Cultivating And Nurturing Professional Relationships For Long Term Partnerships And Success

When it comes to relationships of any type, we’ve all heard the analogy that compares successful interpersonal connections to effectively taking care of a plant. This theory advocates that every positive relationship metaphorically requires watering, nurturing, careful caretaking, sunlight and a host of other symbolic gestures to ensure the ultimate rapport result – blooming. While, in some ways, the plant allegory does offer accurate insight into ways to foster a successful relationship, here at Robinson Resource Group we find that comparing executive/customer nurturing and growth to any generic plant species simply doesn’t go deep enough. Instead, we partner with our clients to reinforce that successful team building and long term sustained employee retention and growth is more like tending to a very specific Japanese bamboo shoot.

The Bamboo Shoot Premise: Focusing On Prolonged Employee Engagement
In the plant world, there is one particular bamboo plant that stands out from the 1500 other species for a multitude of reasons. Unlike other varieties that may show a quicker response to caregiving and “bloom” more rapidly, this distinctive bamboo plant requires more extensive, labor-intensive cultivation for a much longer time. In fact, this bamboo plant, regardless of how much sunlight, water, food and overall nurturing it receives staunchly remains a small bud for the first five years of its life.

But then…things change, in the fifth year of its life, this bamboo can grow to over 8 feet in height. The metamorphosis does not stop there. When given unyielding cultivation as well as vigilant care and patience throughout its lifetime (up to 120 years), this special bamboo can truly thrive – growing up to 15 feet per year as well as be effectively utilized in hundreds of ways.

Foster Positive Partnerships With Your Executives And Employees
You may be asking yourself, “What does this analogy have to do with my book of business?” A great deal, actually. Savvy entrepreneurs can learn quite a bit from the bamboo farmers and the very plants that they so passionately care for. How we view our clients/employees/professional affiliations, the way we nurture them, care for them and cultivate our overall relationship with them proves a critical component to our future operational success. In short, mentoring our employees and executives throughout their careers, while initially may be a slow going process can eventually reap exponential professional results that benefits every level of an organization.

For example, taking the time needed to systematically train and develop our employees with a consistent, long term focus is the only way to reinforce a staff marked with proficient capability in a wide range of corporate functions. Prolonged internal cultivation will foster successful employees and future business leaders ready for any role they take on within your organization.

Not only will you be preparing your executives for future successes, you will actually be getting them excited for it! Partnering with your employees in this way shows that you know they are worth the time and attention they are receiving and helps outline a clear path for their career within your organization.

Likewise, incorporating the bamboo shoot analogy with long term vision to our executives will, in turn, help our employees successfully strengthen our client relationships as well. By grooming your executives to consistently cultivate the value-ads of your organization with your clients, you enable your partnership to grow deep roots. This professional relationship can help ensure you are their first call when they (or someone they know!) have a need for the services your company offers.