Growing an organization – what I learnt from germination of seeds

The house that we stay in at present, has a sizeable terrace. My wife is a flower and exotic plants freak. It is obvious that the terrace is full of pots with plants, containers of soil and organic and chemical fertilizers / pesticides. I am the spoilsport; I take fancy in throwing a random seed – grams, beans, mustard, coriander, watermelon, capsicum, lime, apple, chili, pumpkin – whatever I get in my hand and throw them into one of the pots and wait for it to germinate. Sometimes, when my wife is not watching or she has a spare one ready to be used for her next plant, I hijack the pot, fill it with some soil and vermi-compost, and plant some seeds in there. Some of my random throws result in a good plant / creeper, rising on its own and growing further. However, most of my structured efforts with the hijacked pots do not result in a good outcome. No matter whatever I experiment – changing the soil, varying the proportion of soil and compost, varying the depth at which I plant the seed, changing places of the pot so that it gets the right (as per my assessment, of course!!) amount of sunlight etc. etc.

To date, I have not been successful in growing anything beyond a pumpkin creeper and harvesting pumpkin flowers from it. And then we run out of patience or maybe, the creeper decides not to bear a pumpkin, and we decide to pluck the leaves (for making another delectable Odia dish of course!!) and that’s the end of the life for the creeper. Now, the pot gets ready for its next occupant, under the guardian eyes of my wife!

On this backdrop, I took fancy to reading relevant literature on seeding, growing plants in one’s backyard, growing vegetables in pots at home, etc. etc. While I went through the same, I wondered if I could draw a parallel between what has been prescribed there and what is relevant to growing an organization. Here, I have attempted to draw one. This is, of course, subject to critic, and it would be interesting to know what others think on this subject.

Learning #1: Planting depth of a seed

One of my reading sources[1] mentioned that planting a seed at the right depth improves its chances of developing into a hardy seedling and increases its germination rate, and that the precise depth varies depending on the size and type of the seeds you have. Of course, you would not plant a coconut seed and a mustard seed at the same depth! Extending this suggestion further, in case you are planning to shift the seedling or a slightly grown-up plant to a bigger pot or some place in your garden, you must know at what depth you should place the seedling / plant so that the roots find the right hold to spread further and keep the plant alive. Otherwise, the growth of the plant may be delayed or sometimes, the plant may also die.

From the perspective of an organization, this is relevant, especially when you are looking at activities like recruitment, succession planning, transfers, specific assignments etc. As a leader or manager, you must be aware of which individual should be positioned at what level / position of the organization, to take up the responsibilities associated with that level / position. Like a seed or a seedling, if there is a mismatch in the depth (in case of the organization, it is a level / position), then growth of the individual will not be in line with the expectation of the leader / manager, who decided his / her positioning.

?Learning #2: Soil cover for the seeds

Same source of reading again, and it said – most seeds, including most of familiar vegetable and fruit seeds, require covering with soil. However, some seeds, and most of these may produce some exotic flower, fruit or vegetable, need light to germinate and therefore, should have good contact with the soil but should not be covered with soil.

I see the analogy in an organization’s context. Leaders and managers often take a uniform approach “to cover the seeds with soil”, no matter which type of seed it is. In simple words, they put the people entering the organization, either fresh or lateral, or people getting transferred or positioned in new levels / locations, under the same type of “conditions”, which according to them offers a “common and non-discriminatory” platform to all the employees and expect them to grow. The fact of the matter is, like the case of some type of seeds needing sunlight and soil, and may be more of sunlight than soil, there are employees who may be motivated by more by looking outside (generating ideas backed by external developments) than by looking inside (working on ideas backed by internal perceptions). Remember – in the seed analogy, those that need more of sunlight, also need to be connected to the soil! Leaders and managers must know what type of people they are dealing with and accordingly provide them the “condition” to grow. Also remember – no matter what best sunlight and soil you provide, some seeds may not germinate and you cannot do anything about it!

Learning #3: Watering seeds / seedlings

Another source[2] of reading – The soil seedlings grow in needs to be moist or wet but not too damp, and it should never dry out between watering. To achieve this, you should check on your seeds more than once per day, and you will probably need to water them at least daily. The catch here – checks must be done by you; the seed or the soil will not be able to convey you any signal about their need for water, unless you install some sophisticated gadget which gives you the same input.

Drawing an analogy to the organization context, leaders and managers need to be vigilant about the “watering” needs of their people. Though people are living organisms that are capable to convey their needs which can support them thrive and perform, yet in several circumstances, they do not provide the feedback or voice their concerns, unless provoked to a large extent. Further, engagement of leaders and managers on seemingly priority matters pose challenges in their people connect activities and therefore, inhibits the process of checking the “watering” needs. Organizations, therefore, should provide for appropriate mechanisms that mandates the leader or the manager to be in continuous touch with their teams and gather their growth / development concerns, using appropriate tools and techniques.

There may be many other analogies from the case of germinating seeds. Let me know if you can draw one!

[1] Source: https://www.thespruce.com/how-deeply-should-seeds-be-planted-2539711

[2] https://www.gardeningchannel.com/how-to-water-seeds-and-seedlings/