Why Walk the Dog on a Cold, Blustery, Icy Day?

People ask me why I walk the dog on a day like today. Ok, it’s more than ask. They stop in their cars and say “Are you crazy?!?”

I live in a part of the country that doesn’t get much snow. Last year, two times we got a dusting, and this year only one time in late February (when it almost never snows). First we got sleet balls the size of small bees all day long — fun to walk in as they rolled under foot with each step; not so fun on the face. Then it rained. Then it sleeted. Then it rained. Then at night it froze, and the next day we had two inches of a thick, solid sheet of ice covering the grass, the road, the ditch … everything.  Each day it melted a bit, re-froze, melted, re-froze.  Then a week later it snowed/rained 3 inches.

I know all you Northerners think us Southerners are whiners about winter weather. I thought so too when I moved here, until I tried to negotiate the steep, winding gravel roads in my car (or on the dog walk) with ice or snow. Now I see. 

So why tell you all about late February when it’s April 19? Because our 20-degree-below-normal-temperature weather is still plaguing us! Today (after 80-degree-weather earlier this week) there were snow flurries. Even you Northerners feel affronted by snow in late April!

So why do I run the dog it this weather? If I didn’t, I would have missed this:

I often see things on my run that give me ideas on managing and improving performance.  Some of you have asked me to share these ideas in our blog. So here’s today’s insight:

I would have missed this beautiful snow covered berry bush had I stayed home, protected from the snow and cold.

Ask yourself:

How many beautiful acts of employee performance do we miss because we stay home, stay in our offices, stay in our comfort zones and don’t interact regularly with our staff?

Happy Trails — and hoping my next post is from a warmer day!!!