In the Doghouse

Have you ever been in a doghouse? Have you ever crawled in and actually looked inside?

Funny, we all probably have a mental image of a doghouse — thanks largely to Charles Shultz and Snoopy. Snoopy had it pretty good. When he wasn’t on top fighting the Red Baron, he was inside a luxury apartment. Charlie Brown wouldn’t have it any other way. But when was the last time you actually saw — let alone actually were inside — a real dog house?

Most aren’t insulated, so in the summer they’re hot, and in the winter they’re cold. They’re usually smelly (a dog smell, who ‘da thought!), and while many are painted on the outside, they’re not painted on the inside. After all, would the dog notice?

Each of us knows what it’s like to be “in the dog house.” Yet dogs don’t see their dog house as punishment. They see shelter from the elements and refuge from threats.

The career lesson? How you and I react to being “in the dog house” telegraphs a lot to our boss and colleagues. Are you chastened and contrite, angry and arrogant? Is it an opportunity to improve?

It’s your choice — being “in the doghouse” can be hot, smelly and ugly, or like Charles Shultz made it for Snoopy — you can make it into an opportunity.