The Coach’s Corner Newsletter #101
If you’ve ever felt stuck with an issue you can’t seem to resolve – there’s a good chance you’ll try to remember how you’ve dealt with such a matter before and other times when you decide it’s time to test a totally new idea.
This past week, my husband and I were in Denmark visiting family. In addition to reconnecting with cousins throughout the country, we meandered through the Danish Royal Kitchen Garden in Grasten. We marveled at the variety of ways the gardeners use ancient traditions, new methods and tried and true systems to grow healthy flowers, fruits and vegetables.
There’s something about fresh air, spring growth, fragrances, even dirt, that stimulate so many of our senses. In our own garden we experience mental and physical health benefits by digging, planting, and observing how some things thrive, and others die off. As Pam Brown writes,
The work of a garden bears visible fruits – in a world where most of our labors seem suspiciously meaningless.
That so resonated within me as we walked through the royal kitchen garden. So many of the leaders with whom I work wonder if they’re having an impact with their teams or within their organizations. The many garden metaphors of sowing seeds, planting, transplanting and blossoms dying so that fruit can appear began to take on new meaning.
THIS WEEK’S INSIGHT
Lessons from a royal kitchen garden
The first lesson: finding something unexpected.
When I set eyes on four mounds, or hills, of dirt in the middle of the garden – I asked my cousin what was underneath. She shared with me it’s an ancient method, which I’ve since learned is called Hugelkultur, that involves creating raised garden beds with a combination of organic materials, that become a self-sustaining and nutrient-rich environment for plants to thrive.
The second lesson: the importance of safety.
The cold frame boxes, which extend the growing season during harsh weather, are ideal for Danish weather. They provide a safe place for seedlings and new plants until they’re ready to be planted in the earth.
The third lesson: rinse and repeat.
The greenhouses that surround the royal garden are a reminder that when you know something works, keep doing just that! The Queen Ingrid geraniums grow in the greenhouses and are then planted throughout the King’s garden.
THIS WEEK’S TOOL
Solving problems with fresh and seasoned approaches
1. Consider using ancient wisdom for a new approach.
Leaders who are frustrated with specific outcomes might gain something from this type of approach. I began to think of the logs and branches as the accumulated learning that they and their teams have as they step into a challenging situation. If that learning is the foundation for their work, adding the elements of research, analytics and case studies truly support that learning. It’s the combination that provides a way to consider a tough situation through a new lens, appreciating how these elements complement each other – rather than each fighting for their own limelight. What’s hidden under these mounds is active and thriving and offering whatever is planted on top or along the slopes the opportunity to grow heartily.
2. Nurture new team members until they’re ready.
Leaders who are stuck with teams who aren’t reaching their potential might take note of the purpose of these boxes: to protect plants from severe temperatures and wildlife. Considering these boxes, I wondered how to think of these boxes as the onboarding process for new hires who don’t know the depth of a team’s responsibilities. They get the nurturing and protection necessary until they’re ready to be released into the wider org.
3. Use a method you know is successful.
Leaders who know the combination it takes to have success sometimes forget what they’ve done for that achievement. While there are occasional and necessary tweaks, sometimes the most effective way to get where you want to go is to remember what you’ve done to get where you are now. And do that again and again.
My takeaway
Any time I spend in gardens fills me with ideas.
In the Danish royal kitchen garden I was reminded of how the things I do that work are things I want to do again and again. So, the greenhouse is a keeper.
I reflected on the power of nurturing, before bringing someone out into harsh reality. That means a cold frame box is an essential first step.
And I recognized the power of what’s under the surface that offers what’s critical for sustained growth – as I work with people who are building teams and concepts. That’s important as I wade into the new idea of hügelkultur.
The importance of a growth mindset is something that’s woven into my work. That mindset comes through dedication, effort and learning. I love how that brings me right back to the garden.
The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.
Alfred Austin
