Editor's Note: Harnessing Horsepower March 27, 2009 March/April 2009
By Lorri Freifeld
I always knew animals had personalities—I am, after all, the owner of a feisty miniature longhaired dachshund who demands her share of pizza and lap time and rules my household with soulful blue eyes and an iron paw. But I didn't realize how much wisdom animals—horses in particular—possessed until Training's Senior Writer Margery Weinstein returned from her Hudson, WI, session with Wisdom Horse Coaching.
I admit I was a bit skeptical after reading a press release from the company and even more so when Margery told me it had invited her to witness how guided interaction with horses can teach corporate employees, most often senior executives, about their work and leadership styles. But as Wisdom Horse executive coach Lynn Baskfield explained to Margery, the uncanny ability of horses to read energy and respond to it is something corporate employees—and bosses—could learn a thing or two from. "So much communication is beyond language," Baskfield noted. "Few of us learn how our energy expands and contracts. Horses are fabulous trainers for teaching us this invisible thing is real."
Just ask Talon Performance Group, a recruitment firm serving the legal industry. As Margery observed, equine exercises taught a group of Talon employees—including the president and CEO—how to steer reluctant clients or employees in the direction in which they wanted them to go. Other exercises demonstrated the power of collaboration and recognition and the failure of authoritarian leadership (see p. 20).
In Margery's private coaching session, various horses schooled her on defining her space, taking charge of social situations, and "being proactive rather than just reacting passively to other people's (or horses') actions." Visit www.trainingmag.com/horse to read about Margery's equine experiences and lessons learned.
Speaking of being proactive, I'm sure you all wish you could get your CEO alone for just a few minutes to plead your case for investment in training and development. Turn to p. 26 right now to find out how to get your seat at the C-suite table and learn best practices from Training Top 125 winners Northwestern Mutual, Luxury Jeweler's Resource Group, and NewYork Presbyterian Hospital.
I hope you got a chance to meet some of the Top 125 winners during our Training 2009 Conference & Expo held in February in Atlanta. Check out pp. 46 to 49 for scenes from the show floor and the Top 125 black-tie gala, plus tips from the keynote and session speakers. Next up on the awards front: In May, we will recognize the 2009 Top 40 Young Trainers (and reveal the Top 10 of those winners) during our Leadership Summit in San Diego and also in the May 2009 issue of Training.
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