It’s summer. At the time of writing it has been warm and wet.  The grass, the plants and all the weeds have grown profusely and it’s hard to remember just how difficult it can be to create a garden in the first place. But I can assure you, if you haven’t tried, that it is………

Sadly, we had to have a large tree felled last year. But the positive effect was that it gave us the space to make a new and quite large flower bed. It took a lots of work; preparing the site, selecting plants and seeds that would grow well in that part of he garden, adding nutrients to the soil, sourcing the plants, putting them in, watering them and feeding them, weeding….  Well, you get the picture. All these steps are necessary, and the work isn’t done when the planting is complete. You have to observe what is happening, note whether the plants are thriving and if not, find out why.

While doing this, it made me think about the link with performance at work. It’s no good planting on barren soil. You’ll waste your money. It’s no good recruiting people and expecting them to perform if they don’t have the right resources. Thankfully, unlike plants, they won’t die…….but they will look for jobs elsewhere and their talents will be lost to you.

Just like the plants, you need to find the people who will thrive and add value in your type of organisation. Although you do need different types of people for different roles, it’s no use employing someone who really wants to work in a fast-moving innovative environment, if your business is about focussing on making sure processes and procedures are compliant.  

The eco system of your garden should support your plants, just as the culture of your organisation should support your people. And like plants, people are all different. What do your people need? Some people need extra care and attention, others are happy to be left alone. And of course the work is never done.  You have to observe what is happening; look at what’s working and what isn’t and take action where necessary before any problems become too entrenched.

Pippa Bourne