Think of your Employees as Dirt

Nice, soft dirt. Your customer service team and forward facing departments are beds where ideas could grow like a well-cultivated garden. Or, like a haven of weeds and insects, you can let your attention and investment lapse until you have a larger problem. Dirt can yield weeds or something useful; the important thing to note is that it needs attention.

• Fertilizer: Adding resources like dual-monitors or knowledge management systems gives productivity a boost.
• Sunlight/ Water: Like plants who grow taller or bigger to reap a larger haul of resources, giving out more authority to high-performers or just generally rewarding those who show engagement is a great way to reap benefits of on the job training.
• Vegetables and Fruit: New products, internal promotions, and better service are things you can look forward to after a good harvest.
• Weeds and Bugs: Little attention and poor or unsupervised application of additional resources will result in lackluster/ inedible results.