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 *

165,759 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  13. It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or advice. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read even more things about it!

    Reply

  17. Excellent post. Keep writing such kind of info on your blog. Im really impressed by your blog.
    Hi there, You’ve performed an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and individually recommend to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this site.

    Reply

  37. Здравствуйте!
    Долго обмозговывал как поднять сайт и свои проекты и нарастить CF cituation flow и узнал от друзей профессионалов,
    энтузиастов ребят, именно они разработали недорогой и главное лучший прогон Xrumer – https://www.bing.com/search?q=bullet+%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BD
    Генерация внешних ссылок быстро обеспечивает рост DR. Создание ссылочной массы в 2025 упрощается с автоматическими программами. Использование Xrumer в SEO-кампаниях экономит ресурсы. Линкбилдинг для продвижения в топ-10 становится доступным. Прогон ссылок для повышения авторитета ускоряет результаты.
    seo ha, продвижение и оптимизация сайтов pdf, Xrumer для роста ссылочной массы
    линкбилдинг под ключ, лучшие плагины seo, продвижения сайтов по запросам
    !!Удачи и роста в топах!!

    Reply

  43. Excellent site you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get opinions from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Appreciate it!

    Reply

  47. Greate post. Keep posting such kind of info on your page. Im really impressed by it.
    Hey there, You have performed an excellent job. I will definitely digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this site.

    Reply

  49. Запой — это не просто затянувшийся прием алкоголя, а острое хроническое отравление организма, сопровождающееся тяжёлыми последствиями для сердца, печени, почек, мозга и нервной системы. Снятие абстинентного синдрома без врачебного контроля может привести к тяжёлым осложнениям: судорогам, делирию, инфаркту, внутренним кровотечениям, резкому скачку давления и даже летальному исходу. Только медицинский специалист способен грамотно оценить состояние пациента, купировать опасные проявления и обеспечить полноценное восстановление организма.
    Разобраться лучше – https://vyvod-iz-zapoya-odincovo6.ru/vyvod-iz-zapoya-kruglosutochno-v-odincovo/

    Reply