What Gardening teaches you about management!

Since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, gardening has rapidly become a way to rejuvenate and is now a core family activity. Watching seeds germinate, flowers blossom, plants flourish(and sometimes dry out and die), I couldn’t help but draw parallels to management?and the lessons we can learn from them.

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul. - Alfred Austin

Soil & Sunlight - It all starts here

Every plant needs a specific type of soil to flourish. Clay, Sandy, Silty, or Peaty.?There are many?combinations depending on what plants you’ve got. Likewise, sunlight is also an important growth factor. Some plants need full sunlight, others need partial shade, while some grow remarkably well indoors with minimal light. Using the wrong soil type or lighting is a sure shot way to fail.

Like soil and?sunlight form the foundation for the growth of plants, the right work assignments determine your team's success.?New project features?vs?fixing tech debt?vs?support?vs?building a product from scratch, each needs a specific type of individual. Some are suited to platform work, some can learn new tech quickly and adapt to a fast-paced environment, some are very good at dealing with ambiguity, etc, so identify the right place for team members based on their skills, interests & aspirations.

Water & Fertilizer - Keep up the growth

Now that you have foundations out of the way, let's talk about regular care.

Water and fertilizer are two very important?needs for a splendid garden. Every plant in your garden may have?a specific need. Some don’t need any fertilizer for months, while others need it every week. Same with water. Some plants have?to be watered daily and others are drought resistant and can sustain for weeks. Root rot, yellowing leaves, stunted growth, fertilizer burns, etc are very common issues you'll see in gardening support forums and the only way to fix them is to fix your watering and fertilizing schedules.?

In management, this is like providing the right training, setting the right expectations, and following up on progress. Inadequate or incorrect training will create under-skilled members?and frustrate the team.?Lack of expectation setting and follow-up on progress will lead to suboptimal outcomes. Some team members do well with very minimal follow-up, whereas others will either need frequent follow-ups or someone to assist them continuously to ensure progress.?RCG's, mid-level engineers, senior engineers, architects, managers?- each one has a different need and successful leaders should be mindful of these, spot opportunities, provide clarity for the team to flourish.

As a manager regularly ask yourself - Does your team have the right skills needed for the job? Do you micromanage a lot when you should let the team decide? Do you stay away from the action, only to pitch in when a crisis occurs?. Get your team's feedback and adapt.

Climbers need stability & support

If you’ve grown flowering climbers (like Allamanda or morning glory) you may have noticed that beyond a certain height they can no longer grow without support. Strong Climbers sometimes use other branches in the same plant to continue growing, but even that has a limit.

The same is true for you and your team. Beyond a certain limit, they can no longer grow without leadership support. As a manager, always create the right support ecosystem both within and outside your teams. Find the right coaching / mentoring opportunities and share them. Have regular 1:1s and create an individual development plan which aligns with their aspirations.

Seeds or stem cuttings - building next-gen

While you may have picked the best seeds or the strongest cuttings for propagation, you may never see a 100% success rate. Anything between 50-70% is a respectable success rate and you’ll eventually get better. Time is another important factor to consider too. Some seeds germinate quickly while others will take more time, don’t judge too soon, and start taking action.

You'll have similar observations during hiring as well. Someone fantastic during interviews?can?be inefficient at the job and an average person could?be a rockstar. Give it time, observe progress at regular intervals, and course-correct accordingly. Don't be too hard on yourself if you land a bad hire. Learn from it and move on. You'll get better, eventually.

Re-Potting - Moving on...

All plants eventually outgrow their containers. For you to sustain their growth and keep them from dying, you’ll need to move them to a larger pot with more soil/nutrients.

Likewise, in management, you should always watch out for successful people on your teams who are now ready for expanded roles, scope, etc, and create opportunities for them to grow. Depending on your situation, you may need to move them to other teams or, in some rare cases, even encourage them to look outside of the company. Remember, this is both good for the individual and the team. You don’t want cracked pots or stunted plants!

Pruning - It's never easy

Pruning boosts yields, improves aesthetics, reduces diseases & prevents infestations. Every beautiful garden needs regular pruning. Don’t be afraid to prune - knowing when and how are important skills every gardener should learn.

Likewise, managers need?to review their team structure periodically and make changes. You may have to remove misfits and underperformers, deliberately move out people who’ve been in your team for long to other teams, so they can grow (and your team can grow/adapt as well) or split teams into smaller units so they are more focused. Being a successful manager requires you to master these skills and know when the time is right to apply them.

It’s important to realize that whether in plants or humans, growth is the same, and demands much of the same conditions and requirements. It’s hard work, takes a lot of effort and patience, but like a proud gardener admiring the beauty of their garden, seeing your team grow and succeed is both a rewarding and fulfilling part of being a manager.