WE NEED SHEEP DOGS

I can relate this strange-sounding idea to banking and, particularly, to our more crucial sales processes. But first consider how sheep dogs behave.

They are brought up with the sheep, but they know they are a breed apart. Being raised with the sheep neutralizes dogs' natural instinct to attack, and they learn the sheep's behavior as well as their own.

These dogs have to know how to communicate with the ewes, the old sheep that control the herds. Sheep dogs may be tempted to bite, but they learn how to show the ewes the road to success without killing them, perhaps by gnawing at their ankles.

Sheep sit down when frustrated. This is why shepherds have staffs, and sheep dogs, both of which are critical in keeping the sheep moving.

Sheep dogs will only listen to their shepherd, following orders from one clear source and not getting confused by the herd. These dogs will never kill the sheep, and the latter know it. The dog is there to build a lasting relationship of trust and leadership.

The dog's presence itself tells the sheep where to go as he learns the direction from the shepherd, with whom the dog also develops a special relationship. The sheep dogs are responsive and execute the shepherd's directions quickly and efficiently, without questioning. They have great concentration and intelligence, and move rapidly. They can react to situations automatically with known patterns, which enable them to multitask. They save the errant sheep and listen to the "baa"s of the old ewes and they complain abuot the pace or direction of movement. They understand, but they do not yield. They are trainable, consistent, full of stamina, and in control of their aggressiveness. They are intensely loyal to the their shepherd and desire to please him or her by protecting and herding the sheep.

What does all this have to do with banking?

We all have branch managers and staff members who have ewe-like qualities. They sit down when frustrated, gripe when they are urged to move and don't like speed. We need sheep dogs that know how to gnaw into their ankle without biting or hurting the sheep, folks that can share with them management's clear directions and keep them on track through both encouragement and persistence. We need people who know how to talk with these employees with credibility and from experience, yet don't confuse grousing with raising substantive issues.

An effective sheep dog is a tremendous asset to any banking organization in carrying the shepherd's vision through the ranks and becoming a communicator between the executive ranks and the line. Further, the sheep dog can also read between the lines as results are measured and separate the "foo-foo" from true performance, calling some sheep on their results and holding them accountable for solid performance. A strong person who has been there and done that can understand the real world conditions within which the employees function, and bring their understanding to bear in coaching the troops, recognizing them and culling the on-performers and cheaters from the rest of the herd.

Every bank can benefit from a good sheep dog that grew up with the troops and has earned their trust and credibility. Make sure the dog grew with the ewes, knows how to talk to them and their secret handshake, and listens to the shepherd.

To learn more abuot other skills required and mastered by sheep dogs, see the movie "Babe". It shows how a pig learns to be a sheep dog; we can learn too!