Why It’s Not a Good Idea to Be a Plant at My House — And What Gardening Can Teach You About Growing Your Team Effectively

My parents were amazing gardeners.

But me? Let’s just say my gardening skills are more … black thumb than green thumb.

My attempts at growing fuschia flowers ended in sad, puny flowers. But there's a silver lining — it’s a great example to explain leadership!

Think like a Gardener

In the workplace, a lack of advancement can kill motivation faster than my plant-care techniques.

Here’s how you can avoid the people on your team dying on the vine — think like a gardener and water your team’s growth.

Your team is your greenhouse, and each member is a plant that needs your attention and care.

The Trillium of Development

The trillium flower has three distinct petals. Each one represents a key area of development:

1.    People: Building relationships and influence

• Encourage cross-departmental projects.

• Foster mentoring roles and communication strategies.

2.    Product: Improving skills and competencies

• Introduce new tools and challenging projects.

• Provide leadership roles within small teams.

3.    Personhood: Fostering mindset and well-being

• Offer personal development courses.

• Encourage work-life balance and resilience training.

See the video above for more details on this framework.

The power of Belief

Believing in and investing in people energizes their engagement and success.

Developing these three aspects ensures your team members feel valued, engaged, and continuously growing, even when there’s not a clear path for traditional advancement.

Just like nurturing a plant, your efforts cultivate a vibrant, thriving team!