Photo by John Silliman on Unsplash

Not Even Weeds

Soil can become so devoid of nutrients that even weeds can’t grow in it.  I never realized that until a friend, Ivor Tymchak, wrote about his garden in his e-mail newsletter.  He’d been using soil for ten years, growing lovely vegetables, and then noticed that one year, his parsnip seeds stopped germinating.  He thought he’d gotten bad seed.  Then other seeds stopped coming up.  He tried the seeds in some potting soil and they all sprouted, and that’s when he realized his seeds were fine.  It was his garden soil that was completely exhausted.  Not even weeds were coming up.  

Not even weeds.

That really struck me.  Weeds are remarkably hardy and inventive creatures, and they seem to be able to grow in just about anything. If they can’t thrive, there’s something seriously wrong.  Ivor realized that he hadn’t done anything to keep his soil nourished over the years.  The plants kept coming up and he thought everything was fine.  Until it wasn’t.

I have worked in too many environments where I’ve seen the exact same thing.  Leaders do nothing for their people while things are humming along.  People don’t feel valued or heard; they turn off, stop producing.  There’s no investment in their skills, no nurturing of their talents.  Leaders wonder what’s wrong with them.  Some leave for other jobs, and some leave mentally, even though they are still employed there.  It can be hard to watch as energized people become turned off, disappointed, and disengaged.  But put them in another environment, and they thrive, just like those seeds.

As leaders, we need to think about the environment that we create or enable.  Sometimes it’s not our people – it’s the culture they have to endure in their workplace.  Endless bureaucratic rules and a lack of opportunity for interesting work can suck the life out of anyone.  Here are three thoughts for how we can provide fertile soil for our team to grow and thrive.

1. Before people get disengaged, ask them what gets them out of bed in the morning.  (Once during an interview, I asked that question and the response was “an alarm clock?”  No, she wasn’t kidding around.  I didn’t hire her…)  Try to give them more of that on a consistent basis.  People will apply more energy to the mundane tasks if they know they have something appealing waiting for them.
2. If someone seems disengaged, ask them about it.  Don’t confront them, just ask.  Something like, “You don’t seem quite as energized as I remember.  Am I reading that right?  Tell me what’s going on.”  See what they say and follow through.
3. Proactively develop your employees.  Pay attention not only to classes that would benefit them, but also new assignments to increase their skills.  Ask questions before and after training and assignments.  Be sure to give them the opportunity to practice their new knowledge and skills.

One element all three of the above have in common is that you are paying attention to your employees.  You’re asking questions and following up on the answers.  In many ways, that can be the best nutrient you can provide – a boss who not only pays attention but also takes action.