Trim the Tree

Every February in Utah, I get one warmer-than-average Saturday that I use to tackle an annual task: pruning the apple tree. Even though I do this task each year, I have the same reaction when I’m done.

Here’s what happens. This one tree generates three to four dozen delicious honey crisp apples each year. I’m always amazed at how many new, small branches sprout from the tree each year. Most of the branches grow one direction. Any guesses on that direction?

Yep. Straight up.

The tree sprouts thin, three- to four-foot-long branches every summer that reach to the sky. The problem is that if all the energy of the tree goes into growing up, it takes strength away from the core of tree – the trunk and main branches. In order for the tree to continue to produce fruit, it needs a strong core.

Before the sap starts to flow in the spring, I cut off all those “up” branches. I usually start by standing in front of the tree with my pruners for a moment feeling a bit overwhelmed and worried about all the cutting I need to do.

Then I start chopping. The result is the tree looks like a shell of itself (see the picture above). I step back from the tree when I’m done, and it looks sad to me. I say to the tree, “Sorry. I had to do this.”

The first time I pruned the tree to this extreme I was seriously concerned that I might have killed it. Now I have the history of 10 years to tell me that this seemingly vicious pruning helps the tree reach its potential. Although the tree looks like a bunch of pathetic sticks through the early spring, by mid-summer it will be full of leaves and growing fruit.

I’ve found I need to do the same thing in my business. Sometimes I must decide what is core to the business and what is an extraneous branch that needs to be trimmed out. This can range from purging files to changing outdated processes to discontinuing practices that are no longer productive.

Just as when I start pruning the apple tree, we might feel some hesitation in trimming the business. Have you ever looked at a file that you haven’t accessed for over a year and thought, “Ah, but I might need that someday,” and put it back? Or maybe you’re so comfortable with a process that you don’t want to change it, even though you know it’s not effective anymore? Me too.

Now that my apple tree is pruned, I’m going to take a close look at what I can prune out of my business this week. I did put a bunch of old files into recycling last week. Now it’s time to look at what else I need to trim back to leave room for growth.

I know it will be painful to put some old practices behind me. But I’m confident that if I make those cuts, the business will grow as the spring and summer come.

Mark Carpenter helps people who want to improve the impact of their messages by improving their ability to convey powerful experiences as stories. He is a consultant, facilitator, coach, and co-author of the best-selling book "Master Storytelling: How to Turn Your Experiences Into Stories that Teach, Lead, and Inspire." www.master-storytelling.com