their company.

And isn’t that a doggone good thing to have?

Dan Weedin is a strategist, speaker, author and executive coach and regular contributor to the Kitsap Sun. He helps small business and middle market business leaders and entrepreneurs to grow more profitably and create a better life. He was inducted into the Million Dollar Consultant™ Hall of Fame in 2012. You can reach Dan at 360-271-1592; e-mail at dan@danweedin.com or visit his web site at www.DanWeedin.com.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Shift from training to development to help people grow