From Brands to Dogs Mentoring: Learning a New Skill at 77 – Brand Management 136
At age 77, spending 52 years in pharma branding and sales. I’m learning a new skill – to be a dog trainer.
Some of my friends are amused.
“Vivek,” they ask, “have you really moved from being a primary school teacher in pharma management, to training Golden Retrievers and Labradors?”
“Yes,” I reply. “And I must confess, that’s easier.”
Dogs never ask, “Sir, what is the incentive?” They never complain that the target is unrealistic. And, thankfully, they have absolutely no interest in market share.
And believe me, this new skill is making me a better mentor and and primary‑school teacher of pharma basics.
Recently, while supervising one of my furry students at the Dog Park I raised my hand triumphantly after a successful jump.
Looking at the photograph, one friend remarked:
“After decades of coaching people, Vivek has finally discovered trainees who listen!”
I smiled.
Actually, the truth is slightly different.
The pup, Shiva, in the picture was probably thinking:
“Poor fellow. At 77, he still believes he is training me.”
And perhaps Shiva has a point.
Because I am beginning to suspect that I am the one being trained.
For example, Shiva, Tiger, Eskel, Simba and Roxy have taught me lessons no management textbook ever did.
They taught me that loyalty cannot be demanded.
Trust cannot be prescribed.
Motivation cannot be force-fed.
In pharma, I spent decades helping brands earn trust.
Shiva, Tiger, Eskel, Simba and Roxy are teaching me that trust is earned the same way—slowly, patiently, and one interaction at a time.
Another revelation came as a shock.
After 52 years in the industry, I thought I understood human behavior.
Then I started training dogs and discovered that rewards work far better than lectures.
My pharma trainees occasionally questioned my advice.
Shiva, Tiger, Eskel, Simba and Roxy occasionally ignore it.
I am still studying the difference.
Shiva, Tiger, Eskel, Simba and Roxy, however, have their own performance appraisal system.
They do not care about my designation.
They are unimpressed by my visiting cards.
They have no interest in achievements or awards.
Their only KPI is:
“Did you show up with kindness today?”
And perhaps that is why every wagging tail and wet nose seems to produce enough oxytocin to keep me cheerful.
Looking back, I realize something amusing.
The pharma industry taught me how to build brands.
Dogs are teaching me how to build bonds.
So, if you ever see an elderly gentleman in a blue T-shirt, standing proudly beside a dog hurdle with one hand raised like an Olympic champion, please don’t laugh.
Well, actually, do laugh.
Because at 77, life has taught me one delightful truth:
You don’t stop learning because you grow old: You grow old when you stop learning.
And somewhere behind that wooden obstacle, a Shiva or an Eskel is probably telling his friends:
“Humans are wonderful creatures. With patience and positive reinforcement, they can be trained remarkably well.”