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From the eyes of a Gardener by shad zaman, Specialist - Marketing & Brand Communications

From the eyes of a Gardener

By : shad zaman, Specialist - Marketing & Brand Communications
Industry : Management & Strategy Consulting Functional Area : Change Management
Keywords :

People Management

Eyes

Gardener

Activity:  7 comments  445 views  last activity : 07 06 2010 20:18:04 +0000
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The other day, I was just walking past the lush green lawns of internet city, behind my office to have my day meal.It was a hot sunny day with sun gazing on my head. However what was interesting to see was the completely focused dedication of the gardeners and in-charge of the landscape maintenance company, who were cutting, trimming and removing the weeds in the garden.It’s a rare sight in a desert island, but fortunately at internet city in Dubai, you can see one of the most rich, lush and green grass! However within no time I saw lots of lawn movers, and other gadgets and land maintenance armory on the ground, brutally crushing the bushes, chopping of the grass with no sympathy at all.  Anyway, I reached my place to have some food. After 45 minutes when I left back, I got a real setback! The whole placed looked completely bald! There was no green grass, what so ever, the bushes were trimmed down less than half there size 45 minutes back, and now the place looked like near to being a dessert. I just couldn’t understand why this brutality shown. It just reminded some images of Kabul and kandhahar shown on CNN post US invasion! I couldn’t resist my curiosity to know the reason for such a barbaric action taken by these protectors of greenery and beautiful landscaping. While passing by I caught up with one of the gardeners. He was a local national as expected (read keralite)! I asked him, that in this dessert place, it’s already a rare sight to see green patches of land, healthy trees and plants. Maintaining the landscape is onething, but then chopping of the grass and cutting down the bushes in this manner is something I really fail to understand. He stared at me for a while, glanced here n there and made me feel as if either, I have asked something which I shouldn’t have or he is not supposed to respond in a public place. Then he smiled a little (another rare sight), and said “Sir, the grass which you saw earlier looked very healthy and soothing to eyes for any passer by. However, in reality this grass was getting spoilt completely at the roots. The mud, the fertilizers, everything is brought from outside and then grass is cultivated here. There is always scarcity of water hence we have a fix schedule of sprinkling exercise with limited quantities of water. However, with more grass and weeds, it leads to over consumption of water. The grass, as well as bushes and the trees absorb more water. The scorching heat and continuously rising temperatures make dry ground as well as plants and trees more demanding for fertilizers as well as water. Hence once in a while, it is important to remove the top layer of the land and make space for the new grass growing underneath.The new grass is fresher, healthier and absorbs less water. It also helps to remove extra weeds and other germs which might have developed because of usage of artificial and excessive fertilizers.After this exercise, in just next 3 4 days, you will again see the grass look as green and as fresh as earlier. But this time, it will be healthy at the roots as well. Hence to maintain the landscape, look beautiful and healthy in long-term, its important to shave the top, which might look ugly for short term, but will always be beneficial for future growth. I thanked him for explaining things to me so much in detail and felt relieved that I found someone in Dubai, who is ready to satisfactorily answer my queries. Otherwise usual expression of communication is “anything you speak may go against you”! Later that night, when I was thinking about this conversation, it made me realize, that this uneducated gardener has explained me one of best philosophies applicable in our corporate world too! In our daily lives, we do come across such professionals and people who are sitting at the top, absorbing a decent proportion of company’s exchequer but making a little contribution towards the growth and productivity of the company.
We find many such people even in our own office and at times probably sitting next to us. Who are there, just because they are there for ages. Nobody questions there contribution, loyalty, or involvement towards company’s goals and objectives. And the argument of justification is “we are with company for 10 years, how can our dedication or loyalty be questioned!” It’s fine that, they have been with company for 10 years, but what about next 10 or 20 years? Thus at times, the company has to take a tough decision to chop the old top layer, which is absorbing more, producing fewer benefits and putting the new roots of the organization in danger for future. For some old timers or common man, the decision may look harsh and cruel and inhumanly from outside, but probably end of the day, they will also smile and feel content with company’s decision, the way I felt good after the explanation by the gardener. P.S. This article is a work of fiction based upon my real experience and is not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings or different opinions on the subjectJ. The readers are free to air their thoughts and point of view!
 Top Comment : shad    | 09 16 2008 23:07:26 +0000
Thanks Ranjan. Infact i have recieved criticism also from some quarters, who say that, i am forgetting the fact that, age brings experience along with it, so how can u justify that old should be removed. They probably missed out the words "growth & productivity" in my article. My thought has nothing to do with ONLY AGE in DIGITS. A 20 years experienced person can be as callous and unproductive as a 6 month old fresher. So just to put a point, i do not intend to say that if someone is 50+ he should be removed from the company. The criteria has to be PRODUCTIVITY against COST TO COMPANY :-) Cheers!
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7 comments on "From the eyes of a Gardener"
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  Commented by  Devi Kaladeen, Audit Manager, Health Sector Development Unit    | 03 17 2009 14:39:48 +0000 
Good sharing.
  Commented by  shad zaman, Specialist - Marketing & Brand Communications    | 03 17 2009 12:46:07 +0000
Rating : +2  
Mr.Viswesvaran....Interesting analysis...and your point is further proven by the fact..that some of oldest and youngest chairmen and CEO's exists in United States...which is not such a young nation like India with more than 50% population arround 25 Years of age :-).

Be it 24 year old Marc Zuckberg, Chairman and CEO of Facebook, or Jack Welch retiring at age of approx 70 from GE..!!
Probably because they stay young at heart for a long period of time :-)

Cheers!
  Commented by  varsha mishra, technical Manager, rfrac    | 10 01 2008 17:15:28 +0000 
very good
  Commented by  shad zaman, Specialist - Marketing & Brand Communications    | 09 16 2008 23:07:26 +0000
Rating : +1  
Thanks Ranjan.

Infact i have recieved criticism also from some quarters, who say that, i am forgetting the fact that, age brings experience along with it, so how can u justify that old should be removed.

They probably missed out the words "growth & productivity" in my article. My thought has nothing to do with ONLY AGE in DIGITS. A 20 years experienced person can be as callous and unproductive as a 6 month old fresher.
So just to put a point, i do not intend to say that if someone is 50+ he should be removed from the company. The criteria has to be PRODUCTIVITY against COST TO COMPANY :-)

Cheers!
  Commented by  Ranjan Dutt, Regional Manager, Tata AIG Life Insurance    | 09 16 2008 22:01:21 +0000 
Good & thought provoking
  Commented by  Mallikarjuna Gupta Bhogavalli, Sr. Product Manager, Oracle India Pvt Ltd    | 08 12 2008 22:27:15 +0000 
nice one
  Commented by  Darpan Sinha, Solution Architect, Fujitsu Consulting India Pvt Ltd    | 08 05 2008 04:44:33 +0000 
Hmmm.. Nice
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