This is not my cat.
It became a bit of a standing joke in the last few years of my legal career.
‘You want a home visit? Do you have any pets? No, I don’t have allergies, I just only visit clients who have dogs. Don’t worry about chairs I’ll spend most of the meeting on the floor’
#professional
For the most part, it put my clients at ease. I would arrive, sit down, their dog would throw themselves at me, remove all of my makeup methodically, and then we would talk.
I took it as a sign that the work I was doing was working; that there was limited tension in the room, that my clients trusted me, that I was exuding confidence and approachability.
Occasionally it annoyed my clients; in one particularly tense meeting, when my clients repeatedly lost their temper, their dogs headed to me. On laid on my feet, the other head in my lap. It painted a pretty clear picture of the emotions in the room.
Animals read the non-verbal clues that us humans also pick up on. And I was clearly throwing out the trustworthy, relaxed, supportive vibes.
This cat appeared out of nowhere on the return leg of my 9 hour journey to see a client.
What emotions are you projecting at work? What are the non-verbal clues your colleagues and clients are picking up on?
PS Did you think you were the only one stressed and struggling at work? I know you think everyone else has their sh*t together, but I can promise you, there are so many out there struggling alone.
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