Happy New Year.

It’s harder than I expected to come back to a neglected blog.  I haven’t posted since May of last year, when I wrote on conversion attribution. The longer I wait, the harder it gets – I think I was waiting for that great flash of an idea for a luminary post that would justify the 6 month wait.

Well, this ain’t it.  But here it goes.

Beware the Wounded Dog

This has been on my mind for a while:  how to recognize – and avoid – the Wounded Dog at work.  As unpleasant as the analogy may sound to dog lovers (I am one) it paints a picture of a person who ends up in a tough situation, with seemingly nothing to lose, and therefore indiscriminately fights out of fear and spite.  The Wounded Dog bites at what comes close, even the hand that tries to feed it. The Wounded Dog is not safe to be around; its actions are unpredictable, and the damage it can do to those who try to help it can be significant.

Unlike most analyses in which I am involved, this one is not based on empirical evidence.  And if you are wondering: my comments are not directed at him, her, or you: I’ve done my best to pull together experiences working for, managing, and collaborating with all sorts of people over the past fifteen years or so.

Also:  there are some dogs, and people, who are always nasty (“bad apples” or “cancers” in most management/organizational reading.) This analogy does not refer to them; it refers to otherwise good folks who change and act out of character due to a perceived or real threat.

At work, the Wounded Dog can be someone – a manager, a colleague, and direct report – who finds themselves in a no-win situation and acts out of desperation.  In my experience, the most visible Wounded Dog is usually someone who has made good decisions in the past and has a reputation for acting in a way consistent with their values.  But when Wounded, can distress those who report to them or work alongside them. The degree of damage they can inflict is commensurate with the size of their organization.

It should not matter to the one bitten what causes the Dog to get Wounded: poor political choices, a failed or failing project, a missed accountability, or a mid-life crisis. What matters is how close you are to getting bitten.

Here, getting “bitten” can mean a poor review, broken promises around advancement/reward, removal or lack of support for your initiatives, poor/absent coaching, and decisions which negatively impact your own ability to get your job done and perform in your role. It can even get you fired.

How to Recognize a Wounded Dog

• Increase in foul language
• Flared temper; over-reacting to small things
• Isolation from peers and leadership
• Unpredictability in management style; rapid variance between micromanagement and laissez-fair
• Preference for discussing problems vs.  solutions
• Increased focus on themselves vs. others
• Tilting at Windmills

How to Avoid the Wounded Dog

• Do not initiate contact. The fewer interactions, the better
• Since it’s hard to tell how a Wounded Dog will react, avoid declarative statements. Gently use the Socratic Method.
• Don’t question deliverables, unless the risk or cost of completing the deliverable is high. Just do what he/she says and be gone.
• Avoid anything that could set them off, steer clear of controversial subjects.
• Avoid comments which reflect on them – stick to you and your job. Especially refrain from constructive feedback.

Can you Help a Wounded Dog?

• Usually, no. They bite what comes close
• Having said that, I believe that even the most Wounded Dogs have a few close friends to whom the Dog, even in its violent death throws, will not react inappropriately. These are close friends, family, confidants, etc. who have had enough shared experiences to have developed extreme trust. If you are one of these – you may be able to help. But be clear on the risks before you do.

What if You are a Wounded Dog?

Like many seasoned managers, I have been the Wounded Dog before. I think it can happen to most people at one point or another.  Of course, I did not recognize it at the time; however, in retrospect, it drove me to make a few poorly-motivated decisions, and to pull back on my commitments to make those around me successful. What I’ve done over the past few years to avoid acting Wounded myself: to be self-aware around the causes of distress, and focus on the causes rather than injuring those around me with the symptoms.

If you have Wounded Dog stories, I’d love to hear them in comments, below.

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