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 accupril without prescription Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

101,566 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  2. Ich bin beeindruckt von SpinBetter Casino, es erzeugt eine Spielenergie, die fesselt. Das Angebot an Spielen ist phanomenal, mit immersiven Live-Sessions. Die Agenten sind blitzschnell, verfugbar rund um die Uhr. Die Transaktionen sind verlasslich, dennoch mehr abwechslungsreiche Boni waren super. In Kurze, SpinBetter Casino garantiert hochsten Spa? fur Casino-Liebhaber ! Zusatzlich die Plattform ist visuell ein Hit, fugt Magie hinzu. Ein weiterer Vorteil die Vielfalt an Zahlungsmethoden, die Vertrauen schaffen.
    spinbettercasino.de|

    Reply

  3. Undeniably believe that which you stated. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the web the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get irked while people consider worries that they plainly don’t know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people could take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

    Reply

  8. Hello, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Chrome, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other than that, awesome blog!

    Reply

  10. bs2best зеркало Готов узнать, что творится в глубинах тёмной сети? Blacksprut — это символ анонимности, скорости и безопасности, а не просто бренд. Посети bs2best.at и узнай то, о чём остальные предпочитают не говорить. Тебе откроют все тайны, скрытые от посторонних глаз. Только для посвящённых. Никаких следов. Никаких полумер. Только Blacksprut. Не упусти свой шанс быть впереди — bs2best.at ждёт тех, кто готов к новому. Осмелишься ли ты узнать истину?

    Reply

  11. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100% certain. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Appreciate it

    Reply

  19. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the layout of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

    Reply

  22. Ручкин — крупнейший интернет-каталог рекламных ручек с логотипом: от доступных Vivapens и Grant до статусных Parker и Waterman, оперативное нанесение (шелкография, тампо, УФ, гравировка) и быстрая доставка по РФ. На сайте https://ruchkin.ru/ видны остатки, акции и реальные цены, а горячая линия помогает с подбором под брендбук. Сборка заказа идёт под контролем качества, поэтому брак сводят к нулю. Нужно срочно к выставке или рассылке? Запустят тираж «день-в-день», предложат эко-карандаши и подарочные наборы — и всё в одном счёте.

    Reply

  25. Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly.
    I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show
    the same outcome.

    Reply

  40. Je ne me lasse pas de Casinia Casino, ca transporte dans un palais enchanteur. La selection de jeux est royale, offrant des sessions live immersives. 100% jusqu’a 500 € + 200 tours gratuits. L’assistance est efficace et courtoise, toujours pret a servir. Les paiements sont securises et fluides, de temps en temps des offres plus genereuses ajouteraient du prestige. Pour conclure, Casinia Casino garantit du fun a chaque instant pour les fans de casino en ligne ! En prime la plateforme est visuellement somptueuse, donne envie de prolonger l’experience. A noter egalement les paiements securises en crypto, qui booste l’engagement.
    Explorer la page|

    Reply