Читать книгу Grow Your People, Grow Your Business - Karen Jett - Страница 5

But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. What exactly does being a farmer have to do with being a manager? Not all managers are “farmers,” but all the good ones are.

Farmers grow plants that produce healthy, bountiful crops. Managers grow people who produce effective, efficient results. Just as a healthy plant is less likely to attract harmful insects, a “healthy” employee is less likely to attract harmful habits and need intensive attention.

The goal of a good manager is to create an atmosphere that fosters growth and independence — an atmosphere that allows each employee to grow at his own speed, and encourages each employee to set challenging, yet attainable, goals.

Farmers know that the strongest plants are those with good root structure. If you want a plant that can grow strong, sustain that growth, and set abundant fruit, you must encourage the roots to grow before you encourage the plant to flower. If you have two plants that appear the same, the one with the better root structure will outperform the other every time.

Too often, managers throw employees into a task and expect instant results. They don’t cultivate the soil, lay down some fertilizer, and gently loosen the root ball first, as they should. Then they are surprised when those employees make mistakes, burn out, and leave the company just when they become useful. Managers who excel think regularly about their employees’ “roots.”

But remember — taking care of the roots extends beyond the initial planting or training. A good farmer continually returns to his plants and cultivates the soil around them. Doing this not only disturbs, and hopefully destroys, weeds that steal nutrition from the plant, but it also loosens the soil around the plant, allowing additional growth.

The same holds true for managers. Good managers continue to care for their employees over time. They ensure that harmful weeds are removed before they damage the employee. Weeds may be bad habits, lack of knowledge, or even deficient skills. As managers carefully remove the weeds, they also loosen the soil and create room for employees’ growth. Or, in management terms, they set new goals, suggest alternative choices, or send employees to an informative seminar.

Farmers understand that to get abundant and tasty crops, they need to care for their plants from seed selection all the way to the end of that plant’s natural lifespan (only weeks for a tomato plant; many years for an apple tree).

The manager as farmer realizes that caring for his staff starts at the point of hire and extends until that employee leaves, is promoted out of his sphere of influence, or retires.

Are you ready to become a people farmer?

Quick Tips to Grow Your People:

•Think like a farmer: Manage your staff from hire through retire.

•Prep both your staff and their environment for optimum growth.

•Strengthen your employees’ roots by providing suitable, ongoing training.