May 2008

PLANTING FOR SUCCESS
SPRINGING FORWARD

Why Crops Fail
Many who think they’ve planted themselves for success, instead find themselves being yanked from the ranks of organizations and tossed aside like idle weeds. Positive skills alone will not keep one grounded within an organizational structure. In fact, if one does not attend to style detractors (weeds) that kill productivity (the crops), they may find themselves yanked.

What style detractors need to be weeded out of your organization? Do you or any that you coach fall prey to:

• Root Rot - The individual supports initiatives publicly, but disparage them privately. This type of passive resistance slows progress and chokes off organizational growth. Answer: Public buy-in and accountability.
• Pruning Perfectionism – An over-attention to details, individuals muddy themselves and lose sight of the big picture. Lots of meetings, but little results, cause others to doubt, motivation wanes, crops die. Answer: A focused action-orientation that measures results achieved, not meetings attended.
• Overwatering – The inability to stop talking and take action. The temptation to overwater sometimes stems from an individuals fear of making decisions so they talk processes to death – no action, no results, no harvest.
  Answer: Strategic plan with timeline accountabilities.
• Master Gardeners: This individual thinks only they can do the job right. The inability to delegate and turn over some of the ‘gardening’ (processes) to others causes good plants (and plans) to die from lack of nourishment. Answer: Team Approach.

Are you Planting on Fertile Ground?

Is yours a thinking organization? In his book, Thinking for a Change, John C. Maxwell emphasizes that focused thinking benefits not only the individual but also the company. Maxwell emphasizes the importance of "intentional thinking" – planning to think, finding the right place for thinking, and learning to shape raw thoughts into realistic ideas.

So, is your organization preparing your organizational soil for fertile thought? What types of "thinking" are encouraged in your workplace?

• Big-Picture Thinking – Thinking beyond today’s fires to proactively positioning us for future success.
• Creative Thinking – Explores options, tries the offbeat, and ditches negatives that kill creativity (such as telling yourself or others, "We tried that before and it failed.")
• Realistic Thinking – We do our homework, review pros and cons, consider available resources, set goals, and take reasonable risks (the next logical step).
• Possibility Thinking – We persevere and don’t give up. Maxwell cites the example of filmmaker George Lucas’ doggedness in making "Star Wars" despite being told by special-effects experts that his vision couldn’t be realized. Possibility thinking avoids so-called experts who shoot down ideas.
• Shared Thinking – Values others ideas. The right people are working together, agendas are commonplace when we meet, good collaboration is compensated.

Ground Samples – Personal Application

Ask five people to talk about your three greatest strengths and weaknesses.