My dogs are great! They’re beautiful, smart, loving and fairly obedient. (OK, your dogs are all right, too.) But my dogs are great!!
When Samantha was a puppy, her favorite treats were “Snausages.” I haven’t seen them on the market in a while and we long ago moved on to other treats, but Snausages were a hard act to follow. My younger daughter taught Sam to roll over for a Snausage and just taking the bag out of the panty would cause Sam to stop, drop and roll …. over and over and over without stopping until she was rewarded.
Sam’s love for Snausages prompted a philosophical family discussion that I still find fascinating. The question is – “What is your Snausage?”
So picture this – me, literally stopping, dropping and rolling across the floor over and over again … for what? My Snausage for a long time was my mom’s hot apricot cobbler with a scoop of Breyer’s Home-Made Vanilla ice cream on top. But in recent years I’ve tried to stop making my life about food as a reward, and to focus on “feeding” my inner child, or should I say “dog,” in other ways.
I’ve discovered that the best rewards are not the ones I give myself, but the ones that are given to me from others. And I’ve discovered that other people feel the same way. So how can I give you a Snausage?
First, I need to discover what you really want and need, and then figure out how to give it to you.
As implementation coaches, we often suggest that teams review The 5 Languages of Appreciation by doctors Gary Chapman and Paul White. Chapman and White have been incredibly generous to share their quiz on line, together with a brief interpretation of the results. Have your team members take just a few minutes to go through the quiz, and share the results in a team meeting. You’ll discover the best way to motivate and appreciate each member.
Then share this story, and just for fun … ask them what their “Snausage” is.
I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at ncatale@lawyerswithpurpose.com with “Snausage” as the subject. What’s your “Snausage?”
Nedra Catale – Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose
Snausages? I’m a vegan!
My dog isn’t though. I like this idea, and will take a look at the 5 languages of appreciation. Looks like a great read, and as I get older, I learn more and more that we get back what we give to others.
Thanks!
Todd Bartimole
If the book is as good as the “Five Love Languages”, count me in.
BTW, I tried to click on and subscribe to the “comment feed” but I got a strange response. Thanks for the post though.
Several folks have emailed me, asking if this is a stock photo. No, those are my dogs sitting on the sofa (I gave in to that long ago). Sam is in the background and just turned 14. Noah is in the foreground and is 5 years and 5 lbs. In the morning, I tell them “Let’s go to work!” And they race me to my office at the front of the house, where they lie all day in their beds in my office while I work. Around 5:30 each afternoon, Noah will stand on his hind feet and paw at my arm to tell me it’s quitting time. I’m always amazed at how accurate he is at telling time.
I was also asked for the link to the website which I should have included in the blog. My apologies! It is http://www.rv337.com/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/489a3c2ce2582/Languages%20of%20Appreciation%20Quiz.doc
I’m still interested in hearing about “your snausage!”