Bruce Kasanoff* says that over the years his dogs mastered the art of being clear about what they wanted – something that eludes many humans.
Over the years my dogs have mastered several skills that would benefit any human being who also embraced them.
To be specific, most of my dogs quickly learned both clarity and brevity.
If you’ve been on a Zoom call lately, you already know the same cannot be said for many professionals.
I’m using my dogs as an example not to insult you or be overly cute, but instead to make the case that these skills are not difficult to master as long as you keep in mind what you want.
Over the past 10 years I’ve had three 30-kilo rescue dogs.
Dex, on the left in the picture above, who died two years ago aged 16, was far and away the smartest.
Dakota, in the middle, is 14 and prefers to rest as much as possible.
Hadley (nine) is a bit of a goofball.
When I ask: “Do you want to go outside?” they either come running or ignore me.
There is no “on the one hand, yes, but on the other hand, maybe not”.
They know exactly what they want, and make it crystal clear.
Yes, they want a biscuit.
Yes, they want to be fed, even if it’s not time to eat.
When I ask professionals: “What do you want?” many mumble or stare at me blankly.
Some offer superficial answers or list their five or six desires.
Likewise, if you look at the way most people use LinkedIn or Twitter, it’s not clear what their goals are or how they help other people.
This second part is especially important because clients and employers pay you to help them, so being fuzzy about how you do this lessens your market value.
“Give me your paw,” I used to say to Dex.
Dex gave me his paw. The transaction took two seconds.
“Give me your paw,” I say.
Dakota gives me her paw. The transaction took two seconds.
“Give me your paw,” I say.
Hadley looks over her shoulder. She turns her head the other way. She looks at the floor. Then she lies down.
She took five times as long as the other dogs, and I still don’t have what I wanted.
This is how many people interact online, and even in person.
They don’t listen. They are not observant. They waste your time and make you work harder than necessary.
The result, of course, is that by wasting other people’s time you teach them to avoid you or to treat you badly.
For example, late at night when Dex wanted to go outside, I let him out.
Hadley always came running, but I seldom let her out.
She taught me that she doesn’t listen, and she won’t come in when I call.
In contrast, Dex taught me that he’ll do his business and be back in a minute; anytime he wanted to go out, he got to go out.
Before you feel all sorry for Hadley, nine times out of 10 she wants to go outside to chase chipmunks or rabbits.
She fails to come inside because she becomes obsessed with a nonsense task.
Likewise, on social media, many people become obsessed with a nonsense task instead of focusing on building strong relationships, or on increasing their credibility and trust.
Two out of my three dogs mastered clarity and brevity. Can you?
*Bruce Kasanoff is an executive coach and social media ghostwriter for entrepreneurs. He can be contacted at kasanoff.com.
This article first appeared at kasanoff.com.
