Cats in the Dog House
"In your team, are you a pack animal or a cat flap user? Do you like to chase and pounce or run with the crowd?"
One of the most common reason teams ask us to facilitate team building events is to help them understand and deal with the dynamics
between them.
We have found a new tool that can really make a difference and is easy to remember and fun to use. Cats and dogs uses the analogy
that in any given group people act more like a cat or a dog.
Dogs and the pack
Dogs are predominantly pack animals. The team and the other members are the most important thing to them. They greet you enthusiastically (a lot of
metaphorical tail wagging), ask about your job and health (we'll skip the dog analogy on this one) and are very supportive (a lot of mutual grooming).
In terms of team tasks, they excel at information gathering because they like finding out things and dealing with other people. They may however
shy away from conflict and situations they regard as unpleasant.
Cats use the cat flap
It is no coincidence that we have cat flaps. Cats like to come and go as they please. If you have ever tried to stroke a cat that didn't want to
be stroked, you'll know that they wander off with their tail in the air. Similarly, human cats can seem aloof and disdainful. They tend to be task
focused and forget the niceties of human engagement.
They like to make decisions, often impulsively with insufficient information - they like to chase and pounce! Unlike dogs, they will get their
claws out and may regard conflict and argument as stimulating.
Before you decide that you are definitely a cat or a dog, remember that you could be a cat at work and a dog at home, a cat in one team and a
dog on another.
Teams need cats and dogs
An effective team needs both cats and dogs so that it is task and people focused, gathers sufficient information and takes action. Human cats
and dogs need to be able to get on, which is where this tool can be very useful.
We have used it to help teams understand the dynamics between different team members and to organise work in a way which suits the cat and
dog-like tendencies of team members.
If you think your team would benefit from a session using cats and dogs to discuss team dynamics, give us a ring or send an email. Our
details are on the back page.
Cats and dogs is used with kind permission from Michael Grinder Associates.