Dead wood …

I often wondered why the Parks department don’t cut down and remove dead trees from ravine areas, rather let them be until they fall down on their own. I thought they were dead and no longer of any use. However, I discovered that each dead tree is its very own ecosystem supporting all manner of bugs and insects that are vitally important to our world.

I am so blessed to live on a ravine facing property that has four dead trees in the forest that my property backs on to. I was looking at them this morning – four dead trees with their bare limbs stretch up to the sky surrounded by healthy trees with bright green leaves. Four trees providing sturdy (for now) resting spots for all kinds of birds. I was reminded on the workplace.

Every company has what some workers and management consider to be “dead wood”. I suspect that those employees have not had the opportunity to spend time with those longer serving employees. They too have their own ecosystem supporting all manner of bugs and insects vital to the survival of the organization.

Consider this. The employee that has been with your organization for 35 years has seen tremendous change. Just think about it. 35 years ago, the computer was a huge clunky thing that ran on DOS, was challenging to operate without at least a week’s worth of classroom training, took 48 hours to download an update to the operating system and a whole day to backup the important files onto floppy discs. Not to mention the way CAD drawings have developed. Of course, you don’t want to hear about “when we were young ….”! 

What I am suggesting is this. Consider how much information that employee has about the organization, the culture, the people. Where the organization has come from. How it is grown. The trials and successes, the ups and downs, that it has gone through. And perhaps, just perhaps, some of those experiences could inspire you to take the organization to new heights into the very bright future. The organizations of today need the younger generation to build on what the older generation has established. That’s how great companies survive.

Just remember, that “dead wood” is a hive of good information that you could use to further your career. Don’t be so quick to dismiss the old guard.