Water. Gate. Plants. Gutters.
Remember these words, they are the pillars of this story. Experience it with me.
I and bae are sitting in the car waiting patiently for my friend. We had told her we were visiting today but somehow she still made us wait. No shocks there. I am used to it, she will later find out that she has given me a gift. A gift of this story that I am sharing with you.
Back to the car, we are here, in this moment. The sun is blazing… my eye catches a man holding a hose. He is sweating profusely, with the hose in his hand. It looks like he is trying to water the plants, but now it’s pointed at the gate. He is rinsing the gate… why? Now he is directing the hose to the floor. Wait! He is rinsing the floor. What next? Oops… he is hosing the plants. Now the leaves, and the flowers. Branches are breaking, leaves are falling rapidly. Now he’s hosing the gutters. I am confused. I don’t understand. What exactly is the goal?
It occurred to me in this moment that he never once pointed the hose at the soil. I am guessing the instruction given to him was to water the plants but no one explained to him how plants were watered, why they were watered, what the mechanism was, what the goal of watering the plants were and what they would look like if they were well taken care of. Yup! No one mentioned and if they did, he definitely did not understand or value it.
How do I know?
He put more priority on the gates and gutters. He could see the gates get cleaner. He could see the water get flushed but he couldn’t see any visible impact on the plants, so he rinsed them. He must have assumed that the goal of watering the plants was to clean the leaves, at least that was what it looked like watching him water it.
Why am I telling you this story:
If you have a team, tell them why you started. Paint the picture. Tell them the future you see. Tell them how they fit or why their role is important to that vision. Tell them what the vision would look like if you all succeeded together. Break down this vision into milestones. Show and tell your team. You need them to hear, see and then believe. If your vision aligns with their personal goals, you stand a higher chance of success. They need to buy into the vision, and enjoy each milestone. Your vision is important but without your team’s buy-in, it’s going to be a rough ride. They will use the water on gates, plants and gutters (the things that can be seen) but not pay attention to watering the soil (which although not visible, is really more important to the growth of the plant).
My friend taps on the window of the car, with a wide guilty grin. Apologising for her tardiness but I am not upset. She has given me a gift. One I can share with you – Water, Gates, Plants and Gutters.
