Running a business takes intense
focus and eats up the major portion of your time; however, studies have shown that
giving your mind the time to wander allows you to turn from immediate tasks to
life’s bigger -- often more important -- challenges.
I needed to make that turn,
myself; I needed a reason to get out of the office and give my mind a
break. To find that something that was the complete opposite of running a tech
company. So, I planted a vegetable garden.
My gardening background is pretty
weak. We had a small garden when I was growing up, and I still do a decent job
of mowing a lawn. I can also keep an orchid alive for upwards of a week.
What's more, I have a basic understanding of how things grow and the fact
that food doesn’t magically appear in nice rows at the supermarket on its own.
What I didn’t foresee was how
preparing, planting and maintaining my garden plot could give new insights into
managing my business. Here’s how a vegetable garden can
give you food, for thought, too.
1. Setting
up a strong foundation
The biology of plants is fairly
simple. Take a seed, surround it with nutrients, give it some water, expose it
to the sun and watch it magically grow into a plant that can feed a
family. However, add too much of any one element and the results can
be devastating.
Poor drainage will rot the root
system; too much sun will cause leaves to wither; poor soil will have
you buying your veggies at the supermarket again in no time. And the foundation
of your garden plot will determine whether you’re pulling out potatoes or
pulling out your hair.
A good business needs a proper
foundational structure, as well. A solid business plan, sufficient funding and
a strong ownership team are the basic building blocks of a sustainable and
scalable organization. When one element is out of whack, you run into critical
issues that escalate over time. Unmanageable growth, cash-flow issues and poor
leadership can quickly cause even good businesses to fail.
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2. Plotting
your space
Did you know that planting onions
next to carrots will deter pests away from both plants? That lettuce helps to
tenderize nearby summer radishes? That adding flowers to a vegetable garden
attracts bees, which in turn pollinate the other plants, leading to a bigger
overall yield?
A garden, much like a workplace, is
a collection of individual organisms that are highly affected by their
surroundings.
Similarly, the spacing and flow of
an office environment can directly affect the people working there, in the same
way. Having your boisterous sales department share an open office space with
your software development team is a recipe for disaster. Improperly integrating
senior staff into a youth-focused culture can disrupt an entire organization.
Just ask Dan Lyons about his Year in Startup Hell.
Individuals, much like plants, can positively or negatively affect the health
of the overall organization, due to factors as subtle as personality and
proximity.
3. Nurturing
and harvesting
Gardening is a test of patience.
Seeds slowly become seedlings, then mature, blossom and produce fruit. Some
plants, such as lettuce and herbs, can be harvested early and often without
harming the plants themselves. Root vegetables on the other hand require long
periods of growth before they reach maturity. Knowing when a vegetable plant is
ready is both an art and a science.
Expectations for employees and
business objectives follow a similar cadence. Young interns require
attention, mentorship and direction to prepare them properly for higher-stress
scenarios. Placing inexperienced employees in a situation for which they
weren’t adequately prepared can adversely affect their self-confidence and
stunt their long-term growth.
Distinct roles should come with
distinct expectations, as well. Sales teams can be expected to produce early
and often, while your R&D department may need months, or even years, to
realize the first fruit of their labor.
Overall, growing a business and
growing a vegetable garden both require planning, dedication and patience.
Whether you’re managing a tech company or managing tomatoes, focus on setting
up a strong foundation, surrounding your team with the right nutrients and
harvesting results when the time is right.
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