Meeting gone to the dogs?

A huge thanks to Pab for alerting me to National Meetings Week and this wonderful website.

This story in particular caught my eye: Psychologist recommends training dogs to help stage-manage meetings.

The full article is definitely worth a read, but to whet your appetite, the psychologist in question a June McNicholas advocates:

"canine participation in conferences to help reduce stress, make the occasion more memorable, boost morale, and to fit the breed to the corporate brand or meetings message"

And suggests how the dog could be used by being trained to:

"wear a jacket with the company logo, to welcome delegates by sitting at heel or wagging its tail, and to favour VIPs with a paw-shake. Dogs can be trained also to smile, revealing their teeth"

however she adds:

"but this is not recommended for large breeds like Dobermans or Alsatians"

Also to be avoided apparently are:

"long speeches which may cause the dog to yawn"

Wise words. But hey if you don't fancy using a dog, she also suggests that "most meetings could use an insect or animal to help communicate a deeper message." As publicity officer for the National Ferret Welfare Society, she has quite a lot of suggestions to make about them. Read it to believe it!