Our Workforce is Like a Garden. What are You Planting?
Getting to Common Ground (values, mission, vision) is Hard. It is your job to till the soil (culture) and tend to it (take care of it). To find out the kind of soil (culture) you are dealing with. Whatever ground (workforce) you have is all you have. You are to find the common ground between your workforce and you, the leader. You must find this common ground (values, vision, mission) so you know which fertilizer (serving your workforce’s needs) you need and how much and how often to apply it.
Sowing (seeds you want to grow) and reaping (harvesting the fruit of the seeds you plant) are familiar terms to most of us. These terms apply to a garden and our workforce. Businesses today are having a hard time finding and keeping employees let alone good employees. Businesses hire people to do a specific job or task. But people are more than just the job or the task. Employees are seeking meaning and purpose and their job helps them afford to live independently and fulfill that purpose.?
People/Employees are the hard ground. We all have weeds (chokes out the good stuff), and rocks (barriers) in our lives and sometimes our soil needs broken up and/or fertilized in order to produce healthy and good fruit. The soil is the culture you are dealing with right now. In other words, they have life issues, perceptions, experiences, hurts, likes, dislikes, beliefs, and perceptions. All these attributes can help and/or hinder one from reaching their potential or advancing the team. This is where leadership should begin. Leadership simply put is influence through communication and right actions.?
If you want your workplace to become fertile ground, you must first seek Common Ground and start sowing the seeds you want to see grow into an abundance of fruit (good work). First, be a Walker (be on the floor with your people) instead of a Talker. You are not too good or too busy to get to know your employees and for them to get to know you.
?Do these things daily:
1. Walk the floor daily and ask questions. Ask deep questions as you engage in conversations. Go deep with your inquiries, as long as you are not perceived as being nosy. In doing this you will be perceived as one who is truly interested in the people you are leading. If I am interested, then I am listening. If I am listening to my employees I am then obligated to take right actions. Asking questions and digging deep without taking right actions is merely lip service.
?2. Listen then act. Know what your employees are saying, thinking, and believing. Actions demonstrate that you are interested in listening to them. As you sow the ground you will learn what the Common Ground is. Start demonstrating through your actions by including as many people as possible in the process of change. Start watering (serving), weeding (pulling out the bad habits), and fertilizing (growth). Let go of control and let employees have ownership. Let them help determine what to plant in the ground (the workplace). Help them grow so your business grows. If your employees aren’t growing, you can’t grow.
?3. Everyday plant five rows of Lettuce:?
?????a. Let us be open and respectful to the workforce.
?????b. Let us be selfless rather than selfish.
?????c. Let us be transparent.
?????d. Let us be trustworthy.
?????e. Let us do everything in love.?
This means we protect our people, and we provide them with the opportunity to excel. This will make your garden (workforce) flourish. You must be committed to your people for their sake not for yours. Many managers and leaders are convinced they need to show they care. But too many only care so they can get more out of each person. That isn't caring that is calculation. Instead we need to be committed more than convinced to giving more of ourselves so we can help each person advance and the team to have success.?