What Training Cats Has to Do With Engaging Virtual Meetings

Meet Vinnie (dangling from the bowl on the left) and Jack Jack (on my feet on the treadmill).

They’ll turn a year old later this month.

I’ve been clicker training these boys.

Yes, you read that right. So far I’ve taught them how to:

⭐️ Come here

⭐️ Sit

⭐️ Lie down

⭐️ Roll over

⭐️ High five

⭐️ Go to their cat mat

⭐️ Go in their crate

And I’m making progress on teaching Jack Jack to hang out on my shoulder (I always wanted a cat that would do that! 😁)

I’ve also taught Vinnie how to give me a nose boop — he’s got this one down cold, but I’m still working on it with his brother.

Whenever I tell people about clicker training my cats, the response is almost always the same:

”I didn’t know you could train cats!”

It turns out cats are highly trainable. They’re just different from dogs.

Dogs learn new tricks to please their people. They’re pack animals, and are socially motivated. 🐕🦺 🦮 🐕 🐾

Not so with cats. Cats will only do what they want. 🐈⬛

But they’re smart, and if they love treats, they can be highly motivated to learn new tricks!

They just won’t do it to please you.

When you approach cat training with this in mind, it stops being impossible, and starts being fun and creative.

Jack Jack is extremely food-motivated (one of his nicknames is “Greedy Bastard,” because if you’re holding any food, he’ll practically take your arm off to get at it.)

He’ll do just about anything for a treat. (Except, weirdly, boop my nose with his nose. Crazy cat.🙄)

Highly food-motivated = highly trainable!

Vinnie, on the other hand, doesn’t really care for most treats. I was afraid he wouldn’t be trainable at all. (And he’s our troublemaker, too!)

Thankfully, I quickly realized that although Vinnie doesn’t care about most treats, he is NUTSO for catnip!

Now we only buy catnip-flavored cat treats, and Vinnie snaps to attention whenever treats are near.

Highly catnip-motivated = highly trainable!

As you can see, training cats requires a bit of creative problem-solving, and a bit of effort, but it’s worth it in the long run.

What Training Cats Has to Do With Engaging Virtual Meetings

Most people approach the idea of engaging (read: “non-boring”) virtual meetings / trainings / events the way they approach training cats: they assume it can’t be done, so they don’t put the effort into it.

They don’t bother learning about what’s possible.

They don’t look at how things could be different, and what that might mean.

Whether you’re trying to get out the door safely, get a good night’s sleep, or get some work done, a trained cat can mean:

💥 Greater productivity

💥 Less stress

💥 Deeper connections

💥 More fun

Hmmm.. These are remarkably similar outcomes for a company that invests in making their virtual meetings / trainings / events more engaging.

When attendees aren’t bored, they don’t tune out or multi-task, so productivity increases.

You minimize the anxiety and stress of dreading all those miserable meetings.

Well-designed meetings / trainings / events foster connections (which leads to more effective teams and greater productivity).

And of course, they’re a lot more fun!

Yes, it’s a creative challenge. But for any innovative, people-first organization, investing resources to make sure virtual meetings / trainings / events are engaging is well worth it.

This article first appeared on the Creative Sandbox Solutions™ blog.

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When you’re ready to infuse more connection into your next virtual training or event, here are 3 ways I can help:

1) Download my FREEBIE "7 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Next Virtual Event, Training, or Conference" here. 👉 https://bit.ly/7MistakesFreebie

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3) Work with me directly. If you’d like to create an experience that will engage and delight your participants while they learn new skills and behaviors...

OR...

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About Melissa Dinwiddie, M.Soc.Sci.

A former professional artist and trained improviser and jazz singer, I now work with innovative, people-first companies to infuse connection, joy and delight into virtual trainings and events. From custom-designed offsites, to trainings on how to lead amazing, effective virtual meetings, I design creative, interactive, playful experiences that attendees rave about because they acquire new skills and behaviors and build connections while having a blast. An acclaimed creativity instigator, I'm the author of The Creative Sandbox Way™: Your Path to a Full-Color Life, an interactive playbook that countless readers have sworn freed them from creative block virtually overnight. I'm the founder of Creative Sandbox Solutions™, and I love performing improv, playing ukulele, making vocal loops, and chasing my two rambunctious kitties off the kitchen counter.