It’s one of the simplest and most universal rules at the dog park: Clean up after your dog.

And it’s not just the obvious matter of courtesy, or manners, or even hygiene.

First, there’s a simple Murphy’s Law extension to this lesson: If you don’t pick it up, you’ll probably be the one who steps in it.

Second: You’re not fooling anybody.  There will always be witnesses to your transgression if you choose to leave it there or kick dirt over it or push it into the bushes with a stick.

Then there’s the snowball effect: All it takes is one messy, inconsiderate person to ruin the whole park.  When one person leaves a mess, it becomes much easier for the next person to do the same.  And then even easier for the next person.  And so on and so on, until nobody really bothers because the place is already a dump.   (If you’re one of the few people who haven’t read Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point yet, be sure to check it out.  He discusses a very similar concept in relation to New York City’s subway system and graffiti.)

And finally: Everyone is painted with the same brush.  Non-park users don’t see that “Person X” left a mess, they see that all dog park users are filthy.

The applications of the above to business and marketing are pretty straightforward:

• Short cuts and cheats will always come back to haunt you
• Looking out for the welfare of others around you (including short-term customers and even -gasp!- competitors) is actually in your best interests
• Your organization isn’t all that special (in the eyes of outsiders).   You’re in the same pile (so to speak) as most of your competitors, associates, partners, suppliers, etc.

Corollary:  Make it easy for people to pick up their poop.

It’s not just the dog owners who have a responsibility to leave the park neat and tidy.  When the local government, property owner, or other parties provide baggies, garbage cans, and other facilities, it’s almost guaranteed that the area will be well maintained by its users.

In marketing, if you want others (customers, suppliers, industry associations, or even competitors) to behave a certain way, don’t just tell them.  Give them all the tools they need to make it happen.  Not only do you get what you want, but in the long run this is almost certain to be cheaper and easier than keeping the tools to yourself and then doing the work yourself!