“If you build it they will come”
A famous, if wonkily quoted line from the movie “Field of Dreams”.
The story refers to an Iowa farmer building a baseball diamond on his land.
Our field of dreams is a good bit less ambitious, but come they have, nonetheless.
We built a wildlife pond during lockdown. It began with digging a hole in our garden that resembled a small asteroid strike. We had a detour through the land of butyl liners - huge and expensive, so measuring took longer than our usual approach done by the length of whatever gardening wellies are being worn!
Followed by a stop-off for soft sand, pebbles, wildflower plugs and then some minor surgery when the water wicked up and away one night, due to an overly cautious boundary of lining felt. Science lesson (eventually) remembered and problem solved.
Six weeks later we’re through the pea-soup-sludge phase into the “Where do these beasties come from?” phase.
Dragonflies are doing aerial battles for ownership of the pond and waterlily. Insects skit across the surface and larvae already wriggle within the water. Butterflies and birds stop off for a drink and a woodpecker has adopted it for her morning ablutions. And yesterday we found a toad – the amphibians are on the move too! All in the course of 6 weeks.
A successful wildlife pond requires many things. Places to hide and take shelter. Space to grow and develop. No fish (they scoff tadpoles) Surfaces to bask upon and launch skywards when the time is right. Toxin-free. Time and not too much interference, but enough to ensure it thrives.
In other words - Balance.
And it’s more challenging than it first looks.
Pretty much the same as sales teams and sales cultures.
How’s yours doing?
Are you creating trust, forthright conversation, a sense of direction and commitment? Do your team understand their goals and buy into them? Do they have the tools and wherewithal to go after them with energy? Do you ensure everyone learns from each other and that you all know how you are doing on a regular basis?
Are you in balance or in pea-soup-sludge?
PS Everyone needs a Toad – just ask Ratty and Mole!