Working with client with disability
Do you learn from people you are in contact with? Recently I encounter a challenge to work with a client who is legally blind. I needed to find new ways of teaching but most importantly I had to listen. It’s through communication that we found the best ways to move forward. In the end, we not only succeeded with training the dog so both she and the owner are happy but I also learned and grew as a person. It made me a better trainer and more compassionate human being.
How to communicate with people who have different opinions?
It's not easy to change someone’s opinion as it's not easy to change ours. Trying to win an argument is not the best way to keep the dialogue going. Start from listening and find a mutual purpose, something you can agree on. It's the best way to create trust and find solutions that can work for both.
Many times we don’t even bother trying to learn a new skill. We convince ourselves that it’s not for us. When what we could do is to find the first successive approximation and start learning through a fun and successful process.