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 to Diplomi_vhOi Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

318,509 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  7. I believe everything said made a ton of sense. But, think about this, what if you were to create a killer headline? I mean, I don’t wish to tell you how to run your website, but what if you added something that makes people desire more? I mean %BLOG_TITLE% is kinda boring. You ought to glance at Yahoo’s home page and watch how they create news titles to grab people to open the links. You might try adding a video or a pic or two to grab people interested about what you’ve written. Just my opinion, it could bring your posts a little bit more interesting.

    Reply

  24. Have you ever considered writing an ebook or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog centered on the same subjects you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my audience would value your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.

    Reply

  30. ндс как уменьшить сумму налога Как уменьшить НДС стоимость: Уменьшение НДС в стоимости товаров и услуг может быть достигнуто путем применения льготных ставок НДС или использованием налоговых вычетов. Это позволяет снизить конечную цену для потребителя и повысить конкурентоспособность продукции.

    Reply

  38. Hey would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using?
    I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m
    having a difficult time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most
    blogs and I’m looking for something unique.

    P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!

    Reply

  40. Acho simplesmente alucinante Bet4Slot Casino, parece uma montanha-russa de diversao. A gama do cassino e simplesmente um carrossel de delicias, com slots de cassino tematicos de aventura. O servico do cassino e confiavel e cheio de energia, dando solucoes na hora e com precisao. As transacoes do cassino sao simples como um giro de roleta, de vez em quando queria mais promocoes de cassino que giram como um tornado. No geral, Bet4Slot Casino e o point perfeito pros fas de cassino para os apaixonados por slots modernos de cassino! De bonus o design do cassino e um espetaculo visual giratorio, torna a experiencia de cassino um carrossel inesquecivel.
    como funciona o bet4slot|

    Reply