Keep Your Garden Green

 Original post October 28, 2011. Repeat due to readers request. (A lesson is repeated until learnt)

POINT TO PONDER

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

                                                                -Theodore Roosevelt

 STORYLINE

My neighbor came by my house the other day and asked if I could recommend my gardener to her. Apparently she had a hard time retaining them, explaining that her gardeners never arrived consistently or at the same time. She would follow them in the garden as they worked, barking instructions as they went and many would quit on her. She needed a gardener she could rely on and asked if I would recommend mine. She liked the job he did with our landscaping, as do I, and asked if I could pass along his number.

I said I surely would - that I had been very happy with his work - but that my gardener might not fit the criteria she wanted. She asked me if he was punctual. I said I wasn't sure. She asked me when he comes to garden and I said I didn't know. Most of the time he came to work on the garden when it needed it. I admitted there were weeks when he didn't come because he felt there was no work to be done. She asked if he stayed the full hour and I said I didn't keep track of that.

She asked me how I could stick with a gardener like him for so long. I responded that I allow him to complete the job in whatever way he chooses. Then she asked me how I could tolerate that and didn't manage him more closely. I said I didn't need to - I trust his skills as a gardener - and that he knows what he is doing, “because at the end of the day, he keeps my garden green.”

 

REFLECTION Three mistakes a leader/manager should avoid: 

        1.Having good people and not know them. 

        2. Knowing good people and not use them.

        3. Using good people and not Trust them.

Comments

[curious]

Was there any sort of alignment before you trust the gardener?

[From China]

I’m glad to receive these meaningful stories on the past whole year as my additional reading materials. As known that, Chinese traditional Spring Festival is around the corner. I want to take use of this chance to send my best wishes to you on the New year. THANKS. 

Best Rgds/

[Thinking of you in Taipei]

Thanks for continuing sharing the best stories.
I had frequent conversation w/ Colleague. We are both so proud of being w/ MQR.
Wish you and your family the best for the coming Monkey Year!!

[penang friend]

Love this story .

I do the same to the auntie- a lady who come to clean my house daily – never keep track of her job and make sure I pay her on time and share my good with her as much as possible.
Many people refused to use her- claiming her job is not clean and etc and asking how I can trust her. I hv been using her for 8 yrs with no problem.

My response: Imagine if you are already in yr early 50s, having knee joint problem and still needing to work to make a living. Leaving family and friends behind going to a country…… How would u want to be treated ?

[CH]

Chinese has below saying...
Do not use the person you do not trust;
Trust him/her if you are using them.

Anyhow, seems like I can learn even more from today's reflection. I really like the gardener analogy.

[Mark Dennen]

My Japanese manager of eight years once told me, "Unlike most Japanese companies, we don't have spies from the home office working here. I believe if you trust people, you don't need spies and if you don't trust people, then you fire them and hire people you do trust."

[BHSC]

This is a great Friday Reflection….. so much wisdom in such a short story.

Thank you for passing it along