Before you hire anyone, interview them for 20 minutes. Ask to see the "7-second reset" in action. Watch how they handle a mistake—do they get frustrated, or do they reset?
When a stone-faced director announced funding cuts and layoffs, the zoo hung in the balance. They offered Rocco a hard choice: accept a program manager role—one that required policy push and fundraising—or step up as a lead trainer for a new outreach program. Rocco wanted the animals, but the program manager role promised the ability to shape policy. He chose training. It felt truer to his hands-on creed, and besides, policy without practice was just words. rocco animal trainer new