In the celebration of spring, here area a few hare brained ideas for building trust.

Like horses, rabbits are prey animals. Prey animals can teach us a lesson in building trust through service. Unlike a relationship with a dog or a cat, the rabbit sees you as a threat. Dogs and Cats see you as a competitor and/or partner. In a relationship with a fellow predator, like a dog, all you need to do is assert dominance over them. If you do the same thing with a rabbit, they will run and you'll never see them again.

I am not saying that your people are rabbits, horses dogs and cats, but I am saying that you need to understand the mentality of a prey animal to better serve the people who work for you. Just as a prey animal fears you at first, so do your people. They are afraid that you will take their jobs, not their lives, but it can be just as intimidating. (Especially in this economy) You need to be trusted. So how do you win the trust of a rabbit? Simple: Take away their biggest fears. Here they are in order:

1. Fear for their lives. They need to know that you will not eat them.

2. Fear of starvation. They need to see you as the source of their nutrition.

3. Fear of homelessness. They need to see you as the protector and shelter from the storm.

How does this relate to people?:

1. Fear of job loss. They need to know that you will be fair and understanding and not throw them under the bus.

2. Fear of no growth. They need to know that you care enough to train them and help them grow.

3. Fear of not fitting in. Our jobs are our home-away-from-home. They need to know that they matter and are part of the team.

So, learn to listen to your inner rabbit, or better yet, visit us at Cowboy Leaders to work with our horses one-on-one. It is the best trust building experience I know of.

Happy Spring,

Fritz