Given all the right circumstances, plants will grow. People are the same – they require the nurturing and environment to flourish in the workplace as plants do in the garden. A good gardener has many of the qualities of a good manager. They are both committed to getting the best out of their ‘garden’ and giving their ‘plants’ every opportunity to thrive. Here is just a flavour the gardeners approach to management; A Gardeners “style or type” is one of nurture and people / plant focus balanced with completing tasks ... which relates quite nicely to X – Y style theory You can’t just shout at plants and expect them to grow! You can’t neglect your plants and expect them to thrive Gardeners need the skills and knowledge required to be successful – the accidental gardener (or manager) – learn as you go along is not good or effective on confidence or the impact it has on others Successful gardeners have a passion and desire to improve their skills, do better and achieve more next time... and so should managers Gardeners accept that mistakes will be made but will learn from them for next time... and so should managers Gardeners understand that all plants are different and have differing needs... and so should managers Gardeners use the right tools at the right time and in the right way... and so should managers Gardeners are not afraid to deal with underperformance... and managers should not hesitate either Gardeners like to show off their success stories and prize veg... and so should managers Gardeners prevent / get rid of slugs and pests at the earliest opportunity... and so should managers Managers prepare the soil, climate and surroundings to give each plant the best chance to do well... and so do managers Gardeners lay paths for direction and order... and so should managers Gardeners have a succession of plants to replace plants who have wilted, died (or have been stolen)...and so should managers Gardeners have patience...they don’t expect results overnight Gardeners can't change the weather but can prepare for frosts and storms by keeping an eye on the forecast... And when the bad weather comes they do their best to protect their plants from it...managers have the same opportunities when frosty trading conditions are forecast or things get too hot in the office A “natural” gardener has “green fingers” ... some managers suit the role of people management better than others A lot of people appreciate a good garden but a lot of people are lacking the will to put the effort in to create it too – some gardeners are better than others and some gardeners should never be gardeners! People can’t be mass grown and all treated the same way... Garden management is about managing diversity and dealing with new challenges every day. Managers can’t create a great garden by just putting a load of turf down a mowing it every couple of weeks! Professional gardeners will often invest the best part of their early days as a gardener learning the skills and knowledge required in a dedicated and specialised learning environment, normally a Horticultural College or University. This intensive learning process over a lengthy period of time helps them make the transition of taking on the responsibility of their own garden...managers get sent on a couple of courses... if they’re lucky! Ican Grow People™ Can there be a more effective and memorable way to get managers to understand their role and the impact they have on people to achieve results? “Ican Grow People™” is a great place to be if you want to make management a simple process to understand and act upon. Ican Grow People™ brings the gardening metaphor to life. The innovative management development programmes germinate the essentials of management for managers of huge gardens or those with tiny window boxes. This programme really works at all levels! For more information about the Ican Grow People™ management development programmes, visit http://icangrowpeople.ning.com or http://www.icandevelopment.co.uk