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 Briandorgo Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

243,627 thoughts on “How to Pet a Porcupine”

  9. Greate article. Keep posting such kind of info on your blog. Im really impressed by your blog.
    Hello there, You have performed a great job. I will certainly digg it and in my view suggest to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this website.

    Reply

  16. На сайте https://moregam.ru представлен огромный выбор игр, а также приложений, которые идеально подходят для Android. Прямо сейчас вы получаете возможность скачать АРК, ознакомиться с содержательными, информативными обзорами. Регулярно появляются увлекательные новинки, которые созданы на русском языке. Перед вами огромный выбор вариантов, чтобы разнообразить досуг. При этом вы можете выбрать игру самого разного жанра. Вы точно не заскучаете! Здесь представлены аркады, увлекательные викторины, головоломки, гонки.

    Reply

  23. Абстинентный синдром, или ломка, – это тяжелое состояние, которое развивается у зависимых после отказа от наркотиков или алкоголя. Он сопровождается сильными физическими болями, судорогами, повышенной тревожностью, бессонницей и эмоциональными перепадами, что может привести к серьезным осложнениям для здоровья. Наркологическая клиника «Здравица» в Ростове-на-Дону предлагает комплексное лечение абстинентного синдрома, используя передовые методики и индивидуальный подход для быстрого восстановления здоровья.
    Выяснить больше – снятие ломки нарколог краснодар

    Reply

  25. Hi there I am so delighted I found your weblog, I really found you by error, while I was browsing on Bing for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a tremendous post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the superb jo.

    Reply

  26. Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Thanks!

    Reply

  43. Мы понимаем уникальность каждого пациента и проводим тщательную диагностику, анализируя его медицинскую историю, психологическое состояние и социальные факторы. На основе полученных данных создаем персональные планы лечения, включающие медикаментозные средства, психотерапию и социальные программы.
    Получить дополнительную информацию – http://медицинский-вывод-из-запоя.рф/vyvod-iz-zapoya-anonimno-v-rostove-na-donu.xn--p1ai/

    Reply

  50. Все про политику, культуру, туризм и шоу бизнес. Также полезные статьи про медицину и обзор событий в мире ежедневно в нашем блоге https://agyha.ru/

    Reply