We are in the process of adopting another dog to add to our family. For those of you familiar with me, you know that I am a huge animal lover. Three years ago, we rescued two basset hounds and last year we rescued two cats. (And, I am anxiously anticipating when I have a bigger yard and house and can have more!). You may also know that we had to put one of our basset hounds to sleep a few months ago and although we will miss her forever, we are definitely ready to rescue another and give a loving home to one of the many dogs out there who need one. As we are thinking about bringing a new dog into our home, we are seriously considering the temperaments of all our other animals and how adding a new member will impact the dynamic of our current pack As I am pondering this, I am wondering how seriously leaders consider this information when they are adding new members to their team?
We don’t want to add another animal that will not fit in and enhance the group. We want a dog that will be calm and loving yet perhaps not as submissive as our current basset hound. We want a dog who can assume the alpha role (because our current basset hound does not) yet we do not want any type of alpha aggression, so again, it is about enhancing the present dynamics and adding the right type of energy to the mix.
When adding new people to the team, it’s important for leaders to consider the same type of information: what characteristics or skills will enhance your team dynamics? What do you want to add and what do you want to remain the same within the make-up of your team? What type of energy is essential to bring into the mix to ensure that your team continues to work well together and reach your objectives? Reflecting upon these things takes time and may cause you to search a bit longer to find the right fit but ultimately will result in ensuring the best fit for the team – just as we intend to do when we adopt our next basset hound.
