Section 1 - The Paradigm Of Working Like A Dog

Work and play do not necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, the most productive workers find and create numerous ways to mix the two -- because playing while at work is literally the best and most productive way available.

When most people talk about ‘‘working like a dog’’, they generally mean working long hours at hard labor that’s physically exhausting. Yet that idea demonstrates a definite lack of understanding about how dogs approach their work.

When you stop and look at dogs, the term "working like a dog" becomes less of an insult and moreso a pretty impressive list of characteristics that a person would do well by emulating rather than shunning.

The work-like-a-dog paradigm and working model, then, is to:

- Develop practical and workable ways to make your work fun -- even the boring stuff.
- To play at work -- doing things you really enjoy.
- To approach work with boundless enthusiasm because it's fun to be there.
- Be interested and curious about everything that happens at work rather than bored.
- Take frequent breaks to stop and recharge the batteries.
- Handle temporary set-backs with grace and determination, never losing sight of your objective.
- Internalize the positive emotions of dedication, loyalty, discipline, sensitivity and love.
- Bring enjoyment and happiness into everything you set your hand to while at work.
- Find new and innovative ways to make whatever you’re doing fun and full of personality.
- Build up the people you come into contact with through shared, positive experiences.

In the final analysis, working like a dog isn’t such a bad idea at all. If nothing else, at least it guarantees you won’t be a boring person to work alongside.

Section 2 - How Dogs Manage To Turn Work Into A Game

Most people tend to create a clear distinction between work and fun. Yet, many studies have shown that people are the most creative and the most productive when the lines between doing work and having fun are blurred. In other words, the higher the fun content, the more work will get done.

1. Treat work like you would a game.
Games are fun, have set rules and strategies and if you lose, it’s not the end of the world. If you treat work the same way, instead of worrying about past mistakes, you’ll be focused on growing and improving.

2.  Find ways to add a playful element to work assignments.
Instead of expecting employees to perform their duties like robots, look for fun and interesting ways to inject some personality into the marketplace.

3.  Analyze every situation for play possibilities.
Almost every normal workday situation -- unless you work for a funeral director -- has the potential for play. All it takes to unlock that potential is the right sort of attitude and mindset, and a willingness to have some fun whatever it takes.

4. Celebrate milestones as a great way to have fun.
Not enough businesses take the time to celebrate what’s going on. Consequently, some great opportunities to have quality moment of fun are overlooked.

5. Work less and play more to produce more and earn more.
While it may sound counter-intuitive, by working less and playing more, people actually become more efficient and therefore more productive. In other words, learning to play while working is a smarter way to work.

6. Try having fun with customers too.
In short, the more fun you have with customers, the more likely they will want to continue to do business with you. Therefore, by creating a fun-filled and enticing atmosphere, and then finding creative ways to let people know about that environment, you can generate huge amounts of goodwill which will translate into future business.

7. Use humor to handle rejections better.
The one business area where a little fun can make a huge difference is in reacting to rejection. People with high self esteem don’t worry when things don’t work out as expected -- they just look at it as an opportunity to have some more fun.

8. View mistakes as the doorway to greater success.
It’s human nature to try and divert attention away from mistakes. If there is a sense of fun at work, however, mistakes can become a celebration of how to gum things up.

9. Place more value on who you are than on what you have.
Anyone who is concerned about what people think about him (or his job title or his possessions) has undermined his ability to laugh at himself. He’s also laid a foundation for low self-esteem or too much self-importance to reduce productivity. Humor is the perfect antidote for anyone who takes himself too seriously

10. Give employees something to smile about.
Ask yourself: If I expect my employees to serve customers with a smile, what have I done to give them a reason to smile?

11. Do something totally different.
Spontaneity is an incredible spice in the mix of life. Take full advantage of that at work -- take an activity that’s always been done one way or another, and do something totally and completely zany with it.

12. Align your work and home lives together.
Since an employee’s home life will have a dramatic impact on their professional careers, it makes good sense to find creative ways to involve family members in the fun activities, alongside employees.

13. Find a kid to be your fun guide.
Most adults find it hard to have spontaneous, free formatted fun. Therefore, they need a refresher course -- and the best people to provide it are little kids who haven’t even started school yet.

14. Realize that part of having fun is to receive recognition.
Many business people feel uncomfortable if they are singled out for recognition. That’s bad. If, however, you create a workplace filled with fun, people will be much more likely to accept and bask in well earned praise.

15. Celebrate International Fun at Work Day.
One great idea is to schedule an entire day when everyone in the organization will focus on having fun while still getting their work done.

16. Avoid being afraid of doing foolish things.
To create an atmosphere where everyone feels free to have some fun will often require the boss or manager to do something totally out of character and hilarious.

17. Play fair -- with good business ethics.
Having fun and good business ethics go hand in hand with the long term success and viability of any business organization. Acting ethically creates a sense of internal well-being, while having fun generates tremendous levels of energy and resourcefulness.
 

Section 3 - How Dogs Create Opportunities Out Of Problems

Work dogs never have problems -- they only have opportunities to play. It’s all a matter of perspective. Therefore, to turn your own problems into opportunities for fun:

§         Change your view of the world.
§         Look for positives where everyone else sees negatives.
§         Refuse to choose stress.
§         Use a reframing technique often.
§         Think about difficult situations creatively.
§         Always remember the democratic nature of life.
§         Be off-the-wall when necessary.
§         Approach arguments with a creative mindset.
§         Chose fun over being right every time.
§         Laugh at yourself often.
§         Remember to play -- even when you’re under pressure.
§         Substitute dancing for wrestling.
§         Apply the wisdom of water.
§         Issue benevolent ordeals if necessary.
§         Welcome change instead of shunning it.
 

Section 4 - Strategies For Learning To Work Like Your Dog

To apply the play like your dog paradigm at work, try these strategies and ideas:

1. Associate with people who laugh and play.
If you surround yourself with people who are just as dedicated to having fun at work as you are, you stand a much better chance of realizing that goal. Even better, try and surround yourself with people who are crazier than you are. You’ll be amazed at the heights of fun those sorts of people can inspire you to achieve.

2. Stay in contact with your best friends.
Take your 12 best friends and a yearly calendar. Let each friend be responsible for organizing a fun activity for one month of that year. Then commit everyone to attend those fun events that are organized for the coming year come hell or high water.

3. Live in the moment, not for the moment.
People who live for the moment try and cram their lives with short-term pleasures which generate long-term disadvantages. By contrast, people who live in the moment extract the simple pleasures that exist in everything they do, and make fun out of whatever they have at hand instead of mulling over what’s missing.

4. Generate fun from the little things that happen every day.
If people are in the habit of complaining, they can find it very difficult to get out and do fun things, or even to live happy and fulfilling lives.To overcome a tendency to complain, get people to focus on what has gone right. Personal life and business life is chock full of little things to be thankful for. The trick lies in being sensitive and aware enough to identify those benefits.

5. Treat yourself as a human being, not a computer.
In business life, employees sometimes fall into the trap of acting in an automatic manner rather than acting spontaneously and freely. To offset that tendency, find little ways to inject some personality into your interactions with other people. If nothing else, it may give you an opening to have a little fun at the expense of everyone else.

6. Never count your nightmares until they hatch.
Our lives -- business and personal -- are filled with negative and positive opportunities, prospects and realities. It’s easy to visualize positive and negative scenarios materializing. Working dogs never count their nightmares until they hatch. Humans could benefit by adopting the same credo.

7. Practice having fun.
If you practice something enough, it will eventually become a habit. Therefore, if you can see the practical benefits that will come from filling your work life with fun and laughter, all you need to do is to find ways to practice enjoying life each day.

8. Strengthen your natural urge to play at work.
If you’ve recently done something that was great fun, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with everyone you come into contact with. Just reliving that experience will generate positive energy and create positive possibilities.

9. Give yourself permission to play.
Society’s rules and general practices often repress the natural urge to play with the people you meet in your normal life’s routines. Every now and then, throw away the shackles. Give yourself permission to do what comes naturally -- even at the expense of being thought a bit strange.

10. Take the pledge -- to lighten up and play.
To have serious fun at work, it may be necessary to take a daily pledge to lighten up and play whenever possible.

In reality, there are thousands of ways to play. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another -­everyone is built a little differently, and responds to events a little differently. The key, therefore, is not so much specifically what you do to remind yourself on a regular basis to lighten up so much as the end result -- that you do lighten up and start playing like your dog.