What a horse can teach you about business

Yesterday I went riding again, after a long break of a couple of years. Upon arrival I was taken to my horse Feli and we started to get ready for the riding lesson. But in the end the experience was much more than a riding lesson – it resembled more of a business lesson.

How come a horse can teach you something about how you should work? It’s easy – a horse can teach you several valuable lessons, it will actually teach you the same lessons you would hear in business school:

1. You have to work before you can hop on!

You cannot just take the horse, hop on and start riding. You have to let it smell you first, get to know you, have to brush it, stroke it, talk to it and let it get used to who you are. You first have to make the horse trust you, before you can take it for a ride.

 Just like when meeting a new business partner, you cannot just get to business – you first have to do some work, gain a partners’ or clients’ trust before you can get started on anything.

2. Set the boundaries first!

Every horse will test its rider, see how far it can go with you in the saddle. So do not be afraid to show exactly where the limits are, what you accept, and what you don’t. In the professional life things are quite similar – people will test your limits, see how far they can go. Be clear from the beginning – it is much more difficult to correct things after a while.

3. Apply moderate pressure!

When the horse does not listen, you have to start applying pressure – through pressing of the legs, pressing with your heels, using your voice or pulling the holster. But if you do all this at a time, the horse will be confused. You have to apply the pressure gradually, have it react to the first signs – if you apply too much pressure from the beginning, you will have no room to increase it.

Again, it is the same in your professional environment – if things do not go in the right direction, you should start applying pressure – but gradually. Try to get things back on track starting with a low pressure degree, do not get too pushy from the beginning.

4. Keep your horse focused!

You are in charge of where you want to go, it is not the other way around. There are so many more interesting things for a horse to do: follow another horse, stop and eat, stare at a bucket or just stand around. Riding for you may not seem very appealing to it, especially compared to the staring-at-a-bucket option. Still, whatever distractions come your way,  you have to be able to keep your horse focused on where you want to go, on your destination.

It is just the same with keeping your business partners focused on your destination – they will see other opportunities along the way, some of them more appealing than what you have to offer, but you always have to know how to keep them on track, otherwise the ride will come to a quick end.

5. Find a common pace!

Too fast, too slow, I can barely keep myself in the saddle… It is not easy to find a common pace with your horse – one that you can both keep up with. You will not be able to force your pace on a horse, because it won’t let you, just as a horse will not be able to force its’ pace upon yourself, as you are the one trying to stay in the saddle.

Setting a common pace is also crucial when working with someone. It is important to have a steady common development of a project, a working pace that keeps everyone motivated, but not exhausted. Goal is that you and your partners can stay in the saddle for the entire ‘ride’.

6. One wrong step, and you can be in deep s***!

So you have built up a relationship with the horse, you trust each other, you are ok in your saddle, tabbing at a relaxing pace…do not become less careful. You always have to pay attention, horses are unpredictable – one wrong step and you can be in deep s***.

 But then again, so are people.  Unpredictable. Never lose them out of sight. Always pay attention to your business partners and react timely to changes. Do not let your horse or partner take you by surprise.

7. Do not stand where you cannot be seen!

Horses have a limited eye sight – there are a lot of interesting articles about equine eyesight in the web. They have been born with a blind spot and many predators, meaning that they cannot see you, if you stand around their back. So if you go to your horse, you should not touch it in the back area first, because it cannot see you and it will get scared. This will obviously trigger a negative reaction. That is why, when going to a horse, you should start stroking it from its head, continue to the neck, body and the back – this way, the horse can feel your touch and knows where you are.

You should avoid blind spots in your professional life as well, as they are dangerous and can trigger highly negative reactions. Feel your way around, let your partner always know where you stand and avoid taking him by surprise. Remember that we all have our blind spots!

8. You can wash, but the smell will stick!

After finishing the ride, cleaning the horse and cleaning yourself, you will observe that a slight smell is still in the air, in your clothes or hair.

People also leave a trail, the work you have done leaves a mark, every action you take is still in the air, even after you have moved on to something new. Do not think that you can just ‘shower’ something off, because you can’t. People can smell you and can tell how you have acted so far in your professional life. Therefore, always consider your professional decisions in advance, consider your actions before taking them, because their reminiscence will stick with you for a long time.

Harry’s Home is your home!

Friendly, colorful, warm and fun! This is my new home for 6 months (have spent already 2 months here) and I can only tell you that it is a great place to stay.

When travelling a lot and spending most of your time in a hotel room, you realize that it is very important how your room is like – because it is not only a room, it is your new home. I am staying at Harry’s Home in Linz and have a Studio Business. It is a studio with a sleeping and living area, a huge bathroom, a kitchen corner, a walk-in closet (more like 2-step-walk-in J) and a cute balcony facing the inner garden. I also have a table and chairs on the balcony, so I can even eat outside if it will ever get warm and stop snowing/raining!

The place offers all you need for a long stay, and even more. Washing machines and dryers are on my floor and they are never too busy. Ironing table and hot iron can be borrowed from the reception at any time, you always have where to park and if you get bored, you can also borrow a book from the hotel library.

The hotel is right near the Danube, which is great if you like to go jogging in the evening. If you need to shop, you can find supermarkets within 1 min. walking distance, which is great given the fact that stores here close at 19:00 or 19:30.

The free wireless internet is always working, it is always nice and warm, very clean and whatever extra need you have, the staff will do their best to fulfill it. Speaking of the staff, they are extremely friendly, make you feel welcome the minute you walk in.

I am truly happy I decided to go with this hotel for my 6 months stay in Linz, as I have everything I need and really do feel like home.

I did not bother uploading any extra pictures on the blog, as the rooms look exactly the way they are presented on the internet, which is a rarity in this business.

My tip: whenever you can book a room with Harry, do not hesitate to do so!

You can read all the details on Harry’s website.

Never cut your Knödel!

Or how to have some Spaß when working in Austria

They speak German, arrive on time and drink beer, but are not Germans. You can read all the general DOs and DON’Ts on the web, so I won’t bother repeating all the ’be punctual and greet everyone’ tips.

But, I can give you some tips on working in a traditional Austrian company. I have started a 6-month project in January and am working for one of the biggest players in the steel industry, which is a highly male-dominated environment. So, you’ve got the picture: traditional Austrian, male dominated, maybe not so easy to blend in as a 25 year old girl from the East. Still, not impossible. Of course I did some mistakes in the beginning, but I have quickly learned my lessons:

1.       The world has The Harlem Shake, Austria has The Handshake!

If you are not used to shaking hands all the time, all day long, you’d better start practicing! In Austria the handshake is of high importance, especially in Upper Austria, as I have been told. It is usual to shake everyone’s hand – shake our colleague’s hands when you arrive at the office in the morning, when you meet them on the hallway or when you have a meeting. Especially when you have a meeting, it is good to arrive a bit earlier, otherwise you will have to walk the round and shake 25 hands before you can go and take a seat.

You should also shake hands when you leave, ladies first, of course. I myself have forgotten to do the handshake a couple of times in the beginning – it is not a tragedy, but it is considered to be very impolite and people will let you know!

2.       Talking – less is more

When you are the ‘new kid’ on a team, people will be more cautious in the beginning and not approach you directly. After 2 or 3 days they will start asking you questions and showing a lot of interest in who you are, where you come from and what you have done before. You will enthusiastically start answering those questions and let them know about yourself, but that is not always the best approach. If you say too much about yourself, about your education or career path, it might be considered as bragging, even if you have been asked about those topics. I have figured it is best to engage in a conversation but, as long as you are at work, keep the details to yourself. Show people who you are, but keep it on a very professional level and do not go into many details – my impression is that Austrians are more private and they expect you to be the same. So, instead of putting yourself out there, let them discover you step by step.

3.       Don’t start running, learn how to walk first

Austrians are very specific at work, very accurate and they invest quite some time into planning and discussing a project. Coming from an environment that was very fast paced and with a stronger hands-on attitude, I was not really used to discussing a topic or project for a long time, I was more the ‘we will see along the way’ type.

Here, you do not see how something develops along the way, you discuss all the possibilities before and most probably also have some alternatives for everything that might deviate from the initial plan. Try to find the appropriate working pace by analyzing how your colleagues work – in some cultures, if you are faster than the rest, you will be appreciated. In Austria, if you try to be faster, it will most probably mean that you have not invested enough time into planning your task and you have not discussed it with all the persons concerned. In conclusion, rather than trying to change something, you should try to adapt to your working environment and blend in, rather than standing out.

Other than some working cultures, Austrians do not only focus on the result, but also on the way you got to that result, which is a quite healthy approach.

4.       Keep it simple

The same way you should keep it simple when you talk, you should also keep it simple when you dress. Other than in the East, no one cares how you dress or look like when you go to work. If you spend too much time dressing up or doing your hair, you will most probably be the target of your colleagues’ jokes. So focus on what is in your head, not on your head. If you are a good professional and master your assignments, you will be appreciated.

Speaking of appreciation, do not expect to get public praise or very much feedback – you will sense that people appreciate your work eventually, even if they do not say it directly. If you are a feedback fan, you will have to rethink your attitude, because you will not get a lot of direct feedback here. Learn how to read between the lines and you will know if you are on the right side of the road.

5.       Don’t assume – ask!

As you do not get a lot of direct feedback, you might fall in the trap of assuming stuff. Do not do that – if something is not clear or if you do not know if you are steering your project into the right direction, just ask! Austrians like direct, open people and they will never leave you in the dark with your work. People at work are very supportive and I have not sensed any type of unwillingness to help. So, instead of imagining things, just put them on the table and you will have your answers right away.

And what about the Knödel thing? I have read that you should never ever try to cut your Knödel, because it is impolite – you should only break it with your fork!

What can I say? Good luck with breaking this one: