Are You a Good People Gardener?

Mary Mary Quite Contrary…..How does your (People) garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.

Well this article has nothing to do with the history of torture behind the legacy of Mary Tudor. What I really am referring to has to do with our thinking of relationships with others on a more positive note, as in figurative gardening with people in the workplace and other facets of our lives. We are all fraught with various aspects difficult life, pressing issues, looming deadlines, financial decisions etc., but at the heart of all of our workplace issues lies within our working relationships with our coworkers and superiors. I am working on a spiritual based book called “Welcome to My People Garden.” I was discussing the book with a supervisor at the time and she asked how to relate that concept to the workplace.

The concept is about the same although removing some of the spiritual aspects is a little more difficult but it really goes something like this.

• It starts with YOU – The best relationship you need to have and foster is with yourself. Know and like/love who you are and if you don’t like who you are or where your life is headed then you are the one in charge who can do something about it.

• Prepare the ground – what kind of people do you want in your life? Do you have expectations of what you will receive out of the relationship? Have you been hurt by coworkers and you need to find a way to let go of those hurts so that you can start building on those relationships?

• Sowing seeds – Once you like and know you, then the relationships that you have with others can start growing. It starts growing when you sow seeds – investing in your relationships with others. If you are the banker type and you understand “deposits” into relationships then you understand sowing seeds with other people. It can be as easy as smiling at a stranger at a convenience store or opening a door for a coworker.

• Water or nurture the relationships – watering relationships takes time. You can’t water a relationship too much because frankly that looks like the clingy type and it is hard to be around clingy people in my opinion. When watering, just like in regular gardening, the soil has to dry out a little and let the sun work its magic to help the plant grow. People relationships are very similar. If forced to grow too fast then there will likely be some sort of consequences or fallout when it grows to fast for the situation. Take time to grow relationships.

• Reap – Like the old saying, “you reap what you sow.” Well in this case, be mindful that words can do both wonderful and magical things or they can hurt a whole lot. Be careful how you tend your relationships, sometimes holding your tongue can be the most beneficial thing to do because if you don’t then things have a way of working out and coming back to haunt you. Likewise, saying a few kind words can go a long way in reaping or shall I say seeing the produce of your relationships.

This is an intro in to my Workplace People Gardening Blog. I hope to help each of you grow more productive People Gardens.