You can’t teach a new dog old tricks

You got that right. You cannot teach a new dog your old tricks.

A majority of times, most of us get into relationships whether personal, social, or professional with preconditioned mind-set. We have our measuring sticks of what contributes to a successful engagement even before we pass go. On a great number of occasions, we carry along with us the ‘tricks’ from previous engagements that might not have fostered the relationship.

Because man is a creature of habit, we find ourselves easily mellowing into our default mode and wanting to impose our ways onto our new relations regardless of whether they helped the previous ones grow.

Take a mental walk with me if you may – I believe that to grow new relationships in any sphere of life whether employer-employee, friendship, or business acquaintances, always requires a fresh/new approach. Old ways of doing things (especially those that didn’t nurture previous relationships) only bring along baggage that sets off the new arrangement on a negative tangent.

Do not get me wrong, if there were great things from the past that may not have worked because of lack of understanding that is cultivatable in the new arrangement, by all means, adopt and nurture them. However, if there were habits and practices that were detrimental previously and are a threat to the success of the new relationship, don’t hesitate to drop them off fast. Seek the ‘tricks’ that nurture growth, hold a promise of fulfillment, and a possibility of accomplishment.

Yes, just as an old dog might not learn new tricks, the old tricks might not yield the results you seek in the new dog. Change tact.