A reminder that between stimulus and response, we have the power to choose our behavior — at work, with Customers, and in everyday life.
This article is part of our Being Human Series — reflections on empathy, values, and how we are experienced by others at work.
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. — Viktor Frankl
Have you ever seen the photo of the soon-to-graduate class of German police dogs from 1987?
They have one more test to pass.
A cat strolls right in front of them — and the test is simple:
Don’t react.
In the photo, the dogs are doing remarkably well, though there’s one who looks like he might have other ideas on his mind.
The Everyday Cats That Cross Our Path
In Customer Service training, especially when we talk about difficult Customer situations, participants sometimes share thoughts like:
“The Customer was so rude that I got frustrated and had to let them ‘have it’.”
I’m always grateful when people feel safe enough to share moments like this, because it opens an ideal moment for self-awareness.
But it isn’t just Customer Service professionals.
We all face figurative cats walking across our path every day — an abrupt colleague, an unexpected comment, a message we don’t like.
Those moments can trigger us.
Or they can reveal us.
The Space Between Stimulus and Response
How we show up in those moments is the opportunity.
Because in every interaction — at work or at home — we have a choice in how to respond.
We have a choice in the behaviors we bring into the world.
And that space Viktor Frankl talked about?
It’s real.
It’s powerful.
And it’s available to us every time a cat wanders across our path.
If a photo of German police dogs being tested can remind us of that, so much the better.
Related reading: The Problem Isn’t What You Don’t Know — It’s the Will to Change
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this resonates, I’d love to stay connected.
You can drop me a line anytime, or subscribe on our site.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
