When Failure Is An Option: Why We Have To Let Animals Mess Up Once in a While

Failure.

Failure is sometimes an option, Gene.  Well, at least in animal training.  Maybe not so much in space.

How does that word make you feel?  For me, it used to make me feel really yucky.  I totally dreaded doing poorly in school because I thought my parents would get mad.  Then as I got older, I thought it meant I'd never get into college, and then I thought I'd never get a job with bad grades.  When I got a job, I thought failure meant I'd never make it as an animal trainer, nor would I climb the career ladder.

At some point though, I realized that I learned a lot from my failures and mistakes.  I slowly learned that failure doesn't always have to be a bad thing.  Maybe it feels rotten at the time, but it can provide a lot of opportunity.  It is sometimes even a badge of honor, because it means you may have gone out on a limb and took a risk.

There are probably a gadrillion (give or take) resources on how mistakes and failure to certain extents make us stronger and better.  And by us, I mean us humans.

But what about the animals we train?  What about when they mess up?

Penguins both mess up AND make a mess.  And boy, do they make big messes.

For those of you who don't know, this blog was named The Middle Flipper because a) I was inspired by the animals who tell me NO WAY MAN and b) an awesome former supervisor of mine used to always joke that a dolphin was giving us the middle flipper whenever they'd refuse to do something.  Side note: if you didn't know why this blog was named the way it was, I hope you have a hilarious story to tell me about what you thought Middle Flipper meant.

Anyways, so I dedicate this entire blog to the animals who say no thanks, and to the concept that the animals have a choice in their training.  But what about when they try...and fail?  What happens then?  Not just simply, "Nah, I don't want to do that" but more like, "Whoa, I can't do that" or "Uh, wait I thought I was right?"

Pick up any book on positive reinforcement training, ESPECIALLY marine mammal training, and you'll see a common phrase like, "always end on a positive" and "set up the animals for success."  Those are amazing concepts and are used a lot, because of course you want the animals to find the training sessions reinforcing.  It's also, I think, a pendulum swing away from the old-school methods of training involving a lot of correction and positive punishment* where animals were routinely set up to fail and were essentially coerced into performance.

Heinz Getwellvet may have used old school animal training methods.

I am a huge advocate of positive reinforcement training, d'uh.  I'm also a big fan of the "set your animal up for success" methodology.  But is it possible to go too far to the "always end on a positive" spectrum?  The answer is yes.

Animals, like us, can learn from failure.  In fact, learning how to mess up is a critical skill.  It's a skill that requires careful and empathetic training, knowing that in the long run, the animal will benefit if they are taught how to think outside the box and deal with occasional mistakes.   You as the trainer must teach the animals in your care how to fail.  And you also have to know when it's okay to not end on a high note, for the sake of the animal's learning curve.  So let's explore these ideas.

First, how do you teach an animal to accept making a mistake?  In many facilities, the LRS is the answer.  For those of you who don't know, the LRS stands for "least reinforcing stimulus" or "least reinforcing scenario".   The LRS is a 3-5 second neutral response following an undesired behavior.  That means if I ask Augustina the seal to wave and she sticks her tongue out at me**, I simply stop giving the wave SD and count to three.  

Here's a cute picture of a seal, because when I typed in "LRS" in google, a bunch of surgical photos came up.  Don't believe me? Try it.  You'll thank me for my photo choice.

Depending on your understanding of operant conditioning terminology (which may or may not be as technical as the vernacular of Trekkies), you may have your own opinion about what an LRS is,  but in practice it is a simple way to tell an animal, "Ehhhh that wasn't quite right, but if you react calmly to this stimulus which basically tells you you were incorrect, we will move on to something reinforcing/fun."

What are they even saying?

One of the key elements of the LRS is the animal's response while it is being administered.  If while I'm LRSing an otter and she decides to take this time to wander off, find an insect in her habitat and pull its legs off one by one, that isn't the correct LRS response.  If a sea lion becomes frustrated with the lack of reinforcement due to the LRS happening and charges me, that isn't the correct LRS response.  Why? Because it doesn't show that the animal is capable of accepting being wrong.  It shows the opposite.

If however, the animal sits calmly at station (whatever criteria you've established) for the LRS, that is the ideal LRS response.  Why?  Because the animal understands that it's worth his/her while to stay in the session, fully attentive.  They have learned, "Eh, it's okay I messed that up.  My trainer's going to help me out."

However, you HAVE to teach the LRS response.  You don't just automatically get it.  Even if you have an animal who is really laid back and doesn't seem to mind not getting everything correct, at some point, if you don't reinforce/maintain the LRS properly, you will end up with an unmotivated or potentially frustrated animal on your hands.

Calvin! How are you supposed to teach Hobbes an LRS response if you can't keep your &@%# together?!

So okay, you might think the LRS spiel is a no brainer.  LRS's are standard in most marine mammal training programs, because it clearly marks undesired behavior without the animal getting all down in the dumps.   But not every place uses them, and they have their reasons.  I've worked with a couple of groups of animals who did not know an LRS.  I've talked to people who don't believe that they are the most effective way at teaching an animal, and that is totally okay because their animals have learned another method (still positive reinforcement) of dealing with mistakes.

But what about when the animal just isn't succeeding?  When your session has taken a turn down Oh God Nothing Is Going Right Lane?

It's time for a time out, or to end the session for a while.  

A time out is usually 30 seconds to five minutes long.  Some facilities use an Extended Time Out or ETO, which is basically when you're like, "okay, let's just come back at the next scheduled session."  

What's the benefit of a time out (including ETOs)? There are a lot, but for the sake of this blog topic, the obvious one is that you communicate that something or series of things were so undesirable that it merits ending the session.  Some of those things may involve animals who displace each other, an animal who just doesn't want to do anything he or she is being asked, or an animal who is being well, naughty.  Like if they keep stealing toys from you or something like that.  Or perhaps they repeatedly refuse to do a behavior that's really solid or is making a lot of progress.

Here's a recent example.  One of our older sea lions learned a voluntary blood last year.  She has been really amazing at it.  The entire behavior is 100% voluntary (as it ought to be), and she at any time can just get up and walk away.  Does that mean her session is over? Sure, maybe for that time.  But she knows because of her behavioral history that she will get many other sessions throughout the day in which time she'll receive all of her food, unless she chooses to not eat it all.

No thank you!

The trainers who have worked on this blood behavior have made it very reinforcing.  They've been spoiled in a way, because this sea lion has been super solid at the behavior, even despite some health issues related to her very advanced age.  The trainers and the sea lion have been on the same wave-length for a while and it's proven to be very beneficial medically for the old gal.

But, as things tend to happen, nothing is perfect. 

A few days ago, we tried for a blood on this animal.  And she chose to say no.  She was very polite; she slowly pulled her rear flipper away from the needle stick, turned her head around towards the trainers and did a little, soft vocal.  

After the LRS, her trainers set her up again.  Again, the sea lion said no thanks.  

At this point, we are at a fork in the road aren't we?  On the one hand, we are thinking, "Oh man, I have to end this session on a positive!!! I can't let this end on a negative, not a behavior that's been so solid and is SO critical!"  But on the other hand we think, "Wait, this sea lion is normally so good at this.  What are we communicating to her if we take a severely regressed approximation?"

So which path do we choose?

Choose your own adventure books are...amazing.

My suggestion is to look at it another way.  Depending on what decision you make, which one will the sea lion learn the MOST from?  We as trainers always say the training is primarily for the animals' benefit, not for our own.  That includes deciding as a trainer (TEACHER!) what is best for the animal's learning, not what's best for compliance, or our ego, or our need for the animal's success.

In this particular case, the sea lion is choosing to say no.  I wouldn't even say it was a Middle Flipper Event, because there was no dramatic refusal.  It was a series of simple, subtle gestures.  But still, she said nope, not today.  Positive reinforcement training is based in empowering the animal to make a choice; to not feel as though they HAVE to do something.  If they want the particular reinforcements we offer in a session, then they'll emit the behavior.  But if what we have to offer isn't enough or what they want in that session, they may choose to decline.

By continuing on with this sea lion just to get a positive, we would (in this case) be appealing to our own egos as trainers.  Not to the animal's best interest.  Perhaps I'd have a different answer if we continued to see this behavior break down in future sessions, but in one session, we don't have enough information to see a pattern.  All we know is that for some reason, she doesn't want to do it NOW.  If we back up and take approximations that are WAY regressed from the solid, maintained blood behavior, what does the sea lion learn?  One of two (and potentially both) things:

1) If she refuses the behavior that she's been great at for almost an entire year, she will still get reinforcement for doing significantly less.  

2) Her refusal is not respected by the trainers.  She is not "allowed" to say no.

If she learns #1, well now we have a consistency problem on our hands.  Do we want her to understand that she has to lay out for the entire blood behavior until she is bridged?  Yes.  Has she been doing that behavior to criteria for a long time? Yes.  So why would we then change the rules just because of one failed session?  Are we positive that this sea lion understands why we are suddenly taking much earlier stages of the behavior after she's just refused to do the full thing?  Absolutely not (unless someone on my staff can speak to sea lions, which would be awesome because I have a lot of questions such as why they bark at their butts when they fart really loudly).

...when you're fast asleep?
More fart shirts here: http://www.zazzle.com/fart+tshirts

If she learns #2, then you've got a big motivation problem.  Letting the animals say "no" in the moment is a tool to significantly reduce or eliminate animal frustration.  Again, please understand I'm not suggesting that you do ANYTHING 100% of the time, but if an animal suddenly stops doing something they are consistent at, you let them say no and end your session.  It's not a bad idea to just give them their space, even if in your head you say it's because you're giving them a time out.

Now what would this sea lion learn if we took a time out?  Essentially the opposite of the aforementioned list.  

1) If she refuses the behavior that she's been great at for almost an entire year, the session is over.

2) Her refusal is respected by trainers.  She is allowed to say no, which means the trainers will go back to the drawing board to troubleshoot the behavior and set her up for future success.

Future success.  That's long-term success, not just the immediate WIN you get by saying "oh, I got a positive on a train wreck of a session".  

So it was understandable when the trainers decided to respect the sea lion's refusal and end the session, that they were bummed about it.  They talked to me about it later, saying, "Man, she is normally so good at that!! It kills me we had to take a time out."

But does that really affect the sea lion the same way?  Probably not.  It bothers us more as trainers/teachers because we want our animals to succeed, and let's face it, we also don't want the reason they messed up to be us (newsflash: sometimes it IS our fault, but that's okay!!).  Of course, it doesn't help when two of your bosses are watching you.  But it's important to realize that your ego cannot be a reason you make a behavioral decision.  The reason must be because it is what teaches the best lesson to the animal in your care.

Luna agrees it's all about her.

Cognition training is a great example of how failures can teach as much as successes.  When I was training a dolphin to do a match-to-sample behavior, where I basically showed her a toy and she had to go find its match in a line up of different toys, I learned this lesson well.  Even though the dolphin obviously did not get every single trial correct, she learned each time she chose an object, right or wrong.  All of her responses and the consequences afterwards (hearing a whistle if she was right, not hearing one if she wasn't) gave her information to make future decisions.

"Ending on a positive" or "set the animal up for success" is a rule of thumb.  We should have WAY more successes than failures.  There's no doubt about that.  We can look to our own preference in learning.  Would you rather be called out on 90% of what you do well, and 10% of what you need to improve on?  Or would you rather be told about 90% of your mistakes, and only 10% of what you do right?  No. Brainer.

But it is so so so so important to remember that we LEARN from mistakes, and so do our animals.  Some mistakes are so big, or come so out of left field that it's BETTER to let the animal learn that lesson than it is to completely confuse them or remove their choice to refuse something just because we think we have to End On A High Note.  We can allow a session to be a catastrophe behaviorally (obviously, not talking about safety scenarios here).

Not all catastrophes are bad.  Some are just adorable.

Hey, I've done it before.  We all have.  Especially when you're really making progress in a certain behavioral scenario, with a new behavior, or with a particular animal.  It SUCKS when a great session (or at least one with great potential) goes down the toilet.   And I am just as guilty as anyone else in trying to get some semblance of the behavior "back on a positive".  Like, if I lay out a dolphin for a blood and they refuse it,  I've definitely fallen into the Trainer Pit Of Despair and called a session "positive" because hey, at least the dolphin let me kind of sort of touch the peripheral molecules of their flukes for 0.000000000001 seconds, instead of what they normally let me do which is GET A BLOOD.

But maybe next time we're in a situation where we think the session is tanking, we think to ourselves, "Is it possible to salvage this session in a way that is meaningful and consistent to the behavioral history of this animal?"  The answer may very well be yes.  In fact, I hope many times it is.  But you also have to be open to the idea that it isn't.  That the best thing is to take a time out or ETO.  

The last idea I'll end on is a phrase I heard a former boss of mine use.  I really like it, because it's simple and very, very true.  

"LRS's do not fix problems, positive reinforcement does."

Also, donuts.

Totally, totally agree.  That concept can still be applied to everything I've just said.  Our sea lion may be better at the blood behavior the next time we do an approximation thanks to us just calling it quits on that one particular session.  But that's not where the troubleshooting ends.  We have to make sure that the elements that appeared to cause the refusal have a high reinforcement history when the sea lion chooses to emit them correctly.  That is what will fix the problem.  But before that can happen in this case, we must first allow the animal to screw up without us freaking out that we ended on a "negative".

I hope I'm being clear on how letting an animal fail once in a while can help him or her learn.  It is a delicate balance and requires experience, confidence, patience, and of course the willingness of ourselves as trainers to make the wrong decision and learn from it ourselves.  Positive reinforcement is a powerful, amazing way to communicate to and train animals to do amazing things.  But we all have to struggle once in a while in order to grow. Even us Homo sapiens.  :)

________
* If you think this is an oxymoron, just know "positive" doesn't mean "yayayayay", but "adding to".  So basically, adding an aversive stimulus as a consequence to behavior you want to see decrease in frequency.  Example: I don't do the dishes, so someone puts cockroaches on me.  The cockroaches are the positive punisher.  And also they are disgusting. 

** This happens all the time

The Middle Flipper's Guide to Good Interning (Part Two)

Hi everyone! How was your week?  Ready for part 2 of how to be a good intern?  No?  You should probably take a gander at Part One, then come on back for some more.

Be good!

For those of you ready for more, let's get this show on the road.

As a recap, last week we discussed the pitfalls of overly-focusing on hands-on experience, not spending enough time observing and asking questions, not taking advantage of rare opportunities, and being overly-competitive.  The over-arching concept is to remember to focus on your own development so that one day you can be a great animal trainer and caretaker.

So let's start with the second half of the common mistakes interns make (and as always, solutions!).  Remember, it's OKAY if you've made some or all of these mistakes.  We all did to varying extents.  What matters is learning from them and moving forward!

Mistake #5: Not Being An Obnoxious or Silent Ninja (a.k.a. Not Being Yourself)

Whoa.

Starting an internship is terrifyingly exciting, ain't no other way to slice it.  There's a particularly raw and unique feeling when you start the process of defining yourself as a marine mammal trainer hopeful.  You're at the bottom of the ladder, you're in competition not only with your fellow interns at your facility, but everywhere (because you're all applying for the same jobs!), AND you're trying to prove yourself to the trainers.  That's on top of all of the normal nervousness that naturally comes with starting a new job.

This is what nails a lot of interns.   They get so wrapped up in the competitive, holy-capelin*-I'm-in-the-field-kinda atmosphere that they start to lose their identities and become Obnoxious or Silent Ninja.  Both Ninjas develop from a place of tremendous insecurity, which of course is something we all suffer from when we are interning.  

I'd call him an Obnoxious Ninja if he wouldn't think that was a compliment

Obnoxious Ninja (herein referred to as ONs) is someone who over-compensates for their insecurities by becoming Pushy, Overly-Competitive, Bossy, and/or Just Really Loud Without Any Filter Whatsoever.   ONs don't have to have all of the aforementioned qualities.  There are ONs who are not bossy at all, but who constantly interrupt people talking so they can get their opinions heard.  Or maybe they are very socially polite in conversation, but push people under the bus.  I'm sure you all know the type and their various ON traits.   ONs may or may not be hard-workers; it's hard to tell their work ethic because their loud or aggressive tendencies distract from the actual work they are doing.

Are Shy Guys Silent Ninjas? Discuss.

Silent Ninja (SNs) is someone who completely disappears.  If they speak, it's either very quietly or with a lot of very under confident words.  They apologize profusely for doing anything that makes them visible.  Usually, SNs work very hard, but you never can tell because you never see them.  They make a point to not talk to any trainers above an entry-level, unless there is some pressing need to discuss something with a senior staff member.  The SNs completely cloak their personalities, which has the same effect as the ONs on noticing their work performance: it is impossible to see what they're really doing.   You look around and go, "Hey, where's that Silent Ninja? They've been missing for five hours!"  They've been working, but you had no clue because they are avoiding being near anyone with authority.

If you've just read all of this and are like, "oh my god, I am obnoxious!" or "Hey, I'm just SHY! That's not a big deal!" take a deep breath.  And then another.  

Cheesy but true.  Plus, cheese is awesome.

It's completely understandable that for the first couple of weeks at your internship, that you're just figuring out your role and place not just in a work setting, but in a social setting too.  Most people are a little shy around people they've never met.  Some people (like yours truly) have a personality that is a little uh, loud.  If you're a class clown, that's okay...as long as you know how to be serious and professional in appropriate situations.  If you're a quiet person who's naturally introspective, that's okay too.  You just have to know when to ask questions and turn on the charm around park guests and to some extent, your coworkers.

Let's take a look at some scenarios in which ONs, SNs, and a normal intern take a stab at the situation.

Networking with a senior staff member

ON: Hey boss, just wanted to say that Alice, you know that intern with the giant head? I helped her out today.   I decided that I'd help her clean buckets since she's not very efficient at it.  Then I decided to do you a favor and took the opportunity to tell her that she'll NEVER get a job in the field if she doesn't get her act together.   Anyways, I've noticed you bridge late on some of your behaviors.  You also give the fluke wave SD differently than anyone else, but I think you're much better at showmanship than a lot of the other trainers.

SN: ............ sorry to bother you, nevermind.  

Normal:  Hi boss, I have a question about that training session I saw you doing earlier.  Do you have some time now to talk about it?

Conflict between interns

ON:  I need to talk to you.  You are such a kiss-ass.  You make everyone look bad!!!!!!! I know you're telling everyone I'm mean, I heard it from like three other people. 

SN: .....sorry, nevermind.

Normal: Can I talk to you for a second?  Lately I feel like there's been some tension between us, and I wanted to talk about it so we can get on the same page.  I enjoy working with you, but sometimes I feel as though we don't work as a team.  Here is a specific example of a situation where I felt this way. 

Confessing to a mistake

ON:  Oh, I didn't do that.  Oh, I misheard you.  Oh, that's not what you said.  Oh, she told me to do it this way.  Okay well, that isn't how I interpreted that situation.  Oh, well you didn't see what I did before/during/after that.

SN: I'm sorry. 

Normal: Okay, I understand.  I'll make sure to do better/differently next time.  

Some ninjas are cool.  Like it's okay if you're a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

See the difference?  Think I'm being extreme in my examples?  Don't.  I was a Silent Ninja for a few weeks at my first internship, even at my first job.  I was so scared to screw up around the trainers and my bosses that I figured I'd just keep my head down and work hard.  I realized (with a lot of help) that that wasn't helping my coworkers really see who I was.  I wasn't a quiet, shy, terrified person.  I was only like than when I was nervous.  But once I started asking questions in sessions, and started letting my personality show, I started making a good impression.  You can do that, too!

The lesson here is to BE YOURSELF.  No one is naturally a Silent or Obnoxious Ninja.   Ninjas are created, and when they operate they are intense.  There is no stopping a ninja (unless you're another ninja? What about a samurai? Could they stop a ninja? I'm confused).   So regardless of your brand of Ninjaness, you're essentially embodying the most extreme forms of not-so-flattering personality traits.

What's the solution?  A leap of faith in yourself, and self-checks.  Tell yourself it is NORMAL to be nervous and unsure...everyone feels like that.  If your insecurity makes you suddenly start noticing the mistakes and actions of others, that's your first self check.  

"Okay," you tell yourself.  "I am focusing a lot on other people, maybe because that's easier than me focusing on my own journey.  Good thing I noticed that, so I don't become an ON!  Time to refocus on MY goals."

I did a search for "self-check", which now I realize was dumb because you can imagine what images I found...ugh!  So here's another inspirational thingy, to spare you from what I can now never unsee. 

If you notice you've gone weeks without talking to staff members above an entry-level position, or if you've never chatted with a senior staff member, that's a good self check.

"I'm only here for a couple of months," you say.  "I need to make the most out of my time here.  I'm nervous to talk to the senior trainer, but they were an intern once, too.  It's okay to ask them a question about their own career development, or about their training ideas and experiences."

Being yourself in a professional setting, one that focuses on your own stuff and puts teamwork as a high priority gets you as close to guaranteeing success as anything.  Show how great you are through your actions, remind yourself that you have a right to ask questions and engage in conversation with your coworkers and bosses.  There's no need to be a ninja of any sort!


Mistake #6: Doing Too Many Internships

Too many kittens? Impossible.  Too many internships? Possible.

I can hear hearts stopping!!!!! 

"WHAT! WHAT!!!!! I DID THREE INTERNSHIPS MY LIFE IS OVER!!!!"

No! Don't worry! Remember, these are mistakes you can come back from if you've made them.  This blog is here to help!

I have to tell you, every intern group I encounter I have this conversation with at least one person.  The chronic internship-doer.  

Why are you guys avoiding applying for jobs?

If you're still in school and you just want to fill your summers up with internships to network more, to see how other facilities operate, and to beef up your resume, I totally get that.  But that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking you all of the rest of you, the ones who are about to graduate or are out of school and have already done an internship.  Why are you applying for a second or third one instead of a job?

DO IT

"Because," you answer.  "I don't have enough experience."

There's that blasted word again.   If you had a successful first internship, and you're done with school (or almost done), it's time to apply for jobs.  It's okay.  You can have one internship; that's enough in many cases.  

Here is a list of good reasons to do a second or third internship:

1.  You've applied for jobs for six to twelve months and haven't had any luck
2.  You have two or more years left in school
3.  Your strategy is to get an internship at a facility that tends to hire a lot of interns
4.  You didn't have a great first internship experience and want to apply what you've
     learned to another one
5.  You want to know what it's like to work at a place that's completely different from the
     one you were just at (e.g. you were at a show facility and want to know what an
     interactive place is like)

If your reason isn't on that list, you should be applying for jobs.  But just in case that's confusing.....

Here's another list (I LOVE lists, can't you tell?)!!!  

Not-so-good reasons to do a second or third internship:

1.  To gain experience
2.  Because you're afraid of applying for jobs
3.  Because you think you're not qualified to apply for jobs
4.  You think prospective employers will look at your resume, see you interned a year ago
     and have been working at a retail store or something and think, "oh, why didn't he stay
     current in the field?"
5.  Because you think lots of internships look good on your resume


Do you gain experience in a sense doing multiple internships?  Yes....in the sense that you are seeing another facility, you're meeting new people, and you may be learning what it's like to work with different types of animals.  Those things are great, but here's the thing you have to remember:

Your experience at internships does not carry over to the next one.  It is not cumulative.  So for all the reasons why doing a second internship makes sense, it is not often enough to boost your resume.  It doesn't automatically look better if I have two resumes of strong candidates who did different numbers of internships.   

Less is more!

In fact, some employers start to wonder why a candidate has done a bunch of internships (if they've been out of school) instead of getting a job.  Is it because they are having trouble landing a job...and if so, why is that?  You might think this an unfair assumption, but I'm just here to tell you like it is.

If you're concerned about an employer seeing a "gap" in your resume, don't.  We all know how hard it is to get into the field.  If we see someone who did an internship a year ago and they've been working at Whole Food just to pay the bills, we aren't going to think they are somehow so outdated that they couldn't possibly be a good candidate to interview.  We'll think, "Oh man, I remember when I was in that position!"

Because for many of us, it's financially impossible to do back-to-back internships to "stay current".  The good news is, you're not really staying current if you do back-to-back internships because remember, you start from square one at your internship, no matter how many others you've done before.  You don't get perks just because you've already learned a bunch of stuff previously.

Gaps are okay in this case!

The solution? Of course, apply for jobs.  But you can be smart about it, even if it's just to make yourself feel like you have a safety net.  Set goals for yourself, like, "If I don't have a job offer in the next nine months, I'll apply for internships that are more likely to hire interns.  But I'll still apply for jobs, too."  That way, you have a strategy...plus it's financially a little easier to manage.

You can also apply for jobs WHILE YOU ARE INTERNING.  It's OK!!!  Why are you doing an internship?  To get a job.  So why not start the process?  One of the interns I mentored came to me really scared about five weeks after she started.

"Cat," she said.  "I need to talk to you about something."

Oh god, I thought.  "What's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry," she said.  "I got a job offer at SeaWorld and it starts in two weeks."

"That's great!! Congratulations!!"

She was shocked that I was happy for her that she got a job.  Did that mean we were short an intern? Yes, but that's okay.  We can manage.  In this competitive field, it's never a bad idea to try for every opportunity to land that first paid position.  Is it likely that you'll get a job while you're interning? Ehh...it's possible, but not likely.  But it is POSSIBLE.   You won't burn a bridge by informing your intern coordinator that you have to leave the internship early because you landed a job (and intern coordinators, if you have a problem with that, re-check your priorities.  I know it's great to have intern help, and we all rely on it because they do great work, but remember you can always fill their spot). 

If you've done a bunch of internships, and you're panicking now, because you did all the things on the not-so-good reasons list, it's okay.  Just put your two most current internships on your resume, and focus on applying for jobs, networking, and polishing your swim test and interviewing skills.  It'll be okay!

And just in case I wasn't clear, APPLY FOR A DANG JOB!

Mistake #7: Never Making A Mistake

The master of happy accidents!

Do not be afraid to mess up.  Do not.  I don't care how intimidating your boss is, or how competitive and fast-paced your facility may be.  I know how scary it is to make a mistake, especially if you have a strict manager.  But just as we set the animals up for success in animal training, set yourself up for success and do not expect perfection.  No one is perfect (except Chris Hemsworth), so if you expect you will never make a mistake, you're already failing.

The only mistake is that he's not sitting next to me right now.

What does it mean to mess up?  It means you tried something, and it didn't work.  There are obviously extreme cases of this, like if you make the same mistake repeatedly.  Or if you do something really, really, really bad (like blatantly disobeying policy, being dishonest, or doing something that hurts you or a human or animal coworker, or guest).  You can spend your career avoiding making those kinds of mistakes and be set up to succeed.

But the other mistakes? The one where you forget something?  Or accidentally do the wrong thing?  Or try something and totally mess it up?  Those are normal mistakes.  Those experiences mean you're taking calculated risks and GROWING from them.

Look, I've worked for a number of different managers.  Some are easy to make mistakes around, others are not.  But they all shared something in common: They wanted me to learn how to do my job well.  

Poor Dolly.

I remember so well when I made the first mistake at my internship.  In those days, we weighed out the dolphins' diets in the morning but didn't water thaw the fish until about twenty minutes before the session.  We'd go down to the fish kitchen, weigh out the session amount, and water thaw it.  The only exception to this was before lunch, when we'd come down from the last morning show and weigh out everything for the next afternoon show.  That was just how things were done, so the trainers could enjoy their lunch without having to do cram in fish prep.

Well, I totally forgot about this.  I took the buckets downstairs from the morning presentation, cleaned them, and went to lunch.

When the trainers went downstairs to get their buckets a couple of minutes before the afternoon show, they realized nothing had been separated, weighed, or thawed...a process that took at least 15 minutes, and they didn't have that time.   The head trainer found me and told me of my mistake, which of course made me feel so embarrassed and ashamed of myself.  I thought the world was over, who would hire me now?

I took my medicine for that mistake.  It didn't matter how the feedback was delivered to me from my boss, what mattered was what I did with that experience.  I could let it destroy me and make me terrified to ever do anything ever again, or I could look it like, "That sucked, but I won't do that again!"

The solution?  Do your best.  Seriously.  Do your best, and don't freak out when you mess up.  Embrace the fact that you're going to mess up.  Yeah, maybe that means you'll get yelled at depending on how your senior staff manages people.  You can't control that, you can only control how YOU respond to the situation.  Even if your boss has a short temper and flies off the handle, you can bet they'll notice the difference between an intern who accepts their mistake calmly, versus one who gets defensive or shuts down completely.  

All of this sums up into the next mistake....

Mistake #8: Putting Your Ego First

Not to be confused with Eggo.  You can put Eggo first.

Every mistake I've mentioned can really be traced to this one.

Putting your ego first can mean you try to be the best at the expense of others, or you are so scared to mess up that you protect your ego from being judged or criticized and never let yourself grow.  

WHY are you interning? 
Because you want a job.

WHY do you want a job as an animal trainer?
Because you want to make the lives of animals better, both in your care and in their natural environment.  You want to inspire the general public to care, so that they too can make a positive difference in the lives of the animals we love.

The animals are why we do what we do

How do you become the BEST animal trainer possible?  By putting their needs first.  By working hard, but taking constructive feedback well, by taking a risk and being yourself, by focusing on your own journey while supporting your team members.  Why?  Because all of those things make you the best animal trainer you can be.  The earlier you learn this concept, the better off you'll be in your career....as will all of the animals under your care. 

Not only that, but you LEAD BY EXAMPLE when you correct the mistakes I've listed over the past week.  People see how you take calculated risks, how you are kind to others and how you find professional methods to network, how you are yourself without trying to take out "the competition" or by diminishing your self worth.  Those people see that and go, "I want to emulate that", and then boom, you've started influencing MORE people who focus on the right things.........which means MORE animals benefit.  

You are interning to learn how to give the best possible care and training to all animals you encounter.   Keep that as your focus, and you'll stay on course for the most part.  And when you stray off course, you have the tools and the drive to get yourself back on track.  How cool is that?

Put me first!!

So good luck out there, all current and future interns.  Use this as a resource, in addition to checking out IMATA, checking in with your current or previous coworkers and bosses, and feel empowered to be the best you can be for the sake of a greater good.  And as always, I'm here to answer any questions you might have!

For trainers reading this, please feel free to comment your opinions on this topic!  Even dissenting opinions.  Lively discussion is always welcome, as long as you're not a butthead.

___________
* Ha ha! Occupational humor is punny.**
** I'm out of control!!!!!

The Middle Flipper's Guide to Good Interning (Part One)

Let's talk about interning.

We all start cleaning off by poop!  And....it never stops.

One of the weirdest, most confusing parts of becoming a marine mammal trainer revolves around internships.  If you're in this stage of your life (or past it), you know exactly what I'm talking about without me having to explain further.  If you aren't involved in this field at all, allow me to explain.

There is this catch-22 when it comes to landing your first job in this highly competitive, experientially-based field: how do you get your first job with no experience, if the entry level jobs say you need a certain amount of experience?  It seems like an oxymoron!

Wut.

On top of this, aspiring marine mammal trainers know they are way more likely to land a job if they've got an internship or two under their belt.  And this translates into a total misunderstanding of what this experience is.  Hence, the inspiration for the blog.  

This is a huge topic, so it's divided into two parts.  The next part will be next week!  Okay, let's get started.

So many people focus on "gaining experience" in their internship in the form of animal interaction.  It's an understandable mistake (one I made early on, too).  You see all these job postings, knowing that you have a very slim shot at landing a job, and think, "I HAVE TO GET THE EXPERIENCEEEE" and wind up on an insane journey to train some dolphins real quick so you have a fighting chance.

So you look at internships that promise hands-on interaction with the animals.  That seems like the safest bet to being able to tell a prospective employer, "Why yes, I DO have that six months of marine mammal experience you asked for, because I worked with the animals directly at my internship!"  That becomes the focus of your internship journey.  Unfortunately, it's the wrong focus.

...I google image-searched "bad focus" and this was the result.  You're welcome.

I'm going to do you all a solid and tell you what "experience" means in an entry-level sense.  Hopefully I'll provide some relief and give you a few tips on how to succeed as an intern.  

First, what does "experience" really mean?

Let's look at this topic logically.  We know that working with animals is not simply walking onto a dock, giving a few SDs, chucking a football into the water and calling it a day.  We know there is a ton of cleaning, fish prep, habitat maintenance, public education/interaction, monitoring animals'  physical and mental health, and lots and lots and lots and lots of learning about operant conditioning both by the book and in practice.  There's also that whole working-as-a-team contingency.  

But what I think we forget is that a critical element to working with animals is the relationship you build with each one.  This is on top of all of the other stuff I just mentioned above.  And there is no replacement for TIME when it comes to cultivating a relationship with an animal (even humans, right?).   

Respect and time build relationships, and not a whole lot else

As an intern, you're not at a facility for a long enough period of time to establish a relationship with an animal in a way that provides you with the type of experience that you think you're getting.  I'm not for a moment suggesting that interns haven't forged relationships with animals they work with...but it's not the same as professional trainers who spend months and years with that animal.

And there may be situations where interns work directly with animals in settings that do let them actually train new behaviors, or at least troubleshoot established ones.  That is very valuable experience.  But those sorts of situations are very rare.

The type of hands-on interaction interns typically get are basically like a reward for doing well.  You are taught a few SDs and criteria, and while a trainer sits near you they may bridge the behavior (or maybe, they'll have you bridge it).  There are definitely some perks to this for your development.  You learn to look at the animal's behavior and sharpen your eye for criteria.  You learn how to time your bridges.  You even learn how to be WITH the animal, figuring out how to sit in front of a dolphin or an otter takes practice to get over the nervous jitters.  And while these lessons are so awesome to have, they are not what's going to make you stand out on a resume.

Why?

Because again, you're not there long enough to really get into the meat of training.  You're not.  The hands-on experience you have is a perk.  That does not in any way trivialize what YOU learn from your encounters....and that is not something you should take lightly.  But what I'm saying is if you end up at an internship where you get little to no hands-on experience, you are not behind the eight ball.

OMG what.  Are you friggin' kidding me?

Read that again.  

You can still get a job without having hands-on experience as an intern.  Because the experience is not just about working WITH the animals.  It is about so much more; it is about knowing the job in its entirety, which as we've established is not just working with animals.

So take a deep breath.  And now let's delve into what you need to do well in an internship in such a way it gives you a great chance to land a job.  

I'm going to explain this with common mistakes interns make, both on the job and in their own minds.  Please please please do not feel bad whatsoever if you read any of these and think, "OMG, that is ME! I MESSED UP! MY LIFE IS OVERRRR!"

No no no! These are here to help you.  These things are lessons we ALL learn.  Mistakes I've personally made, or seen other people make...and most of us have very successful careers as marine mammal trainers.  So don't despair.  Just learn!  Plus, there are solutions to these mistakes at the end of each section.

Mistake #1: Focusing Too Much On Animal Time

Does it count as animal time if it's still in an egg?

Have I made this mistake clear enough yet?  No?  Okay, let's talk more.

It could be because I've been doing this job awhile and have mentored a lot of interns.  Sometimes though, if I'm being honest, I get frustrated when I see how fixated some people are on when they are going to work an animal.  Then I read back on my intern journal and am reminded I was the exact same way, and realize I need to give those people a break.

Look forward to those special moments you get to learn with the animals.  Squeeze every moment from those experiences.  But don't think that they are what makes you a good intern, or even a good job candidate.  Think of it as another awesome lesson to put under your belt.  A lesson that may come in handy in the near future, or ten years from now.

There are things I learned as an intern working with the otters that didn't really translate into my career until years later.  Why? Because I didn't work with otters for another four years after my internship.  And then, I went back to dolphins.  And then two years later, I started working with otters again.  The information I gained for maintaining a few simple behaviors with North American river otters did not help me get my first job.  But it did help me later down the road.  So just because the experience you gain won't help you get your foot in the door per se, doesn't make it worthless experience.

One hand target did not a good trainer make.  It just meant I got a picture with a dolphin.

I have seen plenty of interns who get so focused on when they get to do a session with an animal that they basically ignore all other critical opportunities to actually help them understand the job and get their foot in the door.  This concept has ruined teamwork, too, when people get jealous of each other. I've actually known interns who tallied how many times other interns got sessions with dolphins to prove how "unfair" it all was.   Wow.  Talk about having the wrong perspective.

So what's the solution?  Watch sessions.  Not just with other trainers, but your fellow interns as well.  You can learn from everyone's successes and mistakes, experiments and habits.  You can listen in on constructive feedback, not to make yourself feel better that someone else is getting notes, but so that you can go, "ohhhh okay, if I ever am in that situation, I have a better understanding of what I can do."



Mistake #2: Not Watching Sessions and Asking Questions

That Confucius! What a guy!

We've just touched base on this topic.  But it is important enough to have its own section.

Here's a tip for all of you hopeful marine mammal trainers out there:

If you watch lots of sessions and actively ask thoughtful questions, you are way ahead of the game.

Believe it or not, it is not very common for interns to observe sessions.  They may start out their internship experience watching shows, sessions, and interactions.  Most of the time, this is before they are totally aware of the behavioral aspect of the job.  So they're seeing the session from a totally different perspective.

This is what happened to me at CMA.  My first few days I was told to just observe, but I didn't really know what I was looking at.  Yes, I had learned about positive reinforcement and LRSes and all that, but I didn't know what I was looking for.  I didn't know about criteria, I didn't even know what "SD" stood for.  Oh man, I remember so clearly sitting and watching the dolphin presentation and listening to one of the volunteers narrate.  And he was explaining a behavior that a dolphin named Nicholas was learning, saying "SD" and things like that.    After the session, the volunteer asked Nicholas' trainer about the criteria of the behavior, and they kept throwing around the word "SD".  

My head was whirling, trying to figure out WTF that meant.  I felt so stupid.  Then the trainer (who happened to be my mentor) turned around to me and asked me if I had any questions.

"No," I said, thinking I'd look stupid if I had a question.

"Oh," she replied.  "That's not good.  You should have lots of questions."

Oh god.  

Wahhhhhh

As I continued with my internship, I really wanted to prove how hard of a worker I was, and I thought just sitting around watching sessions wasn't valuable.  Where I'd really learn things was from working the animals, or from the required reading.  WRONG.  As I was learning more and more about the behavioral theory, that was the critical time to go out and LOOK for the things I was learning, now that I knew what I was looking for.  Eventually, I figured this out.  I learned SIGNIFICANTLY more just watching other trainers than I did working the animals independently.  Seriously.  I mean, watching people who have worked with those animals for years and years is going to show you things that you'd never experience directly with an animal as an intern...or even as a brand new trainer.

So watch! Ask questions! This is arguably one of the most important elements to "gaining experience" (as long as you're balancing your required work with watching, which we'll get to later).  

Still don't believe me?  Guess what a popular type of interview question is at some facilities (including Sea World)?  Scenario questions.  Almost every interview I had for entry or newer-level positions had at least two training scenario questions.  

"How would you handle a situation between two aggressive animals in a public setting?"

That was an actual question I got.  For an entry-level position.  

I never experienced that directly before.  Why? Because there's a slim chance as an intern you'd be put in a situation where you'd have to deal with that scenario.  So how do you answer a question like that if you've never experienced it?  Easy.  You saw it happen.  Or at the very least, you asked a question like that to an experienced trainer, who answered how they would do it and so you learned one method of handling that situation.  The interviewer isn't looking for you to have had every single experience they are asking you to solve, but they want to know that you have at least thought about that situation....that you understand training well enough to answer a hypothetical question.

You could not successfully answer that question had you not devoted your time to observing and asking.  

So the solution to this mistake is crystal clear: WATCH AND ASK AND LEARN.  No matter how many times I repeat this, most interns will call BS and won't follow my advice.  So you make sure you get ahead of the game and watch ;) I know what I'm talking about!

Mistake #3: Not Taking Advantage of Rare Opportunities....Even The Ones That Are Kind of Uncomfortable

Just say yes!

"I'm just gonna do the status quo."  What intern starts off their experience with that attitude?  Very, very few.  But when it comes to working extra hours for special circumstances, they forget very quickly.

Before I go further, I am NOT condoning making interns work ridiculously long hours just because they're interns.  No no no.  That is wrong, I don't care how you slice it.  The interns should work the same type of hours that the trainers work.  So if trainers have 12 hour days, I understand that the interns would have 12 hour days.  There is a lot of talk these days (in many, many fields) about how poorly some companies treat their interns, and that's not what I'm suggesting here.

What I'm talking about involve situations like animal medical procedures, special events (like the birth of an animal or observation of a mom/baby, animal transports, mixing social groups for the first time), lecture series, or doing tasks that go above and beyond your normal workload.  For example, at my current facility, you have the option of learning part of the dolphin show narration.  You don't have to do it, it doesn't look bad if you don't do it, but if you want the extra public speaking experience, you can volunteer to learn it.  Does it mean you get a job?  No.  But it does mean you can say that you have public speaking experience in a show setting for a very large group of people.

Mmhmm!

I know that as an intern, you aren't paid (or if you are, it's very little) and that many people have to get second jobs.  That makes it difficult to take advantage of some of the special events.  But it's very, very unusual that you're not available for ANY of them.  And truth be told, many interns do not take advantage of these things.

Just as an example, when I was an intern there was an Atlantic spotted dolphin named Hurricane who was in rehab.  His releasability status was still pending from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), but he wasn't quarantined so the marine mammal training staff could work with him.  He had several health problems, which came to a head a couple of times during my 6 month stay.  When he'd take a turn for the worse, we had to tube feed him every few hours for 24 hours a day.  That meant that some of us had to watch him in the middle of the night...and then work all day the next day.  Did I want to work on no hours of sleep?  No.  Did I think, "ohhh man, I'd rather go home and eat two boxes of mac and cheese and fall asleep watching alien movies?"  Yes.  But I figured when would I ever get experience with an Atlantic spotted dolphin?  And he needed us more than I needed to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  In fact, no matter how tired I felt the next day, it was probably still better than how Hurricane felt when he was sick.  So if I could provide some relief even in a minor way, that was all that mattered.  

Little Hurricane (after he was declared unreleasable)

I've seen interns stay to help with sea turtle rescue, even if they're just holding a bag of fluids.  And their job description in no way has anything to do with sea turtles.  But they get to see what that's like, they get a unique experience to add to their repertoire (and put on their resume).   Every single time you can volunteer to do something that's different, even if it's uncomfortable or inconvenient, you're making yourself a better trainer and animal caregiver.  And that of course will help you get a job.

So the solution?  Volunteer and say YES when you can to new, different, bizarre, and inconvenient experiences.  Doing or even just observing something out of the ordinary is a great way to expand your knowledge base AND stand out from the competition.  And speaking of competition....

Mistake #4: Being Way Too Competitive

....wtf happened here?

Does getting a job in this field have a strong competitive element? Yes.  An internship is without question a really long job interview.  Maybe not always for the facility you're at, but certainly for others (this field is very, very small).

Does competition mean throwing someone else under the bus? No.  Does it mean you focus on everyone else's development?  No.  

For a lot of people, their idea of competition needs recalibration.  Competition is healthy, it helps you sharpen your skills, it keeps you moving forward when you're struggling or have fallen behind.  It is there to show the best of the best.   There is a lot of merit when it comes to striving to be the best you can.

But you can accomplish all of those things without making the mistake of becoming too competitive.  

It is understandable that we as animal trainers, who have always had our "eye on the prize", could fall victim to this mistake.  We want anything that can maybe sorta kinda possibly guarantee a job or a good reference.  When we think of doing our best and trying to stand out from the others, we might think that means if we fly through a checklist, or have more dolphin time, or make sure our supervisors know every single second what task we are doing so we show them that we are better workers than the other interns, then we are standing out.  Some people take it to a further extreme and point out the mistakes of others in order to make themselves look bad.

No one likes a bus thrower-under!

I hope at this point, you see why what I've just written all leads to an unfavorable reputation.  

"But Cat!" you protest.  "Then how am I supposed to show I'm working hard? What's the point of checklists or gaining experience?"

The point is to focus on YOU.  Not what the others are doing, unless you notice you are falling really, really behind.   I'd much rather hire an intern who takes a longer time getting cleared on certain things who has a great attitude, learns from their mistakes, and isn't afraid to ask smart questions than someone who zooms through something just to get the prize at the end.  

You can take great pride in the work you do, striving to move through your internships and all of its learning opportunities thoroughly and efficiently, but keeping the main objective always at the center of your intention.  You want to get a job in this field, why? To wear a shiny whistle around your neck?  No, of course not*.  You have chosen to pursue this career because it allows you to serve a greater purpose; the animals, conservation methodologies, public outreach.  Who cares if you got signed off faster on doing a dorsal layout with a dolphin?  What I care about is that you understand the concept of the behavior, you focused on your own development and didn't worry about someone else who is struggling or doing better than you.

Trust me!

The last thing I'll say about this topic I already grazed over earlier in this section.  It's the tendency of extremely overly-competitive people to constantly Make Known Their Noble Efforts.  If your boss tells you to do this, that's totally different.  There are different methodologies for training people, and you should trust that your supervisor has your best interests at heart**.  

But if you aren't expressly told to alert trainers about what you're doing, let your attitude and your WORK speak for you.   It makes me cringe when someone comes up to me and says, "Just so you know, I'm going to be washing buckets."  Yes, I can see that you are washing them.  What did you actually mean to express to me when you went the extra mile to tell me you're doing your job?  I know I may rub some people the wrong way when I say this, but let's be honest.  Most people who do that (again, if they aren't asked to do so by a boss) are doing it to make sure you know they're doing something and....well, come to your own conclusion about the other people.  You know, the ones who are obviously NOT washing buckets.

Please.  We as trainers are always monitoring how our interns are doing.  We can always identify the hard-workers, the people who really have their head in the game, and the people who really care to learn all aspects of their job.  


Here's a quick quiz to check your retention of this first installment of internship advice:

You are asked if you'd be willing to do an extra observation shift for a newborn harbor seal pup.  The shift is from 2am to 6am, and you'd have to work a full shift after than from 8am to 4:30pm.  You won't be doing a lot, but you'll take observation notes on nursing and any other relevant ethology.

You (choose all correct answers):
              a) Say yes, you'd love to! How exciting!
              b) Say uh, well, is it like mandatory? Because like you have to work tomorrow so       
                  you're gonna be pretty tired.  Can you get an extra day off later?
              c) No, unfortunately you can't because you have to work that night and you really
                  need the money.  But you'd love to volunteer for the next day, because you are
                  available.
              d) Say yes, you'd love to, especially since you know two of the other interns would
                  never help out if it's not their normal shift
              e) Say yes, then tell the other interns that you were specifically selected for a really
                  special task, not to brag or anything
              f) No, and lie about why you can't do it
              g) Say yes, then complain the entire night and all the next day

Hopefully you all know that the right answers were a and c.  But those are all responses I've heard in different situations.  

Come on back next week for the next batch of info and tips!  In the meantime, whether you are doing an internship now or planning on one in the future, take some time to think about what you've just read.  And don't hesitate to contact me (or comment below) with questions!



__________
* If you do, find a new job interest.

** Right supervisors??