GALT Consulting LLC

I was listening to Dr. Laura on the radio during my drive home this afternoon.  (yes... I like listening to Dr. Laura).  The caller was a young wife upset with a family member who had repeatedly been unreliable.  "Every time I ask her to do something, she forgets or does a poor job!", she complained.  Dr. Laura's response was a question.  If you decided to hug a porcupine, who do you blame for getting hurt... the person or the porcupine. 

A porcupine is prickly and sharp.  No matter how much they try, they will never be good at hugging.  T-Rex's fall into the same category because of their short arms, but that's not the point here.  The point is that you can't blame a porcupine for being a porcupine.

Many employers spend a lot of time hugging porcupines...

Everyone is hardwired with a set of traits known as a personality.  Since we are intelligent, we are often able to overcome our own personalities in specific situations, but overcoming personality places internal stress on a person.  A person who naturally thrives talking and working with people will hate a job where they constantly work alone.  A person who likes changing environments eventually hates a job where they are stuck in one place all day long.  Yet employers try to "fix" people.  They try to hug the porcupine. 

Instead, employers should focus on the best ways to utilize the porcupine.  Instead of hugging a porcupine, use one to gently scratch an itch or to defend something.  The porcupine will be happier, better at the job, and the employer will be happier too!

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