Last week, I said good-bye to a friend I've only worked with for 14 months, yet during his short time with us, made a big impression on all who worked with him at CMF. I can't say that he did a lot to pull his own weight (which was considerable by the end), but he was an inspiration to all who worked with him and those visitors who met him. His name is Jumbo and he is a service-dog-in-training.

When an employee came to me and said she wanted to take on the responsibility of training a service dog, I was skeptical as most managers would be. I know many managers may have concerns that having a dog in the office may negatively affect other employees, visitors, and be generally disruptive to operations. Also, we already had a dog in the office - a rather elderly Chihuahua mix named Jacques. Two dogs seemed excessive. But the research on the topic of dogs in the office is overwhelming and positive.

Studies have shown that having a dog in the office lowers the stress level of employees (something more than a few Washington offices could benefit from). Another study showed that when a dog was placed with a team, they had greater cohesion and actually TRUSTED one another more.

So in August 2016, a six-month old, beautiful yellow Labrador Retriever arrived wearing a bright yellow and blue vest announcing he was a service dog in training. It was remarkable how he fit in. His raiser, Jaime Werner, CMF's Manager of External Relations, was never distracted by Jumbo. Even our other office dog, Jacques, seemed to shrug at the younger arrival.

It was fascinating to see the effect of our dogs on visitors. Sometimes, like Jumbo, it sends a message, "We are here to help you." Sometimes, like Jacques, all it takes is a stroll next to your leg, eager ears, and a wag of a tail, which says, "You are welcome in this office...this a good place... we like dogs." Sometimes success in business doesn't involve strategic planning, or spreadsheets, or performance reviews. Sometimes success in management just involves asking a four-legged friend to communicate something to staff and visitors that only they can.

Part of being a good manager is being supportive of staff who move on to new jobs. This is often true in congressional offices - you have a terrific Legislative Correspondent who deserves to move up, but there's no opening on your legislative staff, so the LC has no choice but to look for opportunities in other offices. I felt a little like this last week with Jumbo. I loved his time with us, but I know he can do more, to help a person, enriching their life in ways that humans cannot. He improved every meeting, made us feel good about ourselves, and never made a stink in the office (I wish I could say the same of every Member of Congress I have worked with). After his final training stint, our former colleague will likely bring aid, comfort, and support to someone with a physical disability or a veteran coping with PTSD.

Good luck, Jumbo. I know you're going to do great in your next job - we will miss you.