Workplace gardening philosophy

As a keen gardener and someone who advises organisations on developing engaging leaders, I can see that there are many similarities between creating a thriving garden and creating a thriving organisation.

Whether you have one pot plant sitting on your desk (one employee) or a plot of land that would rival the botanic gardens (many employees) the basic rules are the same. Get it right and your plants will thrive (your people will grow). Get it wrong and you will be left with a dead and dying garden (high turnover or worse, high disengagement).

Gardening can be a rewarding pursuit. There is nothing better than seeing plants grow even if there is hard work involved and a long gap between effort and result (just like leading a team).

I am focussed on helping you develop a strong team of engaging leaders who can nurture their teams and create a thriving organisation. My workplace gardening philosophy is based on the same principles that successful gardeners follow.

1. Great teams aren’t built, they grow organically
2. Work with the nature of your people, not against it
3. People will grow at their own pace, not yours
4. You can’t force people to grow, you can only set up the conditions for it to happen naturally
5. Being a green thumb leader is about knowledge, skills and attitude

To learn more about the model I use to develop engaging leaders click here.

I also believe that having plants in your workplace is an important symbol of your commitment to the workplace gardening philosophy. For tips on how to select and care for plants in your workplace download my free ebook Creating a garden in your workplace.

One of the many gardens I have created