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 1win_fdMr Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

265,468 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  1. Проверенный сервис https://akkauntistore.com открывает возможность купить соц аккаунты для работы с трафиком. Когда вы планируете купить аккаунты Facebook, обычно задача не в «одном логине», а в проходимости чеков: отсутствие вылетов на селфи, наличие пройденного ЗРД в Ads Manager и прогретые FanPage. Мы оформили понятную навигацию, чтобы вы сразу понимали что подойдет под ваши офферы перед покупкой.Навигация по теме: типы аккаунтов (Мамки, Автореги, Логи). Ключевая идея: аккаунт — это инструмент. Дальше решает схема залива: какой прокси используется, как вы передаете лички без триггеров, как реагируете на полиси и как дублируете кампании. Ключевое преимущество данной площадки — это наличие масштабной вики-энциклопедии FB, где написаны практичные гайды по проходу ЗРД. Тут можно найти страницы Facebook под любые цели: начиная с дешевых авторегов до ПЗРД сетапами с высоким лимитом. Заказывая здесь, клиент получает не просто валидный профиль, но и всестороннюю помощь саппорта, понятные условия замены, страховку на валид и максимально адекватные прайсы среди селлеров. Важно: используйте активы законно и в соответствии с правилами Facebook.

    Reply

  4. After I originally commented I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a means you are able to remove me from that service? Appreciate it!

    Reply

  5. After I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there an easy method you are able to remove me from that service? Cheers!

    Reply

  6. When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. There has to be an easy method you can remove me from that service? Cheers!

    Reply

  10. When I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I receive 4 emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is an easy method you are able to remove me from that service? Appreciate it!

    Reply

  11. Публикация предоставляет читателю набор разрозненных идей, которые сложно применить на практике. Мы лишь слегка касаемся разных точек зрения, не углубляясь в анализ и не предлагая никаких выводов.
    Вот – секс шоп

    Reply

  13. When I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. Is there an easy method you can remove me from that service? Kudos!

    Reply

  15. Ключевые запросы: chemical696, chemical696 blz, chemical696 biz, chemical696 biz официальный, chemical696 bizz, chemical696 buz, chemical696 biz официальный сайт

    Что такое Chemical696?
    Chemical696 — решение для задач автоматизации: массовые действия, работа с аккаунтами и рутинные операции в рамках SEO/маркетинга.
    Часто ищут варианты chemical696 blz и chemical696 biz — из-за удобства и функциональности.

    Почему выбирают chemical696 biz

    ]гибкие настройки под разные сценарии
    ]высокая скорость выполнения задач
    ]поддержка модулей/расширений
    ]регулярные обновления и документация

    Важно: чтобы не нарваться на подделки, пользователи обычно ищут
    chemical696 biz официальный и chemical696 biz официальный сайт — выбирайте только проверенный источник.

    Официальная страница:
    Chemical696 (official)

    Если нужны настройки под ваш кейс — напишите, подскажу, какие параметры обычно используют.

    Reply

  33. After I initially commented I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve four emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks a lot!

    Reply

  45. After I originally left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment is added I receive 4 emails with the exact same comment. There has to be a means you are able to remove me from that service? Appreciate it!

    Reply

  48. Мы готовы предложить дипломы психологов, юристов, экономистов и любых других профессий по выгодным ценам. Купить диплом цена — justpaste.it/c77hu

    Reply