Manizesto

Pigs look so funny on leashes. And in family pictures. It’s because they are outside their natural element. They are intelligent, yes, of course. And delicious; that goes without saying. But the reason pigs on leashes seem so awkward is they are not good at doing things pets normally do, like playing catch, or rolling over, or learning funny phrases or even for petting.

I can see wanting a pig for a pet if you are training to become a professional mud wrestler or a truffle hunter (or a Sunday dinner), but for anything else, the peg is still square and the hole still round.

And if you’re looking to enrich people, encourage growth and enable amazing stuff in your organization, you’ll only hire a pig if you’re going to allow it to be a pig, even though it might be okay at pretending to be something else. And don’t be surprised when it would rather wallow in the mud to stay cool because pigs like that better than air conditioners.

So if you’re looking at hiring an amazing developer who works best at night, or a customer service rep who prefers pacing while on the phone, be careful you’re not stubbornly jamming a doggie sweater over a wet snout.

[Photo by mark larson].