Yesterday, I finally addressed the growing weed problem in my yard. Yes, it’s the end of July and yes all the neighbors have already cleaned out their flower beds and planted new ones, and yes, I MAY just still have the cornstalks from Halloween disintegrating around my tree. So I hate weeding. But really, I’m not different from most business leaders in their approach toward dealing with “office weeds.”
As I finally got the work gloves out and started dealing with the weeds, I wondered…Why did I wait to address these weeds? Here’s what I came up with:
A) I was intimidated by the “prickly part.” I didn’t WANT to get poked. I didn’t want to experience the pain that comes with engaging with the weeds.
B) Every time I looked at them I thought I should address them, but the proper tools weren’t handy, so I didn’t bother to go fetch them.
C) Over time, the weeds just started to blend into the landscaping. When it was on,e it stood out; but as more grew and they got tall, they started to take over and I honestly kind of forgot what my landscaping was supposed to be like. Essentially, I became complacent to their existence and effect.
And so it is with an organization. Often we are afraid of the prickly parts. We don’t want to address the “office weeds:”
- Performance issues
- Lack of accountability
- Abrasive personalities
- Dysfunctional teams & leaders
…because it stings a little to engage them. Or, we think we are ill-equipped without the right tools or experts. The problem is, the “weeds” fester and grow and take root in a company. The next thing you know, you forget what a healthy landscape/organization is supposed to look like. You get complacent about the “weeds.” Complacency in the office has the same effect as complacency in the garden; what you want to grow cannot grow sufficiently with weeds around it.
Here’s the saving grace…when I got the right tools and I dug into the issue, I remembered the prickly part is only on the surface. Deep down, close to the root, I got way more leverage and could go after the weeds without being pricked. And getting that far down was only possible because I took the few minutes it took to go get the proper tools. I made a great deal of progress in my landscape last night. And we want that kind of progress for your organization.
If your organization needs help “weeding”, be sure to inquire about the right tools. Contact us for a consultation and let us help.