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_qtKl Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

243,031 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  8. I am extremely inspired together with your writing skills as smartly as with the format in your blog. Is that this a paid subject matter or did you customize it your self? Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it is uncommon to peer a nice weblog like this one nowadays..

    Reply

  13. В клинике проводится лечение различных видов зависимости с применением современных методов и препаратов. Ниже перечислены основные направления, отражающие широту оказываемой медицинской помощи.
    Разобраться лучше – вывод наркологическая клиника в новосибирске

    Reply

  14. Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you, However I am going through problems with your RSS. I don’t know why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting the same RSS issues? Anybody who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!!

    Reply

  17. Недавно столкнулся с похожей ситуацией, и вот что помогло:

    Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “seatours.ru”, там просто кладезь информации.

    Вот, делюсь ссылкой:

    https://seatours.ru

    Что думаете по этому поводу?

    Reply

  21. Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

    Reply

  27. I’m curious to find out what blog platform you are working with? I’m having some minor security problems with my latest blog and I’d like to find something more risk-free. Do you have any solutions?

    Reply

  28. После поступления вызова диспетчер передаёт заявку на смартфон врача, который оперативно завершает подготовительные мероприятия и выезжает к пациенту. На дороге применяется GPS-маршрутизация для выбора оптимального пути и снижения времени в пути.
    Ознакомиться с деталями – https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-arkhangelsk0.ru/platnaya-narkologicheskaya-klinika-arkhangelsk

    Reply

  32. Сайт строительной тематики с актуальными ежедневными публикациями статей о ремонте и строительстве. Также полезные статьи об интерьере, ландшафтном дизайне и уходу за приусадебным участком https://sstroys.ru/

    Reply

  37. Самостоятельно выйти из запоя сложно и опасно. В Narcology Clinic (Королёв) вам помогут вернуться в трезвое состояние без боли, страха и последствий. Эффективный и безопасный метод с возможностью круглосуточного выезда.
    Подробнее можно узнать тут – https://vyvod-iz-zapoya-korolev14.ru

    Reply

  44. Посетите сайт https://ambenium.ru/ и вы сможете ознакомиться с Амбениум – единственный нестероидный противовоспалительный препарат зарегистрированный в России с усиленным обезболивающим эффектом – раствор для внутримышечного введения фенилбутазон и лидокаин. На сайте есть цена и инструкция по применению. Ознакомьтесь со всеми преимуществами данного средства.

    Reply

  45. Купить бетон в Иркутске стало проще – вы можете заказать нужный объем прямо с завода, без посредников и переплат. Мы производим товарный бетон на современном оборудовании, контролируя каждый этап. Наша продукция используется при строительстве частных домов, промышленных объектов, дорог и фундаментов, узнайте больше по ссылке https://proirkbeton.ru/

    Reply

  47. Hello there, I found your website by the use of Google even as looking for a related topic, your site got here up, it appears to be like great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
    Hi there, just turned into alert to your weblog via Google, and located that it is truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful if you happen to proceed this in future. A lot of folks can be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!

    Reply