Gardening
I like to garden – both in the backyard, and metaphorically, at work.
When I arrived in my current physical space most of the “green” participants were in hiding. It was an uninspiring, though pleasant, green space with little in the way of explosions of enthusiastic colour.
It has taken time to learn the strengths of all the participants and what each requires to be their best. There were those that were unable to bloom in shade, or struggled with the soil or moisture. I spent the first while moving things around and discovered astounding brilliance and dazzling colours once the participants were in spaces where they could thrive. For some, there was no best spot - they were too large for the space, too delicate for the conditions, or couldn’t fit for other reasons. These were offered to (hopefully) better locations outside of this space.
Conditions - light and shade - change as all the participants grow into their space, and so the moving and shifting to “better” spots continues, enabling each member of this garden the opportunity to continue to grow, expand and be brilliant. It is an ongoing adventure made easier now I know the cast of characters and what each needs to perform their best.
I garden at work as well: Bringing together the required strengths to meet our goals, and positioning each team member to excel, encouraging each to recognize their own value in the team as well as the individual brilliance of each of their colleagues. These are small teams, drawing on and maximizing the strengths of each other resulting in a team of inter-dependent partnerships that is much more than the sum of the individuals. Much is accomplished - and there is a lot of laughter!
As a leader-gardener - I have learned to focus on
Strengths: Discovering the unique brilliance of each of the cast of characters
Environment: Understanding the objectives and the conditions that make up the landscape
Maximizing Potential: Determining how each individual will be best positioned to excel in order to collectively realize the objective
Empowering: Encouraging each to expand into their potential
Building Resilience: knowing the strengths of each, focusing on the future and adapting, flexibly, to the changing landscape
Then I get out of the way, support and adjust as needed.