Zucchini in the workplace?

Have you spotted any peas or tomatoes in your organization yet? You probably have a lot of zucchini, too.

They are usually easy to grow and can be very forgiving. Whether you give them too much or too little water and sunlight, they hang in there.

However, there are a few things that will hurt zucchini. They can’t grow alone and are sensitive to drops in temperature. Zucchini vines usually need some training and extra support for their heavy fruits. If you plant them in the same location each year, they will struggle to grow because they need some variety.

So how are employees like zucchini? I consider zucchini to be an extrovert in my garden, and extroverts need to talk. Whether they are brainstorming, celebrating a sale, or just reviewing an account, they usually perform better when others are involved. Here are a few tips to help your zucchini thrive:

Set them up for success by starting them the same day as other new employees. That will help them develop connections from day one.
Keep the work environment at a comfortable temperature. I’m referring to the emotional temperature and not the air temperature. If leaders are cold or indifferent to employees, that can hurt performance, especially if communication is minimal.
Fortunately, your zucchini employees are often forgiving! You can start the healing process by asking what they need. If they don’t know, offer to schedule cross-training or consider moving them to another location or another leader. Sunshine from another person could be all that is necessary to help the employee start blooming again.

I hope you’re not feeling overwhelmed when thinking about meeting the needs of the peas, tomatoes, and zucchini in your garden. Just take baby steps in the right direction. Leadership takes practice, but the rewards are worth the hard work! Remember, your goal is to retain employees and have a beautiful garden!

Categories: : Retention