Image credit: abbynormy CC license

I was chatting with Steve Roesler of All Things Workplace yesterday and he mentioned something I’d forgotten—the number one unwritten (’til now) rule of consulting.

Never get between the dog and the fire hydrant.

Actually, the rule is applicable to any form of work in any arena—which makes it the number one workplace rule.

But what does it really mean?

I know folks who think that it means to avoid confrontation, soften what needs to be said or just shut up and say nothing.

But I never saw it that way.

Avoiding the unpleasant things that need attention doesn’t stop the dog from lifting its leg any more than stating them causes it to happen.

You need to recognize that the dog will lift its leg no matter what and that the key is to be aware of your location.

It also pays to know where the hydrants are and to watch the dog so you have plenty of notice to move.

What do you do to avoid the in-between?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 4:30 am and is filed under Business info, Communication, Personal Growth. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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