Ten More Tips for Teams

This is the second article about ABC iView’s TV four-part documentary series ‘Muster Dogs’, which chronicles the lives and progress of five pedigree puppies bred for their herding instinct who have been split up from their litter and sent to different parts of the country to five skilled stock handlers as part of an experiment to see whether they can be trained to be part of an adult muster pack within 12 months rather than the usual 3 years training cycle.

This novel program offers interesting insights and parallels for business leaders to integrating new staff into their teams. My first article - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/ten-top-tips-your-team-richard-duncan/ - charted the puppies introduction to their new owners and packs and delivered ten valuable learnings for business and team leaders.

This article explores another ten insights afforded from the second and third episodes, which chart the puppies progress at the 4th, 6th and 9th month assessment stages of their training.

“People that have worked their cattle with dogs, their cattle are way more subdued. It’s way better for all our on-property management.”

Neil McDonald, Dog & Livestock Educator

(xi) Shared Understanding & Direction

One of the reasons that working dogs are favoured over their mechanical alternatives is that they can more calmly control the livestock and when they do this well the livestock ‘form’, meaning they travel together as a controlled mob, which is safer for them.

An important key to success for using dogs to herd livestock is giving clear directions and instructions and bearing in mind how the puppies see and perceive things differently to their human handlers. This requires the trainer to put themselves in the ‘shoes’ or paws of their trainees.

“When it comes to training dogs, you have to be really conscious of your body language. I try and understand how things are appearing from a pup’s perspective. Their eyes are down below your knee level. They are going to be seeing your feet first. We wave our arms that is way above their eye-line especially if they are concentrating on stock so we incorporate the rake. That’s just an arm extension, but it allows us to put the rake down at the dog’s eye level and you can manoeuvre them around.”

Stockwoman Aticia in Western Australia

This highlights the parallel importance of working hard to unite your team behind shared values and setting clear guidelines, rules and expectations. Setting boundaries like these are important to creating a stable and more harmonious working space and making staff feel safe as they know what is expected of them and take comfort in a more predictable environment. Staff hate surprises!

(xii) Settling in

It takes time for puppies to settle into the ways of a pack and whilst their enthusiasm is commendable it can also stand in their way as their personality and exuberance can cause friction as they learn how to ‘clash’ with the other dogs and interact with their fellow pack members. This can be very frustrating, but it’s a journey of enlightenment as they learn about themselves along the way and how best to fit.

This highlights the importance of passion, perseverance and patience of team leaders when settling in new staff members and managing them to adjust to their new environment rather than allow their enthusiasm and drive to impress others cause waves or friction.

(xiii) Loosening the lead

One of the risks for any handler as they get to know their dog is that they can get into the animal’s mind and be too controlling and inadvertently discourage the dog’s imitative and in turn dampen their instinct. This can lead to a power struggle as the dog instinctively flights this control. This is known in the dog breeding/training circles as “dictating terms too much” and this leads to resentment as the dog’s personality and initiative are stripped away. This can demoralise the animal and cause it to be indecisive in the future, compromising its ability to herd and making it and the livestock potentially unsafe.

“He just has to loosen up a little bit and build that bond without the need for control.”

Joe Spicer, Champion Kelpie Breeder

This highlights that leaders must avoid the temptation of being too over-powering or dominating as this controlling behaviour will fail to mobilise staff’s natural abilities and have the reverse impact of leading to conflict, confusion or low morale. Instead, by giving staff space to have their own opinions and take initiative, this will build a trusting relationship and foster a greater spirit of collaboration.

(xiv) Tortoise not the Hare

For 25-year veteran dog trainer Frank Finger, it’s important not to rush his dogs but to go at their pace so that their skills are developed gradually and not rushed so their behaviours are firmly entrenched.

“We just do it slowly and don’t force things too much. It’s all about timing.”

3rd Generation Queensland Grazier Frank Finger

This highlights in business the importance of allowing staff to grow naturally and not be unreasonably pushed out of their comfort zone. A little pressure is healthy, keeps everyone sharp and focused, but this will inevitably come from the natural way of things in business. On the other hand, creating unnecessary pressure and stress is counterproductive and when sustained can lead to loss of confidence, burnout and low morale.

(xv) Regular Reward & Recognition

An important part of developing a strong relationship between the dog and his owner is establishing a strong ‘Bluetooth’ connection. One way of doing this is spending quality time together with the dog to build their bond and at other times when the dog is able to meet their owner’s eyes without being distracted, they are then rewarded to reinforce their behaviour.

As 20-dog pack handler and nomadic cowgirl Joni Hall reminded us:

“He’s (Chet) does what you say, hops in when you tell him to, he eats when he’s supposed to. I’m really quite impressed to his commitment to doing the right thing. He’s out to help you, not make your day worse.”

This highlights that each team leader should make time to uniquely focus individually on their direct reports and to wherever possible give praise. In fact, the ratio of four praises to one constructive feedback is often cited as the ideal scenario to build rapport and trust and provide the best setting for the staff member to be open to further feedback. This approach is also central to motivating employees.

“This is the stage where the dog can go either way as far as wanting to be with you or not. So, it’s extremely important to keep that bond going with the pup and having it like you and want to work with you.”

Neil McDonald, Dog & livestock Educator

(xvi) Aligned not alienated

When a dog is working a herd, it’s position, approach and demeanour is critical to the successful outcome of mustering. Too hard an angle, too much aggression or too much barking by a dog can unsettle a herd, lead to injuries and general disruption of the mob.

“It’ll be a real challenge with a dog that barks like that cos she has to make sure that she hasn’t got her barking in the wrong position of a mob as that can send the cattle in the wrong direction.”

Neil McDonald, Champion Dog Trainer

This highlights just how important it is to ensure that staff are in alignment with a team’s culture, approach and way of working. This requires a team leader to be as clear as possible in setting and managing the expectations of his people upfront and providing ‘course correction’ whenever there is a deviation from the standard operating practices.

(xvii) Giving them the rope to swing or hang

At the six-month stage of the experiment the aim is for the dog’s instinct to be cultivated so that it’s confidence is built and given enough of a challenge to keep it interested without being overwhelmed.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be nice and sweet and encouraging and other times you have to roar like a lion.”

Champion Muster Dog Trainer, Neil McDonald

This highlights the importance of empowering your people and providing them the support, environment and encouragement to grow, but knowing when to pull the reins in and if necessary not be afraid to discipline people. This is all about risk and reward and about managing the expectations of others and maintaining trust and respect in the team.

(xviii) Making Time for your people

“We’ve just got on right from the start and she comes with me in the ute, on the back of the ute or on the bike. We’ve spent a lot of time together so we have bonded well.”

Frank Finger (Queensland Cattle Grazier) talking about his dog Annie

On the other hand, self-employed Western Australia cattle trainer Joni Hall confessed in episode three that due to work pressures she struggled to make enough time for the training of her kelpie pup Chet. Finding time to train their puppies was a problem for several of the Graziers in the experiment as the demands of family life and life on the land getting in the way, but this translated directly to the dogs’ progress as bad habits were not spotted early enough and brought under control.

“The biggest mistake they could be making is becoming a bit busy on their properties. I totally understand that. You sort of think we’ve got to get going and get a job done. We might leave the pup behind today and might get down the week and realise you haven’t done too much with it and then all of a sudden your progress might start to slip.”

Helen McDonald, Dog & Livestock Trainer

It was evident that those who had made the time like Frank, the results were plain to see as their dogs performed better in the various test tasks.

“If you have been able to put the time in, the dog’s natural instincts to herd should have come out.”

Neil McDonald, Expert Muster Dog Trainer

This highlights that you reap the benefits you sow as a leader and if you can put in the upfront effort and time with your staff, this can greatly increase the trust levels, harmony, productivity and output of a team. As these trust levels grow then leaders can relax the reins, step back more and focus their time elsewhere as the team becomes self-sufficient and earns their leader’s trust.

(xix) Leadership over friendship

“After 6 months, Rob is still struggling with Lucifer. They’re great mates, but they really need to start working together.”

ABC iview Muster Dogs Commentator

Victorian sheep grazier Rob Tuncks confessed that in the end he let his dog go completely rogue. This had the benefit of making his dog 100% focused on the livestock, but at the same time impossible to control. The assessment by the experts in the experiment was that Rob had favoured friendship over leadership and was now facing the challenges this approach.

“Dogs need to be 100% respectful of livestock. If you have dogs that are biting an animal on the heel for example it wrecks the minds of the livestock faster than even running them in with motorcycles.”

Rob Tuncks, Victorian Sheep Grazier

This has the knock-on effect of making the livestock fearful of the dog and creates injury to the livestock and puts the safety of the dog in jeopardy.

This highlights that humans generally want to be liked, but as a leader this instinct needs to be quelled and rather the focus should be on gaining the trust and respect of your people. This invariably means making the right decisions, which can often be tough and unpopular with some. This is leadership and leadership is not a popularity contest - it can be lonely at the top, especially if you have been promoted out of a team and now have to lead your old work mates/colleagues.

“It’s on me now to learn it better.”

Reflection by Western Australia stockwoman Aticia on the responsibility falling on her to ensure that her dog Gossip understands something rather than assume that she would automatically know what to do as her other dogs have done before. Such self-analysis and self-critique is critical to effective leadership - a great leader must be prepared to accept responsibility for mistakes and openly self-correct to assure that mistakes are not repeated. It also serves as great role modelling to the rest of the team and encourages them to do the same.

(xx) Clear Direction

“You’ve got to be really quick to stop some problems occurring or some bad habits developing as they want to work so much and so you really need a good sit and a good stop and a good hold so they can pull up any unnecessary work.”

Helen McDonald, Dog Trainer

A puppy needs clear and strong signals throughout their training, be that the general direction, course correction or praise. This is critical for them in their development as their instinct is to please their masters, but they don’t know how. This is their handlers’ job.

“What’s needed now is just clear and concise body language and instructions so they can move forward with you. ”

Neil McDonald, Expert Muster Dog Trainer

This highlights the importance for leaders to be crystal clear with their people and avoid giving conflicting signals or commands. Consistency is key and uniformity promotes trust.

My next and final article on the topic will examine the last episode in the four-part series and how all five puppies fare at the 12 month and final check in stage set in the program by the experiment mastermind Neil McDonald, as the puppies are tested to see if they cut the muster and have developed sufficient mustering skills to herd livestock to match their pedigree.

If have gotten value from this article then look out for the next article in the series and in the meantime if you’d like to watch the second ABC iview episode, check it out at:

https://iview.abc.net.au/video/RF2003H002S00

and the third episode can be viewed at:

https://iview.abc.net.au/video/RF2003H003S00

Thank you ABC iview for putting this great 4-part series together and thank you also for the use of this image!