Planting A Seed

If we have a very precious seed, and we want that seed to grow, should we just plant it anywhere and walk away?

No, because it makes more sense to ‘tend’ a precious seed.

To care for it as best we can – which is something we all know how to do.

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By ‘tending’ we look after a seed’s environment and growth.

We make ourselves part-responsible for the best possible outcome – of course, the seed must also do its bit.

Tending also speaks of applying the best of our energies, and skills, along with the best of our hopes for the future too.

By looking after any seed in this way, you could say we are ‘managing’ its growth but I think tending is a better word.

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With the above in mind, now think about ’management’ and ‘people’.

Imagine you are responsible for a very precious person instead of a seed – or even a team of very precious people.

What would it change – if anything – if your first thought was to ‘tend’ that person (or those people) instead of managing them?

How does someone grow if they are tended as opposed to managed?

How different would it feel to you – as a manager – if your first instinct was to tend instead of manage?


(Image courtesy of Tom Szymanski on Flickr.com)

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