A garden of thoughts

I have just returned from an early morning three-hour long workshop on home gardening organised by my society.

We were a motely group of 16 all connected through the common passion of gardening and the underlying quest to learn something new.

As my thoughts assimilated the training, I could not help but draw parallels to how we are the gardeners of our career and growth.

#It begins with having a mentor

The workshop was put together by a subject matter expert on ‘hands on’ gardening and the challenges associated with it. He was the mentor for us, our ‘Sir’ for the workshop.

Having the presence of a mentor in our professional journey can be immensely helpful in understanding how to navigate challenging situations. Similarly, organisations that create a coaching culture support and encourage their colleagues to learn and grow.

#It is the foundation that matters

We began with understanding how, why, and which soil was essential. The soil is the fundamental ingredient to the growth of a healthy plant. The magic lies in the composition of the right soil, the right mix and the right quantity!

Values are the foundations of our life. Our values guide us throughout our career growth. Why do you do what you do, how do you show up, your beliefs, your actions – all of these are guided by your values. Your values are core to you and define who you are. Values are also very personal and there is nothing like wrong or right values. What matters to you, matters.

#It is the sharing that makes the moments magical

We were all given a list of items to bring along with plants and planters – soil, perlite, Horti clay, Dr Neem for insects and bugs, watering can, etc. As we got down to the tasks, there was a unanimous sharing of items and products amongst the group. Plants were being exchanged. Planters shared. The magic of that is going to stay with me for a long time.

Collaboration and not competition is the way to get things going. The sense of camaraderie that one develops in cross functioning across teams goes a long way in working efficiently.

#It is your creativity that shines

On one corner I witnessed a colleague spread herself with her paraphernalia and wondering where to begin. Sometime later I saw that she had got almost eight planters all with different varieties of plants! And she had come with just two plants and planters! She had allowed herself some time to reflect and think of how to proceed. The power of creativity!

Gardening is a very creative exercise. It is also a powerful ‘me time’. At work, allocating dedicated ‘me time’ to recharge, rejuvenate and ideate can lead to new thought processes.

#It is about getting your hands dirty

Honestly, the thought did cross my mind that I should take a pair of gloves. In the end, I resisted and limited myself to clipping my nails short. I decided the best way to learn was by doing and by getting my hands dirty.

It does not matter where you are in your career journey. Even as a leader, it helps to be involved, to jump in and assess the situation and get your skin in the game. There never is going to a time or day when you can say, I have nothing more to learn, I know it all.

#It is all about faith

One member was very remorseful that whatever she did, her plants never flowered. She had tried everything. Our mentor gently remarked to the lady to have faith and take it easy.

In our jobs, we often get obsessed with results and outcome. We work with the end goal in mind. So much so, that we forget to relish the journey and be in the moment. We can all become better in our jobs if we focus on the task at hand and have faith in our own abilities.

As I look at the garden of my thoughts, I find myself enriched with a beautiful bouquet of different plants, shades, and shrubs that I picked up from the group.

Nature is the biggest teacher we have amongst us. Take a pause. Reflect. See around. Learn from it.

The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.

Sarita Bahl

Sarita Bahl is an alumnus of Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Swedish Institute of Management Program. An experienced and versatile leader, she comes with nearly four decades of professional experience. She has over the years successfully overseen the communications and public affairs function and led the corporate social responsibility strategy for Bayer South Asia, Pfizer, and Monsanto, among others. Sarita has held multiple roles across diverse industries, the public sector, trade associations, MNCs, and the not-for-profit sector. Her areas of interest include advocacy, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, and communications.

As an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Senior Practitioner (Mentoring) from the European Council of Mentoring and Coaching (EMCC), Sarita specializes in career transition, inner engineering and life issues. Sarita enjoys writing and is passionate about animals, books, and movies.