Jun

Be Happy, Be Productive: Take a Dog to Work

by Sheron Long on June 20, 2013

Poodle fetching a file in a happy and productive office on Take Your Dog to Work Day

Overheard in a happy and productive office on Take Your Dog to Work Day:
“Fetch the Poodle file, will you, Sport?”
© Big Cheese Photo

Pooch Power in the Workplace

This Friday, offices around the globe will be the very vision of a happy and productive workplace. That’s because June 21, 2013, is Pet Sitters International’s Take Your Dog To Work Day^®.

Dog and worker at a desk in a happy and productive office, illustrating a possible scene on Take Your Dog to Work Day

A day at work is less stressful with a dog.
© Photodisc/RyanMcVay

Begun in 1999, Take Your Dog to Work Day is designed to showcase dogs as the great companions they are and to encourage adoptions.

The idea is that co-workers, who see the warm bond between canines and humans, will be inspired to adopt a best dog friend of their own.

The special day also offers employers the opportunity to support their local pet community.

Oh, I see the fun of this right away!

Any business can use more paws on deck, and we’ll be adding some highly specialized skills at least for a day.

I can just picture my office now, humming with pooch power, when all these breeds pad in.

Dog breeds, illustrating the variety of talents that dogs can being to a a happy and productive office on Take Your Do to Work Day

Any kind of dog can offer a helping paw on Take Your Dog to Work Day.
© iStockphoto

I boned up on their behaviors and talents and figured out some good assignments for the day.

Border Collies to the Conference Room!

Border Collies are the sports cars of the canine kingdom, built for speed and able to “hairpin turn” on a dime.

Border Collie herding sheep, a talent needed for meeting management in a happy and productive office

Nothing beats a Border Collie for meeting management!
©iStockphoto

Clocked at over 30 miles per hour, they also know how to keep both eyes on the ball. They are set to move across departments in dogged pursuit of the management team, nipping especially at the heels of the sales manager, who is perpetually late.

For once, our Friday morning meeting will start on time.

Border collies also have a hearty bark, good for meeting management when someone goes on too long. And, with just a hand signal from me, they’ll hop up and herd the managers out just as fast as they herded them in.

Ah, a meeting may end on time, too!

Puppies to R & D

The creative job of any Research and Development group requires play, with time to explore and dream, and it takes perseverance like you see, well, in a dog with a bone. It’s the perfect place for the special talents of puppies.

Four active puppies showing traits of workers in a happy and productive office

Active puppies fuel creativity in the R & D department.
© (top row) iStockphoto; (bottom row L to R) Fuse, Zoonar

Why puppies?

—Maybe it’s their freshness, the newness that comes when you haven’t yet learned the word “no.”

—Maybe it’s that they’re into everything, always “digging a little deeper.”

—Maybe it’s that they unleash the “aw factor,” in the creative staff, a group whose productivity rises when they feel good.

No matter, puppies and creative types are a good match.

Comfort Dogs to HR

The welcoming face of the Golden Retriever—how can anyone resist it?

Goldens (and other breeds), with red jackets saying simply “Pet Me!”, wander through airports in San Jose, Los Angeles, and Miami to lower passengers’ stress levels. Seems like that could work in our Human Resources department, too.

Golden Retriever in an easy chair at a happy and productive office, illustrating a possible scene on Take Your Dog to Work Day

The doctor is in!
© Fuse

When the stress of deadlines or disagreements with colleagues gets too great, it’s time to visit the company’s Golden Retriever. Never judgmental and always eager to please, the Golden gets it right—he listens, acknowledges, and lets you pet him until blood pressure and stress level go down.

Sniffer-in-Chief to IT

Dogs are all super sniffers, able to make surprising detections—diseased beehives, bed bugs, drugs, explosives, composition of whale poop, pirated DVDs, different kinds of cancers, and when a cow is in heat.

Beagle at a computer in a happy and productive office, illustrating a possible scene on Take Your Dog to Work Day

The Beagle gets off task during
Take Your Dog to Work Day.
© iStockphoto

The Beagle, with 225 million scent receptors, is the Sniffer-in-Chief. Compare that to the human who has 5 million, and you get a sense of this dog’s talented nose.

The Beagle will be on special assignment to the IT Department this Friday to sniff out computer viruses.

I know he’ll be successful if he doesn’t get distracted, surfing the Web for other passions.

The Beagle will work an 8-hour day with a lunch break in the company kitchen, where he can sniff out the fridge for old lunches to trash.

Very smelly ground, that fridge.

Boston Terriers to Customer Service

Big ears, no bark—that’s what you need if you work in customer service.

Boston Terrier with large ear, illustrating the ability to listen well in a happy and productive office

The Boston Terrier’s big, upright ear is the best receptor for listening.
© iStockphoto

All dogs hear in dog decibels that detect a much greater range of sounds than humans can. Breeds with large ears that stand up have the best receptors for listening well when customers call.

Though breeds like Chihuahuas have the ears for the job, they may not have the temperament—too much barking and even biting.

But the Boston Terrier fills the bill:

—big ears

—polite

—sensitive to moods

There may need to be some professional development on the snorting, snuffling, wheezing, and snoring front, however.

Irresistible Dogs to Sales and Marketing

If I know Sales and Marketing, they will press into service the cutest, most adorable dogs who grace our office.

Puppies advertising a sale, illustrating how the Marketing department can put dogs to productive work on Take Your Dog to Work Day

Call me irresistible!
© iStockphoto

Ads with an irresistible dog make products irresistible, too. And, hey, how about this adorable poodle—maybe he can create a music video with a howling testimonial!

If video does not display, watch it here.

Should Every Day Be “Take Your Dog to Work Day”?

Despite the fun of matching dog talents to tasks, the real value of dogs in the workplace is that employees feel better and engage more with other colleagues.

A study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and headed by Randolph Barker (no kidding about the name) compared stress levels in employees who did and did not take their dogs to work.

Stress levels went up during the workday in employees without dogs and stayed the same for employees with dogs. Employees with dogs also reported greater productivity.

Oh, I see (with apologies to Jonathan Swift):

Every day must have its dog.

And it will be a happy and productive day indeed!

If you want to work for a company that allows dogs in the workplace every day, check out DogFriendly.com’s database. See these tips for ensuring a successful experience for you and your co-workers.

Pet Sitters International (PSI) also knows it’s ok and often necessary to leave your pets at home whether working or vacationing. It provides guidelines on choosing a pet sitter and offers a database for locating certified pet sitters.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Sheron Long 1 Comment

Clever Ideas

Jun

Creative Expression Counts In Search for “Coolest Dad”

by Meredith Mullins on June 13, 2013

Two girls celebrate summer vacation, creative expression by Jason Lee

Happy Father’s Day . . . and summer vacation!
© kristinandkayla.com

What Makes A Good Dad?

Who is the world’s greatest dad?

Abraham Lincoln? Jim Henson? Brad Pitt? Barack Obama?

Hopefully, we all say that the world’s greatest dad is our own. We forgive the flaws and treasure the tender moments.

We honor him on Father’s Day with a “World’s Greatest Dad” mug, a colorful tie (that we hardly ever see him wear), or a handmade gift that makes him oddly silent because of that lump in his throat.

What makes a great dad? Someone who spends time with his kids and is interested in what they do and how they think, someone who teaches by word and example, and someone who is fun and filled with creative expression . . . and inspires those qualities in a child.

To honor Father’s Day this week-end, here are two dads whose children have much to be thankful for—their dads are really cool!

Multiple sandwich bags, creative expression from David Laferriere

A new art form: sandwich-bag expression.
© David Laferriere

The Sandwich-Bag Artist Dad

Meet David Laferriere, a graphic artist living in Massachusetts. About five years ago, he started creating a surprise each day in his kids’ lunches. Each sandwich had its own special wrapping. The sandwich bags were transformed into art.

The monster sandwich bag, creative expression by David Laferriere

Who wouldn’t want to eat this sandwich?
© David Laferriere

Monsters. Dinosaurs. Mazes. Worms. Robots. Whatever subject inspired Dad for the day became an original sharpie-pen drawing on the sandwich bags.

His kids are the hit of the school lunchroom as they unveil the daily sandwich art to an appreciative crowd of friends.

A maze sandwich bag, creative expression by David Laferriere

A-mazing!
© David Laferriere

Now, the collection has grown to more than 1000 different designs. The photographic proof resides on Dad’s Flickr site for posterity.

Has his art evolved over the years (and as his boys have grown older)? You bet.

A worm coming out of the sandwich bag, creative expression by David Laferriere

Exploring the worm frontier.
© David Laferriere

Now, he’s crossing time/space boundaries as he creates worms that seem to be coming out of the sandwich or a hole that exposes a rendering of the sandwich.

Let’s hope his kids eat many more sandwiches to come. There is still so much to be said in the world of sandwich-bag art.

Two girls drinking from a coffee machine, creative expression from Jason Lee

Good to the last drop.
© kristinandkayla.com

The Photographer Dad and His Wild and Crazy Daughters

Meet Jason Lee, a photographer living in the San Francisco Bay area, with his two daughters—Kristin and Kayla.

Seven years ago, he started a photo blog of his daughters to keep their grandmother entertained with their creative daily life.

Two girls reading dummy books, creative expression from Jason Lee

They’re no dummies!
© kristinandkayla.com

The ideas came mostly from the girls or from Dad overhearing the funny things they said or observing the imaginative way they invented their daily entertainment.

The result is one of the most creative photo journals in the blog world today—celebrating holidays and everyday events in the most extraordinary and ingenius ways.

A halloween celebration with two girls, creative expression from Jason Lee

Will Kristin and Kayla be embarrassed when Dad pulls out the album to show their prom dates? Not a chance. They were collaborators. And, who wouldn’t want to get to know a family that has this much fun.

Quality Time + Clever Ideas = Cool

The Oh, I see Father’s Day moment: Parents can spend quality time with their children in many ways. These two dads happen to be highly original in their creative expression . . . and, well, just plain cool.

Happy Father’s Day!

Other sites of interest on Father’s Day: National Center for Fathering and Parents.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins Comments

Clever Ideas/The World's Photography

Apr

Random Acts of Kindness Flow with “Suspended” Coffee

by Meredith Mullins on April 25, 2013

man drinking large coffee after receiving a random act of kindness of a suspended coffee

Starting the Day Off Right

“I’ll have a decaf espresso, a caffe latte, a double decaf cappuccino, and a caffe sospeso.”

This could be a scene from LA Story, a barista’s nightmare, or a reminder of how coffee drinking has taken us into a labyrinthe of choices.

It could be all those things . . . but in this instance it’s an order at a coffee shop, sprinkled with a random act of kindness.

Caffe Sospeso: “Suspended Coffee”

The hidden gift in this order is caffe sospeso, an Italian tradition born in Naples that is taking hold around the world.

Caffe sospeso is not an extravagant new coffee concoction. It means, in literal translation, “suspended coffee.”

In practice, this custom is a heartwarming “pay it forward” story. When people buy a coffee, they pay for an extra coffee (or two).

This suspended coffee “offer” then waits for someone in need, someone who asks if there are any suspended coffees available because he or she can’t afford to buy one.

man drinking european coffee after receiving a random act of kindness of a caffe sospeso

Cafés use a coupon system, bottle caps, or tokens to keep track of the available suspended coffees. They post a suspended coffee sign in the window to let those in need know a hot coffee might be available through a stranger’s generosity.

A Cup of Coffee for All Humanity

The suspended coffee idea is a reminder that we can help people who are less fortunate in many ways—modest or mighty. An important Oh, I see moment.

The original Neapolitan proverb said it best—”This is a way to offer a cup of coffee to all humanity.”

Man in furry hood drinks coffee after receiving a random act of kindness of suspended coffee.

This coffee “movement” has now taken root from the UK to Bulgaria to Australia to the U.S. Word is spreading that this tradition is a simple way to offer kindness to strangers.

The “Suspended Coffee Supporter Facebook page has more than 76,000 fans and keeps people updated on cafés that are joining the caffe sospeso community (or, if you’re in Taiwan, the “suspended noodles” community).

Pay It Forward

The beauty of this kind of movement is that it inspires other acts of kindness. Grocery stores and restaurants are also following this path. Spontaneous “pay it forward” moments are becoming legendary in many countries.

People pay for the next person in line at a drive-in.
A man performs 65 random acts of kindness on his 65th birthday.
An 8-year-old boy opens a lemonade stand to help a neighbor whose house was damaged in a storm.
A competitor carries her injured opponent over the finish line.

The stories are (thankfully) endless.

In a time when bad news often seems to outweigh the good, random acts of kindness can help to shift the balance and make us feel good again about humanity.

The gift can be as simple as a cup of coffee.

Hot coffee warms the soul . . . for the one drinking and for the one who has given an anonymous gift. A little kindness can go a long way.

hands holding coffee and cigarette after a random act of kindness with a suspended coffee

If you like the idea of suspended coffee, talk with your local coffee shop and start the coffee flowing.

And, if you’d like an extra random act of kindness, take a look at this video. It’s not coffee-related, but it will sure make you feel good.