Animals, Employees and HR

The New York Times recently reviewed a new book by the autistic Temple Grandin and her co-author Catherine Johnson called Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals. Unlike my commentary on the Animal Employment Protection Act, Animals Make Us Human is serious.

I haven’t read the book yet, but according my interpretation of the review, Animals Make Us Human contains good advice for human resource professionals and anyone who supervises or interacts with employees. For example, “The rule is simple. Don’t stimulate rage, fear and panic if you can help it, and do stimulate seeking and also play.”

You might assume that the book is about pets like dogs and cats. It is, in part, but farm animals, wild animals and animals in zoos are also considered. Think about this conclusion and its possible application to the workplace: “The more I observe and learn about how dogs are kept today, I am more convinced that many cattle have better lives than some of the pampered pets. Too many dogs are alone all day with no human or dog companions.”

Ms. Grandin’s thoughts on humane and stress-free slaughterhouses and the importance of hiring good animal managers (as opposed to bullies and sadists) provide useful tips for HR, as well as all managers and supervisors at any level. This isn’t the typical ”how to manage people” book, but it appears to be a book that will give you some good ideas on that very subject.