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 kyrsi seo_ivkn Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

92,819 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  6. Hi everyone. I’m considering rainbetbonus.com and would value unbiased input from people who actually used it. Not affiliated – just trying to understand how it works in practice.

    Were your withdrawals timely? Any limits or delays?

    Was ID verification smooth?

    Do bonuses have fair wagering?

    How helpful was support?

    Would you use it again?
    Appreciate any insights. Details help others too. No referral codes, please.

    Reply

  7. Приветствую строительное сообщество!

    Возникла интересная ситуация с организацией деловой встречи для застройщика. Было важно на статусном оформлении.

    Сложность заключалась что собственной мебели не хватало для 100+ участников. Покупать на раз – дорого.

    Спасло решение с прокатом – взяли качественные столы. Между прочим, наткнулся на качественный обзор про организацию деловых мероприятий – там дельные идеи.

    Клиент остался доволен. Рекомендую всем кто планирует корпоративы в стройсфере.

    Удачи в бизнесе!

    Reply

  10. Электрокарниз — это идеальное решение для вашего дома, которое позволяет легко управлять шторами с помощью пульта.
    Такое устройство идеально подходит для любого интерьера.

    Reply

  19. В этом исследовании рассмотрены методы лечения зависимостей и их эффективность. Мы проанализируем различные подходы, используемые в реабилитационных центрах, и представим данные о результативности программ. Читатели получат надежные и научно обоснованные сведения о данной проблеме.
    Не упусти важное! – педагогика

    Reply

  21. Howdy this is somewhat of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

    Reply

  25. Я думаю, что Вы не правы. Я уверен. Давайте обсудим это. Пишите мне в PM.
    Версия 2025 года, опубликованная 15 августа, Новости Милан Италия подтверждает: мировое научное лидерство как и раньше принадлежит американским университетам.

    Reply

  34. It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d
    certainly donate to this fantastic blog! I guess
    for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding
    your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this site with my Facebook group.
    Chat soon!

    Reply

  35. Электрокарниз — это идеальное решение для вашего дома, которое позволяет легко управлять шторами с помощью пульта.
    Использование электрокарниза делает пространство более стильным и функциональным.

    Reply

  40. Having read this I believed it was rather enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

    Reply

  47. Right here is the perfect webpage for anybody who wants to understand this topic. You understand so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a subject that’s been discussed for many years. Excellent stuff, just wonderful!

    Reply