Frustration can stifle even the most energetic, excited, and visionary people on your team, as you likely know if you are leading today on your job. It's natural for talented individuals to feel restless, especially those who have higher career aspirations, if they believe that they work and get nowhere.
My daughter once did an experiment at school in which she took several lima beans and put them into a small glass jar, along with a moist paper towel. After a few days, with added light - and love - the formerly dry and apparently lifeless things started growing, attempting to root themselves within the glass. At that point, they were ready to be moved into the garden, after which the process, really, would start over again—the "old" beans would grow further, and newcomers may or may not be in a position to grow depending on them and their environment. Whether it's beans or your company, one entity must move on to make way for the next for this process to take place.
Those people on your staff who are ready for something else could very well be sprouting those roots, attempting to anchor and yet getting nowhere. While you can't always restructure or promote when you feel the time is right, you can shed some of that same light and care on those that you intend to transplant, and make sure they know their role in the overall vision of your company. Today, as spring moves into full swing, look at your resources—today may be the day you need to start to get some planting dirt on your hands.
Very insightful. The analogy of an organization and its people to a garden is always a refreshing one, in that it helps us to appreciate the differences and beauty that each person can bring to an organizational culture. A patient and diligent gardener who carefully observes and responds to the needs of the garden will surely reap an abundant harvest!
Posted by: Lola | April 21, 2009 at 08:45 PM