The Mysterious Art of Herding Cats
This article was originally published in the print edition of the Curate Labs - Annual Digest 2019.
Cat herding is an unusual past-time. Stalking gingerly, ushering them toward one another. No sudden movements in case they scatter. Tails, paws and noses in all directions. Bodies veering off course without hesitation or warning.
Furry entropy.
Underpinning patience, perseverance, agility and physical stamina is the simple, seemingly barmy belief that it can be done. That feral felines can in fact, be gathered together.
Is herding cats possible? Why would anyone attempt such an infuriating endeavour? What kind of eccentric individual harbours such a desire?
Sam Applebee, professional cat herder — at your service. I’ll try to answer these questions in the passages that follow. Or more precisely, to reveal some insider secrets that will help you to develop as a leader. Or who knows, maybe even become a bona-fide cat herder yourself one day.
The case for cat herding
I should start by clarifying that the cats in question are actually not cats at all. They are people. Intelligent, driven people. People that are doing their life’s work. People who, like cats, are accustomed to doing whatever they please. And who, like cats, do not particularly enjoy being herded. I’ve spent the past two years orchestrating partnerships between technologists and impact startups. My organisation Super Global, is a dedicated to helping them collaborate and tackle the world’s most pressing social and environmental issues.
These partnerships have realised some extremely cool ideas, like a Facebook Messenger bot that’s warned more than two million Syrian citizens of impending airstrikes, and a predictive analytics system which tracks oil spills in the Niger Delta.
Global charities like Amnesty International or three- person startups. Fledgling angel investors to hundred- strong digital agencies. Big cats, small cats, tabbies and greys: I herd them all.
Now, it’s not that they don’t see any potential in cooperation. They’re just so focused on going their own way that they run out of time and energy. And who hasn’t experienced that?
Arranging meetings of minds and catalysing action from alignment are fundamental leadership skills, whether building high performing teams or negotiating multi-national trade agreements. As anyone who has tried will attest, it’s as much art as science. People are not jigsaw pieces.
The trick seems to be enabling people to do whatever they like, while somehow conditioning the environment so their interactions achieve the objective. It sounds like some vague but mildly sinister mind control voodoo, but it’s more common than you might think.
Vague but mildly sinister mind control voodoo 101
As I write this in my favourite cafe in Lisbon there’s a pair of twin girls, probably four or five, careering around rearranging objects and furniture at random. Their parents — in typical Portuguese style — are a picture of calm. Only half observing their offspring, they’re attuned to the important signals while filtering out the static. Expert cat herders, for sure.
Occasionally they encourage or chide, but they don’t stress. They give warm smiles to the other customers, especially those the girls bump into. Everyone relaxes and begins to enjoy being in the company of such happy (noisy) children.
Handled differently, there would be screaming tantrums. And this would probably upset the children, too. So what acts of social sorcery are the parents employing? Firstly by being such cool cucumbers they are setting the mood. Their friendly demeanour has built some non-verbal rapport with co-caffeinators and encouraged empathy for them and, by extension, their kids.
Second, they are actively not doing. Having done what they can to set the right conditions, they are largely just letting the kids and other customers get on with it.
Direct facilitation of interactions = interference with the organic development of relationships. Understanding this is what differentiates cat herders from mediators and brokers.
But the real magic is in micro-interactions. The tiny exchanges of words or looks with the children or adults that a) subtly influences their behaviour and avoids conflict, and b) reassures them that there’s someone on hand who knows what to do if something unexpected happens. I call it the ‘lifeguard on duty’ effect.
How these minor course-corrections are delivered dictates how participants feel and act during the process of partnering. Ultimately, this defines the probability of success. As in other social pursuits, communication is top cat in this discipline.
“Meow meow, meow” one cat says to another. “Meeeeooow” the listener responds.
Talking with cats
“Meow meow meow” one cat says to another. “Meeeeoooow”, the listener responds. What are they talking about? It’s hard to say for certain, but cat language is likely to be quite low-fidelity. They’re probably communicating basic signals of intent, rather than heartfelt desires and intricate plans for the future. High proficiency cat herding requires the ability to distinguish between cat-cat, cat-human and human-human conversations, and to bridge the gaps.
When people/groups/organisations from different walks of life/parts of the world/sectors begin talking to one another, there will always be some meaning lost in translation. A certain amount of information is carried in tone, but a great deal of language relies on complex combinations of words and context to decipher ambiguity.
“We propose using scrum to build online capacity” can be read all sorts of ways. Technologists might hear: ‘We’re going to follow scrum working methodologies as a process to improve the functioning of a website’.
While nonprofit folks might hear: “We’re going to have a fight in a muddy field to train our activist network for more social media campaigning.”
Add to this huge variances in sectoral cultures and diverse personal experiences and you have a real mess. The cat herder’s role is to monitor communications and gently nudge individuals toward making themselves easier for their interlocutors to understand.
‘I know some software that can help with that!’, the digitally initiated amongst you are screaming. Not so fast, productivity police.
Cat lassos and other equipment
Debates about suitable tooling are as fierce in catherding as in any other arena. Untold numbers of platforms promise frictionless interaction and improved coordination. I’ve tried many of them, and some of them even work. But never for everyone.
Suffice to say that — rather than repeating those debates here — the conscientious cat herder will acknowledge that since tools are designed for specific users, and since no two cats are alike, the approach must be different strokes for different folks. I’ve often found that the best tools are those that make it appear as if I’m not using any at all.
Is cat herding possible?
Absolutely, though cat-herders are denied the rush of accomplishment enjoyed by shepherds. The cats will never all be in the box. Cat herder prowess is better defined by the quality of the relationships that evolve in the environments they have cultivated.
Naturally, these efforts can take a long time to bear fruit. In that sense, what makes cat herding possible is the same thing that drove Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí to design a building that he would never see completed: Faith.
