Have you ever walked through a beautiful garden, where the plants and all within it are flourishing? How did you feel? Perhaps a sense of peace, order, tranquility? Joy, perhaps even bliss?
My Facebook friend Garth lives in South Florida. He has the most magnificent garden (top image). His photos elicit gasps of pleasure and delight, and a deep desire to visit and experience the beauty, majesty and tranquility of his creation.
My friend Carolyn also has a magnificent garden. She lives in the suburbs of Toronto. And her garden elicits similar responses to Garth’s garden.
Two gardens. Two gardeners. Different places. Garth’s garden enjoys hot weather all year round, but is subject to hurricanes and tropical storms. Carolyn’s garden traverses the extremes of Canadian weather, from the heat of summer to snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures in winter. Yet two things are constant – the commitment and dedication of Garth and Carolyn to their gardens and the joy their gardens bring to all who view them.
Garth and Carolyn came to mind as I ponder the state of many organizations – disengaged employees, toxic cultures, conflict and lack of ethics. Many are achieving their strategic goals in terms of increased revenue, market share and profitability and numerous investors are multiplying their wealth. Yet the people within the organizations, and the organizations themselves, are not flourishing.
And I wondered: what if leaders nurtured their organizations like Garth and Carolyn nurture their gardens?
Imagine the work that it takes to make and keep such gardens flourishing – an overall design appropriate to the climate and to the wishes of the gardener, careful choice and placement of plants with each in the appropriate spot for future growth, daily watering, regular weeding and fertilising, pruning the dead branches, sometimes removing plants that are not flourishing. There’s a lot of work that goes into making a garden flourish.
Now, think of your organisation: is it flourishing? What would it look like if it were? How would people feel experiencing this flourishing organization? And how can you make it flourish, or flourish more? Like the beautiful garden, a flourishing organization takes work:
- Intention – what’s the vision and purpose of your organization and is everyone clear on it?
- Design – are your structure and systems aligned and appropriate to the purpose of your organization?
- Are your people, like plants, carefully chosen and placed in the appropriate spot for their future growth?
- How do you tend your organization in terms of daily watering, regular weeding and fertilising, and pruning?
- What do you do when people are not flourishing?
And then there’s the gardener – the person, like Garth or Carolyn, who cares for and nurtures it, who gets up each day clear on the work to be done to keep it flourishing, knowing that skipping a day, or a routine, has consequences.
Today, think of yourself as a gardener, and ask yourself: “What do I need to do every day to nourish and nurture my organization?”
For similar posts by Marguerite:
My Garden – click HERE to view article
Of National Crises … and Weeding – click HERE to view article
Great analogy. I’ve been thinking about this a lot in the context of a family and the roles of family members. a lot of the same principles apply!
Thank you John. You are so correct – the same principles apply to families. And perhaps if our politicians thought of themselves as gardeners, we would have much more prosperous, happy nations!
Blessings
Marguwrite
Food for thought
Yes it is.
Blessings
Marguerite
Perhaps since I didn’t have children of my own and now have many in my life, this has been a huge revelation for me….the extent to which each needs to be treated as completely different type of plant…. needing a completely different combination of sun, water, soil, spacing, handling, pruning, nurturing of their specific role/talents, and more to really flower and compliment the entire structure!
John – so great that you can see this, how different people are, and how unique each person is. I really do wish we would approach each other that way. Everyone comes here with their own gifts and talents. And all of us have weaknesses and truth be told, a dark side (some much darker than others). But I do believe that a lot of the pain and hurt that we see playing out in our families, organizations, communities and nations are because we just don’t accept each other. Carolyn, the gardener in Toronto wouldn’t plant bougainvilla or orchids (tropical plants) in her garden. And Garth, in South Florida, wouldn’t plant hydrangeas. And they don’t rant and rave and criticise these plants – they just accept them as they are, and plant them where they will flourish. Oh it really is that simple ….
Blessings – and enjoy the lessons those children are teaching. My children have been my greatest teachers, and continue to be.
Marguerite
Exactly. Regular demonstrations of appreciation are like the “fertilizer” for this garden. And, just like the plant that doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, the employee who doesn’t get the sense of appreciation he/she needs seldom works at their full potential. Lack of appreciation in extreme cases can also cause the “weeds” of discontent to take root….and then one really has problems.
Thank you John for your insights on APPRECIATION, or the lack thereof.
I recommend it highly as a daily practice. It is so simple to do, and has worked wonders for my clients (and me): APPRECIATION:– a simple thank you, a token gift card, recognition in front of others. Never assume that people know. Tell them. And tell them regularly.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it” – William Arthur Ward. Give the gift of gratitude and appreciation every day.