Cutting back - lessons from my garden

It’s hard to look at something that’s thriving and take the shears to it. But that’s what I had to do this weekend, and it got me thinking, as gardening often does.

We have a wonderful ivy covered wall that serves as a fence between our only (and awesome) neighbors. It’s evergreen and lovely but also a constant growth area for us - we have to trim it several times a year, no matter the season. That’s the thing with gardening in the Pacific Northwest versus our time in the desert Southwest. My wife always laughs that in NM and AZ we struggled to get anything to grow but up here in Seattle we are constantly working to keep things back! This ivy is no exception,

Over the winter though we noticed that one section of the system had become so front/top heavy that it’d fallen away from the rock wall into which it was rooted. We were worried that it might erode further and damage the wall. So we had to make the tough decision to cut it way back in order to save it and the wall. It wasn’t an easy choice as this is a key feature of our outdoor area we use a lot in the summer. We are confident the vibrant ivy will grow back quickly, though, so I jumped and got to work.

While I was working, amidst the continued layoffs and cuts occurring across our economy, my cutting back struck me as apropos and gave me pause.

You see, as I made the first cuts we could see what happened - and felt better about our decision. Over the years we had just kept giving the wall a shape and "haircut" so to speak to make it look nice on the outside. But so much undergrowth had developed underneath that the entire wall was weighed down by bare, unexposed, non producing or cut away vines. It was a tangled, heavy, dirty mess back in there. It was pretty easy to cut it out once I had the angle back in there - just find the thicker, source branches and a few clips and entire sections would all fall out. I found lots and lots of dead, dried branches fronted by green leaves. The greenery looked great from the surface but masked a problem underneath

As I cut and cleaned though, I began to see lots of little pale, young green shoots back in there. So much of it was still alive and ready to grow but just gnarled up in the darkness and unable to shine. I realized that I needed to slow down and be much more intentional about my clipping. Not only did I need to make sure the larger “mother” stalks that were feeding the system (and frankly holding the wall together now) stayed intact and rooted, but I needed to give these little shoots a chance. They were my best and brightest hope for the restoration of the ivy wall in the shortest time.

We are bombarded daily with news of layoffs and cutbacks. So many of my friends and colleagues, and myself, have been hit by these changes. I hope maybe this can be some encouragement to you. Whichever side you are on, please keep a few lessons in mind from my gardening.

If you are forced to make cuts, remember that your roots are not only feeding the growth they may be holding your organization together. And it’s not just your older, ensconced team members - newer employees could be delivering huge value to the greenery out front so watch out for them. When you do cut, take care to rescue those people and products that just haven’t received the light needed to grow. If you can clear the way for them with intention and care, they are already poised to grow far faster than anything else in your company.

If you’re on the receiving end of cuts, most importantly you have my sympathy. I’ve been there and can tell you that you will bounce back. While you set your new course and move forward, think about your own deep roots and the knowledge, relationships, and passions that got you where you are today. Go back to them and feel comfort in their strength. And then look around for those green shoots, those ideas or notions or projects that offer quick growth and color for your life. Nurture them, show them some light and love and maybe a whole new fa?ade can be found.

Please drop a comment in with your thoughts and experiences cutting back - I'd love to hear from you. In the coming months and years, I wish you all a season of growth and beauty.