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_nkoa Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

99,889 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  7. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thank you, However I am going through difficulties with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I am unable to join it. Is there anybody getting similar RSS problems? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!!

    Reply

  10. I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues? A number of my blog visitors have complained about my site not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any solutions to help fix this problem?

    Reply

  18. Thank you, I have recently been looking for information approximately this topic for a long time and yours is the best I’ve came upon so far. However, what about the bottom line? Are you positive about the supply?
    kra41 at

    Reply

  20. «MA-CL» — студия, которая превращает бренды в продающие цифровые продукты: стратегию, айдентику, UX/UI и разработку с измеримым результатом. Команда исследует аудиторию, тестирует гипотезы и собирает дизайн-системы, чтобы сайт или сервис работал быстро и конвертировал выше рынка. Посмотрите кейсы и направления на https://ma-cl.ru/ — там же можно обсудить задачу и получить предварительную оценку. Чёткие сроки, прозрачные процессы и постоянная аналитика на каждом этапе проекта.

    Reply

  26. Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently quickly.
    kra41 at

    Reply

  31. Сайт о металлах https://metalprotection.com.ua и металлообработке: виды металлов, сплавы, технологии обработки, оборудование и новости отрасли. Всё для специалистов и профессионалов металлургии.

    Reply

  32. Портал о дизайне https://sculptureproject.org.ua интерьеров и пространства. Идеи, тренды, проекты и вдохновение для дома, офиса и общественных мест. Советы дизайнеров и примеры стильных решений каждый день.

    Reply

  38. https://telegra.ph/Consejos-de-Hidrataci%C3%B3n-para-un-Examen-de-Orina-Exitoso-en-Chile-09-11

    Detox para examen de miccion se ha convertido en una opcion cada vez mas popular entre personas que requieren eliminar toxinas del cuerpo y superar pruebas de analisis de drogas. Estos suplementos estan disenados para ayudar a los consumidores a purgar su cuerpo de componentes no deseadas, especialmente aquellas relacionadas con el consumo de cannabis u otras sustancias ilicitas.

    Uno buen detox para examen de pipi debe proporcionar resultados rapidos y visibles, en especial cuando el tiempo para limpiarse es limitado. En el mercado actual, hay muchas variedades, pero no todas aseguran un proceso seguro o rapido.

    ?Como funciona un producto detox? En terminos claros, estos suplementos funcionan acelerando la depuracion de metabolitos y residuos a traves de la orina, reduciendo su concentracion hasta quedar por debajo del umbral de deteccion de los tests. Algunos trabajan en cuestion de horas y su efecto puede durar entre 4 a cinco horas.

    Resulta fundamental combinar estos productos con adecuada hidratacion. Beber al menos dos litros de agua diariamente antes y despues del ingesta del detox puede mejorar los efectos. Ademas, se aconseja evitar alimentos grasos y bebidas azucaradas durante el proceso de desintoxicacion.

    Los mejores productos de detox para orina incluyen ingredientes como extractos de naturales, vitaminas del tipo B y minerales que apoyan el funcionamiento de los rinones y la funcion hepatica. Entre las marcas mas destacadas, se encuentran aquellas que tienen certificaciones sanitarias y estudios de resultado.

    Para usuarios frecuentes de THC, se recomienda usar detoxes con margenes de accion largas o iniciar una preparacion temprana. Mientras mas larga sea la abstinencia, mayor sera la eficacia del producto. Por eso, combinar la disciplina con el uso correcto del producto es clave.

    Un error comun es suponer que todos los detox actuan identico. Existen diferencias en contenido, sabor, metodo de ingesta y duracion del resultado. Algunos vienen en presentacion liquido, otros en capsulas, y varios combinan ambos.

    Ademas, hay productos que incorporan fases de preparacion o limpieza previa al dia del examen. Estos programas suelen instruir abstinencia, buena alimentacion y descanso recomendado.

    Por ultimo, es importante recalcar que todo detox garantiza 100% de exito. Siempre hay variables personales como metabolismo, frecuencia de consumo, y tipo de examen. Por ello, es vital seguir las instrucciones del fabricante y no confiarse.

    Reply

  44. Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say wonderful blog!
    kra41 at

    Reply

  49. Can I simply say what a comfort to uncover a person that really knows what they’re discussing on the internet. You certainly understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people ought to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you definitely possess the gift.

    Reply