purrposeful leadership

Cats show other cats they care by allowing them to share tasty food or fun toys. For humans in the workplace, showing your staff that you care about them will not only increase their loyalty to you, they will be happier, will work harder, and will stay at the company longer. Listening to them when they have a good idea or have concerns can make a world of difference. Implementing practical solutions to their issues can go a long way. Obviously things like raises can be beyond your control, but say, the office printer has been malfunctioning and your staff has been really frustrated about it, convincing your company to buy a new printer will show your staff that you do care about them. Being sympathetic to your staff about things that matter to them shows them that you're on their side.  

Cats will get along with each other even if they don't like each other as they have to share the same resources, so setting boundaries and tolerating each other goes a long way. In the workplace, efficiency breaks down because of issues between humans. Working together is not the same thing as living together, even though work hours can be very long. Reminding them of this fact is sometimes necessary. Your staff have to share the same resources, so setting boundaries and tolerating each other while working together benefits everyone. When staff have a common goal with a reward, they are more likely to have less negativity towards each other and will put differences aside to get the prize. Cats and humans alike will often only do something if they know that it results in a reward for them.

Cats only have enough energy to play for 5-10 minutes at a time before they need rest. Humans can usually go longer, but by expecting your staff to work at high speed for 8 straight hours or more, not only will you stress them out but also, you will high turnover costing you training time and your company money. Staggering or alternating tasks can help reduce burn out. Assigning a task that can be completed fairly quickly or easily, then assign a more intensive task, or vice versa. Humans enjoy feeling a sense of accomplishment, it's like getting a reward for the brain. By being able to complete smaller tasks, they will be generally happier during their workday.

Cats can follow commands that are clear. One of the most important things in the workplace is ensuring that others clearly understand what you say. Use of excessive "corporate jargon" that takes a paragraph that could be concisely summed up in a clear sentence is unnecessary and a waste of time. Humans prefer clear goals and expectations. If a leader doesn't know exactly what they want, then they should present what they have to the "doers" of the task and go from there. Allow the "doers" to create several options to present and keep working together until the path is clear. Of course it should be said, don't schedule endless meetings about it unless it's absolutely necessary because that will slow progress.

Cats don't really feel remorseful when they do something naughty, they are just not wanting to deal with the negative consequences. Humans can be very much the same way. Good leadership is being able to tell the difference between a mistake and a deliberate act, and then react accordingly. Mistakes are an opportunity to coach, to listen, and to make a plan for success together. Deliberate acts are also an opportunity for coaching, but obviously it depends on the severity of the situation as to the outcome. Be clear from the start about your expectations, and the rewards or consequences, and always enforce them. The biggest failure of a leader is stating something and not following through, whether good or bad. Always do what you say.

Cats will work together to achieve an objective, and know the skills each has. Humans will often start a job without the necessary skills but do learn them over time, or they bring different skills with them. As a leader, identifying the skills that your staff possess or are capable of learning is crucial to your success. Sometimes a staff member isn't working out but they are a good employee, rehoming them to another department that better suits their skills is actually a positive option, makes you helpful to the other department, makes the employee happier, and the company doesn't have to spend money to hire or train someone again. In addition, never ask your staff to do something that you wouldn't be willing to do (not knowing how is a different story), as this will breed resentment and result in less productivity.

Cats will have meetings, especially if they know that if they work together they can get their human to do what they want. Humans have work meetings so they can share and improve on ideas. When you're a leader, ensure that the meetings have a purpose. No one wants a pointless meeting, as the saying goes, "that meeting could have been an email." Staff hate wasting their time, and it not only takes away from other tasks that they could have been doing, but also, decreases morale. If you want to schedule a meeting, send out an email first with what you want to cover during the meeting and ask for input. It may turn out that an email solved the problem, or that a meeting really is needed and then everyone attending will be prepared ahead of time. Many times I've found that having the person who is dealing with a difficult problem start talking about the problem with others from the very beginning helps them to find the solution themselves, and if not, the others provide advice that leads them to a solution.

Cats communicate with each other mostly physically, and even though us humans are tempted to do that at work, it's not a good idea. Instead we have to use words that convey ideas that everyone can understand. In order to work together successfully, keeping those communications polite and clear, whether it's on the phone, via email, or face-to-face, is absolutely essential to all involved. Making phone calls is fairly straightforward, but for some reason there seem to be issues with the format of an email. An email is basically a long yet professional text message. Don't put the point of the email in the subject line and leave the body blank, not only is it confusing, but depending on the device the recipient is viewing it on, they won't be able to read the whole subject line. Start with a greeting, then state what you want, and then close with your signature underneath. When you have to include more than one paragraph, you've already lost them, so if you need to include lots of information, make them separate sentences, or better yet, use bullet points. Sometimes formatting makes everything more clear.

Cat parents are the epitome of a good leader. They guide, teach, discipline, and care for their kittens, wanting them to grow and succeed. Be the kind of leader to your underlings that would make them feel like someone cares about them. Forget about "do as I say, not as I do" because your staff is going to follow your example. Set a good example. Listen to them, whether it's good or bad, important or mundane. Ask questions. Give feedback. Respect them. Don't insult them, belittle them, or scream at them, especially in front of others. If you need to have a negative conversation with them, go somewhere private. Understand that they are people, too. Everyone has emotions, things going on at work and outside of work, so taking a step back (giving them space) or a breath (few minutes of nothing) could make all the difference in what happens next. Protect them from being used and abused. Ultimately you are responsible for them. As the saying goes, "people quit managers, not companies." You want them to learn, grow, and succeed, and if you treat them right, they will follow you wherever you go.