The herd is complete

Having installed the walking llamas in their ‘proper’ home (see yesterday’s post), it only remained to collect the breeders from Mike and Sue’s. As this had not proved possible on the first attempt, we were expecting to have to spend some hours cajoling them into the catch pen before we could load them into the trailer.

I remember that one of the best books I ever read about being a manager was called Managing People is Like Herding Cats. This was a collation of the thinking of Warren Bennis, and is based around the notion that cats cannot be pushed into doing anything. So the manager should:

“Be humble. Stop trying to ‘herd cats’ and start building trust and mutual respect. Your ‘cats’ will respond. They will sense your purpose, keep your business purring, and even kill your rats.”

If I were now to write a book on management, I think I would use llamas as the simile. They cannot readily be herded, but can be encouraged and rewarded to do all sorts of things that don’t come naturally to them. They are driven by certain basic instincts and needs, but can learn new skills and apply intelligence to unfamiliar situations. They are very comfortable with routines, and change worries them. If allowed time to check out a situation, they often surprise you by doing something you thought they would resist. All in all, just like people. And the skills and techniques that work for llamas also work for people. And vice versa.

I suppose, therefore, that we should not have been surprised when, this morning, Mike phoned with the message: “You’d better get up here straight away, because your llamas have all just walked into the catch pen!”

It turned out that Mike had gone over to the catch pen, expecting that a long drawn-out struggle would be needed to get the llamas out of the field, and thinking that he could make a start before we arrived. No sooner had he shaken a bucket of food, than they all walked in to take advantage of the feeding opportunity. Objective achieved, before any of us were able to focus on the ‘task’ and get worked up about it!

It seemed the work of minutes to get the horse box backed up to the catch pen, and encourage the llamas up the ramp. Mike and I held a hurdle between us, and in this confined space, where there was no alternative for them, we could herd the llamas a small distance. Like people again I suppose!

Back at Saint Sornin, the llamas enthusiastically disembarked, and set off to explore their new home. As always seems to be the case with llamas, their first action was to go right round the boundary. And then to test the eating that’s available. I found myself wondering whether this also applied to humans who are moved to a new work base.

Pedro soon spotted that there were llamas in the next field.

Although this is separated from his field by about 20 metres, and a line of trees, this was little reassurance. He’s the stud male, and his role is to make sure no other males can get near his females. Never mind that the other males are neutered, and not interested! Pedro takes up station in between his females and the outside threat, and struts up and down by the fence, snorting and glaring at the opposition. It’s a position that he is to maintain for hours at a time in the weeks to come.