Ahead of the Pack #4: Hurkle-Durkle, Paddleboarding Pups & Rethinking Growth
Black Dog Consultants Ltd
A unique, client-focused network of Trainers, Facilitators & Executive Coaches operating across the Asia Pacific region.
The best teams are built in the wild, not boardrooms. Plus, why pausing (hello, Hurkle-Durkle) might be the smartest move you make this year. Check out our latest issue of Ahead of the Pack.
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Paws for thought
Ever heard of Hurkle-Durkle? Say it out loud. Feels good, doesn’t it?
An old Scottish term for the occasional, guilt-free lie-in. Not laziness. Just a pause. To just be. In a world that worships the 5am grind, maybe the real win is knowing when to stop. To breathe. To sit in the quiet before the world gets loud.
Leash-free learning
The modern workplace is truly unpredictable. Teams change quickly. People come and go. How do you build something solid when the ground keeps shifting?
Holding on tighter won’t work. Design for movement. Make learning second nature. Give people a reason to care while they’re here, not just if they stay. Great teams aren’t about who stays the longest. They’re about who makes it count.
Brain biscuits
When January hits it’s suddenly ‘New Year, New Me’ everywhere. ‘Do more’. ‘Be more’. ‘Fix yourself’. Now it’s February. And how’s that going for you? And what if all this ‘striving’ is actually making us feel worse?
Here’s the thing, self-improvement isn’t about tearing yourself down. It’s not about ditching the parts of you that make you, you.
"To better yourself does not mean to change everything that makes you-you!"
Real growth? It’s about refining, not replacing. It’s knowing when to push forward and when to just be. Maybe the trick isn’t constant striving. Maybe it’s self-acceptance.
Wild Wonders
From pro paddleboarders to parliament pups, from solving crimes to (accidentally) starting fires… how could we not celebrate the Best Dogs of 2024? These good (and occasionally naughty) pups made headlines for all the right reasons.
From the kennel
The strongest relationships - whether in life or work - are built on trust, challenge and moments that matter. And let’s be honest… real teams aren’t made in meeting rooms. They’re forged in the wild. In the unexpected.
That’s why we say:
??Swap the boardroom for a forest, jungle or beach.??
??Ditch the PowerPoint-driven strategy for a fire-building challenge.??
??Swap ‘team bonding’ (in an internal meeting room) for an adventure that builds real trust.
Because learning sticks when it’s lived. Come taste adventure with us.
Tail wags and thank you! Until next time.... ??