How to Pet a Porcupine

I discovered something new in a staff meeting a few weeks ago, and that is that you can pet a porcupine without getting hurt. I have never actually pet a porcupine, but I was told it is possible without a follow-up trip the hospital, if you do it correctly.

Porcupine

Photo courtesy of © flickr.com/photos/arthur_chapman/3986448936/

If you want to pet a porcupine without getting stuck by a bunch of quills you don’t run up and startle it.  You don’t quickly scoop it up into your hands and give it a big hug.  If you want to pet a porcupine you have to develop trust with it.  First, you hold out your hand to see if it wants to come near and sniff you. Only after it sniffs you can you pet it, but you have to do it a certain way starting at the head and petting down.  To pet a porcupine any other way could potentially hurt…a lot.

Some people are a lot like porcupines. They have quills, and they will stick you if you handle them the wrong way.    You know the kind of people I am talking about, they tend to be a bit grouchy, pessimistic, standoffish and avoid personal contact, have a tendency to complain and point out the bad in a situation, etc…  These people tend to be a lot like porcupines.  If you run up and startle them you’re going to get hurt.  If you try to pressure them into doing something you’re going to get hurt.  If you cross their path in a way they don’t like, start looking for the nearest hospital.

To pet one of these porcupines requires developing trust just like a real porcupine. No, holding out your hand to see if they sniff you is probably not the best way to go about it, but spending time getting to know them is.  Learning about their perspective, their past, their priorities can give you insight in how best to go about working and getting along with them.  Taking the time to building trust with can go a very long way, and save you a lot of pain in the end.  Just as I am sure petting a real porcupine is an amazing experience, I know that getting someone who is a bit prickly on your side can be just as fulfilling.

Also, for those who are pastors of churches and have opportunity to work with porcupines, the reality is that they are also sheep in need of a good shepherd. They can’t simply be dismissed. You can’t just steer clear of them like you might a real porcupine in the wild. You have to learn to pet them.  You have to learn to lead them. So you might as well do it the right way, and save yourself some pain.

Posted on
Category: Leadership

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

119,279 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  10. I have been browsing on-line more than 3 hours nowadays, yet I never found any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is lovely worth enough for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content as you did, the web shall be a lot more helpful than ever before.

    Reply

  19. When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get three emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Many thanks!

    Reply

  25. Хотите продать антиквариат дорого и без лишних хлопот? Проведём бесплатную оценку по фотографиям и сразу дадим справедливую рыночную цену. Выезд эксперта по всей России, оплата в день сделки — наличными или на карту. Ищете оценить антиквариат онлайн? Подробнее и заявка на оценку здесь: коллекционер-антиквариата.рф Работайте без посредников и получайте до 50% больше. Конфиденциальность и безопасность гарантированы.

    Reply

  27. Заказать диплом любого университета!
    Наши специалисты предлагаютбыстро и выгодно купить диплом, который выполняется на оригинальной бумаге и заверен мокрыми печатями, штампами, подписями. Наш диплом способен пройти лубую проверку, даже с применением специального оборудования. Решайте свои задачи максимально быстро с нашим сервисом- reputable.cc/profile/vicky854902898

    Reply

  32. Готові бути в курсі головних подій без зайвого шуму? На одному майданчику зібрано ключові теми країни: економіка, технології, культура, освіта та спорт. Чітка навігація, швидкі оновлення та якісні джерела — все для вашої поінформованості. Долучайтеся та зберігайте у закладки https://vun.com.ua/ — тут завжди свіжа добірка тем, які варто знати. Оберіть зручний формат читання і не втрачайте важливе щодня.

    Reply

  45. Do you have a spam problem on this website; I also am a blogger, and I was curious about your situation; we have developed some nice practices and we are looking to trade strategies with other folks, please shoot me an e-mail if interested.

    Reply

  50. Does your site have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but,
    I’d like to send you an email. I’ve got some suggestions for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
    Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it develop
    over time.

    Reply