“Stay close. Too far. Wrong choice. Good job. Good boy.”
These are phrases I say constantly to my two-year-old dog, Bandon. They get repeated often when we’re working with our trainer, Brittany.
Of importance: I said our trainer. More on that later.
Bandon and I have been working with Brittany for the better part of a year. It became clear early on that Bandon the puppy needed skills in a variety of areas like proper walking, proper listening, and appropriate behavior around others.
He’s come a long way, but we continue to work with Brittany. Even as the cadence has slowed, staying sharp matters for both of us.
This isn’t unlike developing employees and leaders in any organization. While many might call what Bandon is doing “dog training,” I prefer to think of it as development — for both of us.
Improving skills, talents, and behaviors in dogs and humans alike requires what I call the 4 Cs: Communication, Correction, Consistency, and Candor.
Communication
Perhaps the most critical of the four, because it impacts all the others.
Too often, a lack of clarity creates a lot of problems. While humans certainly have a deeper vocabulary than dogs, that doesn’t mean communication should be any less clear.
Common missteps include too many words, too much jargon, too many assumptions, and unnecessary complexity. Whether oral or written, specificity and brevity will always win.
Developing people should involve language that is genuine, encouraging, and leads to positive outcomes. One great example is explaining the why. Dogs don’t need to understand that something is dangerous — humans do. People perform better when they understand the reason behind the request. Be clear.
Correction
If you grew up when I did, you probably remember correction rooted in sternness, anger, and often yelling. That was the old command-and-control mindset.
I don’t yell at Bandon. My goal is to correct in a tone he’ll respond to and guide him toward a better decision. That approach matters even more with people.
If we want to develop employees and leaders, correction should be simple, calm, and rooted in positive feedback. Don’t confuse correction with discipline. Bad behavior in people can’t be tolerated, and those individuals often self-select out of your organization anyway. Correction is about improving skills and deepening understanding.
Consistency
One reason we continue working with Brittany is the long-term consistency she brings to our goals.
Consistency means we don’t allow slippage. I’ve seen too many cases where safety practices that were once trained get overlooked for the sake of speed or convenience. That’s how standards erode.
Consistency also means development doesn’t end. Brittany started with us weekly. That cadence shifted to every other week, then monthly. Staying fine-tuned over time builds muscle memory and engrains the right habits.
Candor
The worst thing we can do is be dishonest about progress.
Sparing feelings — or worse, moving someone through a process they aren’t ready for — devalues their growth and sets them up to fail later. That’s not kindness. It’s a disservice.
The other extreme is equally damaging. Cruelty has no place in honest feedback. Proper instruction is the blend of candor with empathy and care. Some people do this naturally. For those who don’t, it can be taught and it should be, especially for those entrusted with coaching and mentoring others.
One Final Thought
Earlier, I mentioned that Brittany trains both of us. In my experience, the best investment any development program can make is in properly training the trainer.
Dogs and humans grow fastest when the person guiding them has the right skills. If you don’t invest in the professional development of your mentors and coaches, the results downstream will suffer. Invest from the top down, and the outcomes will always be better.
Bandon still has room to grow, particularly in how he interacts with others. But that old, tired notion that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks has never been true for dogs, and it isn’t true for people either.
The growth and prosperity of any company depends on a strong base of people. That has always been the case, and it won’t change. How committed leadership is to the 4 Cs will go a long way toward ensuring that success.
