🎙️ EP 14 : Gardener vs Carpenter

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In this post/episode we will talk about two different approaches on how to deal with our employees: with the mindset of a gardener or as a carpenter.

I have learned about this from a very interesting podcast episode from the ‘Hidden Brain’ podcast.

In this post, you will learn what the difference is between the two mindsets and how it directly relates to your effectiveness as a leader.

On a very basic level, a carpenter shapes the object that they want to create, while a gardener mostly deals with the environment of the garden.

The hidden brain podcast describes how beneficial it is to view parenting through the lens of a gardener because it helps us create a nurturing environment for our children.

While listening to it, I found that there is a compelling case to compare this to leadership in organizations.

There are striking similarities.

First of all, parent and child are in a senior-to-junior relationship. The same is the case for the relationship between leader and employee.

Secondly, Leaders and parents typically want their juniors to succeed and grow.

Of course, they are also very important differences: for example, we would never fire our children.

A company is not a family. Despite what some leaders made might say, an organization is still a professional environment.

Let’s look at the difference between carpenter and gardener in an organization.

A simple problem is one where we can follow a recipe to get a working solution every single time.

Once we do that the problem is solved. We follow the steps and success is guaranteed. Understanding and following the recipe is key.

What is the difference between a simple and a complicated problem?

A complicated problem is one that simply has a lot of steps.

A good example of that is how to send a human to the moon.

A lot of things can go wrong, and the stakes for not following the recipe correctly are very high.

Also, when we learn to solve a complicated problem, it helps us figure out future similar problems.

There is a direct way to transfer our learning.

There is also a high degree of certainty that the outcome will be positive. As long as we follow the recipe, however complicated, we have a very good chance of success.

Having a lot of competence really helps you to master complicated problems.

Complex problems are tricky. The best example that comes to mind is that of raising a child.

As probably any parent of multiple children can confirm, there is simply no formula or recipe, and if there is one, it has very limited application.

Ever wondered why there are so many books on parenting out there? If there were a simple solution and recipe, one book should be sufficient.

However, this is not the case.

There is a strong limitation to how we can transfer our knowledge from raising one child to raising another.

Every child is different.

Every day is different.

Dealing with the same child in the morning or evening is different.

Moods change.

Complex problems are complex because they involve people. And people are unpredictable. We have to recognize that the recipe can only bring us so far.

We have to accept that there are a lot of things with humans that we cannot control.

In short, a linear model is hardly working.

In leadership, a good analogy is mentoring. If you have a mentor, it is likely that only certain things of that mentor’s experience apply to you.

Why?

Because every person is different. Your mentor’s experience is likely to be very different from what you are going through, or what you are going to go through. So we have to pick and choose.

When we are in an organization, as a leader we realize the same thing as a parent does: every situation and every person is quite unique.

And, we have limited control over what other people think and do.

Yes, we can force them, by virtue of our positional power, but people still have to agree on a fundamental level to concede.

So let’s talk about the gardener. As opposed to the carpenter, the gardener knows the limitation of their control over what they want to shape.

In the example of gardening, we cannot shape or influence the weather.

We have no control over how a plant absorbs nutrients.

We also do not know how a plant will use the nutrients to grow certain stems leaves, fruits etc.

We cannot control the level of bugs that enter our garden. Most of the time we cannot prevent animals to run over our fields.

There is a limitation to the control that we have over shaping what the plant will do.

What we can do, however, is shaping the environment.

In a similar way, in a company, we realized that despite what we think, we cannot control other people. We especially cannot control their thoughts.

They are not pieces of wood!

As another example, we also often do not have any control over how our days evolve.

Yes, we go to work with a plan. And we have a strategy for how we attack our task list, work through our emails, and master meetings.

Yet, the old saying is true: strategy usually fails the moment the war begins.

The unpredictability of our work days frustrates us, especially if we go to work with a carpenter’s mindset.

That means for us today is just a piece of wood that we should be able to shape and have full control over.

That is the mindset of linear success. We will quickly hit the wall with it.

What we in most cases have control over are our own attitude and our response to how our day evolves.

So, as a leader following the gardening mindset, we see our role to create a nurturing environment first. We want to create a space in which many good things can happen. A space, where people are ready to respond well to changes, to unpredictable things that happen.

What this means is, we give up our mindset of linear success. We see it as our job to help our people thrive in a good, and nurturing environment.

This is quite similar to something called the path-goal leadership theory. The role of the leader here is to be very skilled in defining the goal and outcome and making sure that the path is clear for the team.

This leader will say: my role is to clear the path for others and make sure they know exactly where to go.

The gardening mindset gives people autonomy to grow and perform in their own way. That’s why it is so powerful.

Furthermore, because we shape their environment, we are driven away from telling people what they should do. We then automatically ask more questions that can be used to find out how they will actually accomplish the goal we set.

Think about it: are you more of a carpenter or gardener?

If you are a carpenter, you believe that simply following steps 1 to 10 ensures success. But what if success does not occur? Who’s fault is it? Very likely you will say it is other people’s fault. Because the recipe worked in the past. Didn’t it?

As a gardener you will realize and accept the limitations of your own control and that your focus is on shaping your environment. You will know that you can have steps 1 to 10 ready in your mind, but that you have to be flexible in the way you use them.

And there is one reality that I fully recognize: as Leaders who use coaching skills we actually have to be both almost every single day, a carpenter AND a gardener.

As part of our role as a leader and steward of the company we are a carpenter. This is related to our role regarding defining and enforcing certain processes and most of the outcomes.

And when we are a gardener, we help our people find ways to grow in their very own way. We create a nurturing space for them to thrive.

So what are you?