What have lawns got to do with organisational culture?
Lawns are a throwback to 16th century European castles, which showcased their owner’s great wealth.
It was intrinsically linked with wealth because you had to have a lot of land if you could afford to have unproductive, purely ornamental, grass.
It was a 16th century flex.
A uniform, rectangular, perfectly-trimmed glade has it’s place – but it’s no match for a truly beautiful garden.
Gardens have a mixture of plants and flowers, providing sustenance for multiple visitors.
The right balance of foliage, care and attention can see a garden flourish all-year round, unlike grass, which can wilt and dry out in summer or turn into a Glastonbury-esque mudbath in the rain.
Organisational culture is the same.
Having one type of plant can be fine in certain situations. But if the weather alters, it cannot easily cope with that change and takes time to bounce back.
A well-cultivated, tended garden, celebrating its diversity and recognising that different flowers contribute different things at different times will weather any storm.
The key?
Gardeners need to understand how to create the best environment and conditions, the best places for each flower to thrive, and then give them the freedom to flourish without being over-attentive and stifling that growth.
Does your company have gardeners or groundskeepers?
