Feed the Tigers, Ride the Horses, Shoot the Dogs

If you haven't heard this saying before it is a very simple and effective way to look at your fellow team members and the results they produce at work. I am a dog lover so I don't believe in actually shooting animals or people but taken in the right caring and supportive context you can sort each individual into one of these categories and develop an approach for each person to improve their work results. (I've also heard this recently described as racehorses and donkeys)

Its a good time of the year to evaluate current staff or people that may return for your upcoming season.

• Feed the tigers- let them loose as they ferociously, consistently and actively provide excellent Guest service, Safety and teamwork. They just need a daily or weekly 'chunk of meat' in the form of recognition and praise.

• Ride the horses- these types of individuals need course correction every so often and affirmation that they are doing the rights things. the whip and the carrot may be necessary. This takes a little more shoulder to shoulder supervision but it's worth it if they become a tiger.

• Shoot the dogs-well you probably shouldn't have hired them in the first place, but this group may only need a warning shot fired in the air to get their attention. Every effort should be made turn them into horses but if there is no signs of effort or cooperation then it will be best to release them and wish them good luck in their next adventure. If you do have to 'put them to sleep' then it shouldn't come as a complete surprise to them.

Don't take these analogies too literally and remember that a single person may be a tiger in guest service skills, a horse in their safety skills and dogs in their attendance.

Its not always that simple.