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Bring Your Dog to Work Day, every day?
I often get asked, “What kind of office do you work in?” My typical response is that I work in a brownstone in Boston’s South End with good people who do good work… and I get to bring my dog in with me every day.
“YOU WHAT!?”
That final detail always pushes them over the edge. Nobody can believe (especially if they’ve met the 90-pound beast that is my dog, Dylan) my pet comes into the office every day with me.
Hard worker, isn’t he?
It’s an absolute pleasure having him with me every day at the office. If I worked in a large company, or a company with less flexible ideas about workspace, I would most likely not be bringing Dylan bounding through the front door.
So how does this seemingly small (yet in reality, HUGE) benefit of bringing our dogs to the office affect the actual work that gets produced? I actually have a couple theories:
A workplace that embraces who we are as a whole is a happy workplace. Many offices allow you to put up photos in your cubicle and check your Facebook page now and then — but the rest of the time, your life and personality take a backseat to your daily responsibilities. Because we’re a creative, dynamic group at Sametz Blackstone, the lines between who we are and what we do are more blurry by intention — we’re encouraged to bring our unique personality, perspective and experience (not to mention our dogs!) to the table every single day.
This holistic approach and embrace of who we are fosters a genuine excitement for what we do each day — and that excitement translates into the kind of creative, fresh work our clients are seeking.
When the chips are down, a wagging tail offers a much-needed boost. When my colleagues and I are having a particularly bad day or week, we have these cheerful, energetic furry support systems to keep our spirits up. (Dylan makes sure he’s in the middle of every review at every desk down here on the Digital Media floor.) They outdo coffee as a re-motivator any day of the week.
Ultimately, while having dogs nearby is only a part of our culture, it’s emblematic of our approach: we believe that the best breeding ground for inspiration is one where people have the freedom to create an environment they truly enjoy.
Without exaggerating, I can honestly say that the dogs have become an important part of the team, and a necessary part of our routine each day (though we all have to work very hard to keep Roger’s dog Knightley away from our bagels and drinks during our monthly Bagels + Schmear…)
I love bringing Dylan to work with me, and he definitely boosts my morale when I spend a long day behind a desk. But I’m probably making you jealous at this point. So I’ll stop.
(But you’re welcome to come see me, Dylan, and the rest of us anytime!)
What do you love about your work environment? What do you think would improve it?
Categories: Outside the Square, Quadrupedal Posts
Doodle with your pen, not your dog: brand alert!
Labradoodle… Goldendoodle… Cockapoo… Pugapoo… Peekapoo… Maltapoo… Saint Berdoodle…
Okay, where to begin? Normally I’m a tolerant and understanding pooch, but this craziness is driving me mad (“flipping my wig” mad, as it were).
What was so wrong with the original… poodle!?
Why’d everyone have to start monkeying around with us (and believe me, that’s exactly what some of ‘em look like to me: monkeys!). The fancy word nowadays is crossbreed or hybrid. I just call it a mess.
See, most folks are looking for, let’s say, the temperament of a golden retriever and the hypoallergenic coat of a poodle. But guess what… there’s no guarantee! You could end up with the shed-like-crazy, sneeze-inducing coat of a retriever and the temperament of a Real Housewives of New Jersey poodle. And then I’d laugh my heinie off (what, you don’t think dogs can laugh?).
(Uhmmm, and why don’t they try this nonsense with cats?)
Moreover, since I hang out everyday at a branding shop, I’m none too pleased at the turn this is taking in that regard.
Back in the day, a dog stood for something: golden retriever=loyal; labrador retriever=energetic; beagle=food hound; poodle=smart(ass). Now they’re boiling it all down to what might be less than the sum of the parts: take the poodle for this, retriever for that, throw in a little beagle for good measure—and hope for the best.
I understand the desire to have the “perfect dog”, but how about working with us here? We do our best with what God gave us… and we unconditionally love our humans, warts and all. If all the energy, fuss, and expense were directed instead at understanding, appreciating, selecting and nurturing the right breed of dog for you, wouldn’t we all be happy in our own skin?
Are these good branding (let alone genetic!) decisions, or are crossbreeders simply slapping together what people will buy?
Me, I’d rather Dad get us a true mutt… a hybrid by nature.
Categories: Branding, Outside the Square, Quadrupedal Posts
2009: The year in blog posts
With the holidays upon us, we thought we’d celebrate ’Round the Square’s first year with the Best of 2009: your favorites, our favorites, and a couple of gems you might have missed.
- 12/26: Brand Judo
- 12/27: The three stages of social media anxiety
- 12/28: Popular and politically incorrect
- 12/29: “Don’t lipstick” and 25 other lessons of management
- 12/30: How to grow ideas
- 12/31: I got tagged
- 1/1: Tuning in by turning off
- 1/2: The first way you’re wasting your story
- 1/3: Trust Agent + ? = $$
- 1/4: Stones or Beatles?
- 1/5: Time is your enemy
- 1/6: 10 tips for an effective design process
- 1/7: Six (scientific!) steps for social media success
- 1/8: The audacity of design
Enjoy!
Categories: Branding, Design, Digital Media, Outside the Square, Quadrupedal Posts, Strategy and Management, Uncategorized
Spreading the word
We need to spread the word about garbarge trucks. Why? Because THEY. SCARE. ME.
I might look similar to a Rottweiler, which is supposed to mean I’m tougher than Fifi (and trust me, I AM tougher than Fifi)…except when it comes to garbage trucks. They’re loud! Big! Can run me over! Why aren’t more dogs scared of these things??
I want to spread the word. How, though? Taking to the streets barking hasn’t worked out so well, ’cause garbage days are WAY too frequent in the South End. Posting fliers at the MSPCA might be okay, but that seems sort of old school, and the whole lack of opposable thumbs also presents an issue.
Hmmm…I need something fresh. New.
I work hard each day (okay, okay, I come to work each day—maybe working hard is not quite accurate). But what I do hear from under the table in these meetings is that this whole social media thing seems to be the cat’s pajamas…the bees knees, if you will.
They say that with the right message and approach I can quickly spread my thoughts around and even get instant feedback from my peers.
That’s it! I’m taking to the social media superhighway:
Dogs of the world! I bark out loud! Online! Come join me in my social media revolution! Let’s see how fast we can warn our species of these dang garbage trucks! Twittering, Facebooking, blogging—oh my, this is exciting!
(Cats, well, you can fend for yourselves. Go find some week old sushi scraps or find new layouts for each others Myspace pages.)
Categories: Quadrupedal Posts
More than words
You humans talk a lot. I see you on your computers, your phones, in conference rooms or in hallways. You also talk to me (I think it’s strange that you think that I understand you or something… when really the only words that come through loud and clear are “cookie” or “treat”).
I might not understand your words, but I understand your body movements. Some parts of your human communication are just like our dog communications. Your bodies say a lot. I know I’m in trouble when Jessica crosses her arms and her body gets tense. She doesn’t even have to tell me to “lie down” because I know it’s coming. But crossed arms aren’t the norm for her. When I’m around people, especially new people, I look for a relaxed and open body position. People who look relaxed make me relaxed too. And when I’m relaxed, it makes it easier for me to pay attention to the other words I know, like “sit” or “paw.” I’ve learned lots of new things since being adopted, because I’ve taught my owners how to communicate with me. (I’m a good trainer like that.)
I can’t imagine having to understand you humans through a machine. I guess you are better at that since you don’t communicate through only barks and whines and body movements (though I have definitely heard you both bark and whine on occasion). But I like being face-to-face with you. I can read you that way, and I bet other humans can too. Just don’t forget, it’s not just what you say.
Sometimes how you say it is so much more important when you want to be heard.
Categories: Quadrupedal Posts
Catty
Lets call a spaniel a spaniel. The reason some small companies allow dogs in the office isn’t just because they have a desire to provide a more productive, collegial work place. It’s because dogs simply can’t be left home alone any longer than small human creatures can without a host of unhappy consequences.
We cats, on the other paw, are perfectly content to stay home and do our own thing while our roommates go to the office, or wherever it is they go, and do theirs. We don’t require constant attention, walks, treats, or bathroom breaks. We don’t look sad or act betrayed every time you leave the premises and leave us behind. We rarely even notice you’re gone. We’re far more self-reliant, and far less needy of petting and constant validation. Have you ever heard of a professional cat walker?
The truth is, cats are just too cool for school—or for work.
Categories: Quadrupedal Posts
Don’t call me FiFi
Let’s get this out of the way: I’m a poodle, and damn proud of it.
To be specific, a standard poodle, the size from which all other poodles (miniature, toy, and teacup)… well, uhmmm, shrank. They were the Johnny-come-latelies, but I’m one of the originals.
My Dad and I get a lot of guff (“why’d you get a poodle instead of a real dog?”)—and we’ve learned to let it just roll off our backs like saltwater in the surf. And that brings up a good point: poodles were originally water retrievers (fetching birds instead of the ratty tennis balls I chase today). We worked for a living!
And we’re not French, by the way: we’re originally “pudels” from Germany (those French fries are the ones who started dolling us up). And the goofy looking haircut was designed by hunters way back to help us swim, while the big balls of hair were to protect organs and joints in the cold water. You try chasing after a damn wing-tipped green head duck in freezing water and patches of ice!
Now, Dad didn’t name me Moxie for no good reason (though I am originally from Maine, the land that spawned that crazy/nasty drink of the same name). He took one look at me rough-housing with some other “pudels” and the name just seemed to fit.
My other four-legged buddies here in the office are good guys and gals, and sometimes we think maybe things would be better if we ran the place and our owners stayed behind gates and in kennels.
So, please come visit and say hi. Callie, Dylan, Knightley, Bella, and I will welcome you with open paws (especially if you have something good to eat in your hands).
And, remember, I’m not the foofy one (I’ll keep it a secret who really is until you come give me a pat).
Categories: Quadrupedal Posts
Mixed breeds
It’s only so often that I make a visit to the office (thus my “cameo canine” moniker)—probably every month or so. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me, these infrequent visits. Seeing my Sametz Blackstone humans and canines but once a month makes those few, great hours of social time on otherwise quiet afternoons particularly special.
Usually Momma keeps me banned to the 5th floor where she works, which is fine: I get to visit with Mr. Knightley (and steal his rawhide chews). When Momma isn’t looking, I try to escape downstairs so I can visit Callie and Moxie and Dylan. I love my downstairs friends, not to mention racing down those five flights of stairs! What isn’t fun about that?
But really, just look at me: have you seen a dog that looks more like an embodiment of fun? And if Dylan’s involved, I’m downright flirty.
So, yes, while I generally love everybody and everydog—except for those “baby” humans in their rolling carts and one, rather freakish-looking dog in my neighborhood—what’s great about coming to work with Momma is that everyone seems to like to visit and play with each other as much as I do (though I have noticed that they generally don’t share chewies).
Whether standard poodle (Moxie) or Tibetan terrier (Mr. Knightley), the man that leads the office (Momma calls him Roger) or the one that feeds me snacks (Will!), I mingle with everyone, and everyone mingles with everyone else, too. All of my canine pals come from different places (which means, I guess, the humans do, too)—I’ve never even heard of some of the parks they frequent!—but at Sametz Blackstone, it’s like their, and their humans’, second home.
Now, if only Mr. Knightley would go back to those other rawhide chews….
Categories: Quadrupedal Posts
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