There are a lot of things that groomers must be in order to succeed. Artistic, accurate, caring, competent, focused, fast, empathic, easy-going, knowledgeable, strong, multi-tasker, detail oriented, honest, enthusiastic…the list goes on and on. And no one can be all of those things, perfectly. We all have strong points and weak points and work to bolster our good attributes and correct what we see as weaknesses – but should we?
Give yourself credit where it’s due. Of course we should all take pride in what we do well and strive to improve in other areas but sometimes it’s the same thing. I, for instance, have great attention to detail and can focus on what I’m doing no matter what is going on in the salon. Which is, mostly, great. Until I get persnickety about that last little hair (six times) when I still have another dog to finish – but I’m still totally focused on the one on my table. A co-worker who is an excellent groomer once said to me in exasperation, “Carol, you’ve got to just go to the ‘good enough’ school of dog grooming!”. I’ve got a friend who is fast, blindingly fast at everything she does. Which is, mostly, great. Until she skips a step or doesn’t do something thoroughly enough like rinsing or drying. Then we have to remind her to slow down just enough to be detailed and accurate as well as fast.
So if someone is telling you that you are too slow, think about why that is. Are you taking time to comfort stressed dogs and go easy on them? That’s a GOOD thing! Does the boss have to tell you to quiet down? You probably communicate well and people don’t miss much of what you say. Does it take you extra time between dogs because you are cleaning your equipment? And so on.
If you have a weakness, by all means try to improve. I limit myself to one once-over on the table and one when the dog is on the floor and that’s IT. I’m done. But whatever your “weakness” is, remember that it may well be one of your greatest strengths, too and give yourself a pat on the back now and then.
By Carol Visser, Journalist, Master Pet Groomer, Certified Dog Trainer, Pet Product Expert
