I often reflect on Voltaire's famous line from Candide: "but we must cultivate our garden." In this 1759 satire, the protagonist rejects his companion's relentless optimism in favor of practical action.
To me, this philosophy represents focusing on what lies within our control, choosing pragmatism over idealism, and living ethically without rigid dogma. It advocates for modest ambition, meaningful work, and improving what we can rather than lamenting what we cannot change or trying to retrofit events into theoretical frameworks.
I view the world (or at least try to remind myself to view it) through the lens of interconnected systems. Throughout our lives, we inhabit and create various systems: our homes, communities, workplaces, and societies.
These systems emerge to solve problems and benefit those within and beyond their boundaries. Governments form to provide for citizens' needs and common defense. Families manage households to support their members. Businesses develop systems to address customer problems while generating income for employees and shareholders. All these systems interact to create larger networks, such as cities, states, and nations, that function on a global scale.
However, systems require constant attention and adjustment. Like a freshly planted garden, an organization may initially reflect its gardener's vision. But without vigilant maintenance, the design inevitably transforms: some elements thrive unexpectedly, others falter, and external threats may emerge. Additionally, the system's purpose might need to evolve in response to changing conditions or requirements. Software must be patched as bugs are uncovered, gardens must be replanted as seasons change, and our systems must adapt to the evolving needs of their participants. Systems are built to solve problems at a moment in time, but must adjust to adapt to changing circumstances. The transit system for a town of 20,000 wasn't designed to support it at 200,000.
Therefore, the gardener cannot simply design and plant. They must actively cultivate and adapt to ensure the garden's viability, functionality, and beauty. Perfection on the first attempt is rare and the world changes too quickly to leave things exactly as is.
Designing the Garden
As someone who regularly engages with business environments, I often consider what conditions best support an organization's mission while creating a positive workplace. Growing companies must adapt their structure to accommodate increased scale. Operations must change as revenue increases along with the cost of growing and maintaining it. Sub-systems emerge to support more sophisticated or large-scale operations. Similarly, as a garden grows, its layout must change to make the best use of space to achieve its goal.
The most crucial aspect of any system is its ability to endure through time and leadership changes. It must survive periods of mediocrity or difficulty while flourishing under strong guidance.
My goal isn't to propose revolutionary business ideas. If I had such a concept that I believed I could execute, I'd be pursuing it rather than writing this essay.
Instead, I focus on maximizing the potential of organizations I'm fortunate to join. The best product will ultimately lose to competitors who can execute consistently. Like cooking, excellent ingredients yield poor results in unskilled hands, while a master chef can create a tasty meal with subpar ingredients. Strong operational cultures, guided by consistent values, and staffed with well-equipped talent, build successful organizations.
I examine companies by understanding their systems: how processes flow, how products are developed and distributed, and how various components interact to create value. These interconnected systems involve people responsible for quality and timely delivery, who must also evaluate and improve their methods.
In my experience, organizations often falter in their operations. Small companies may lack structure, creating decision-making uncertainty, while large ones become bureaucratic and risk-averse. Organizational decisions stem from their people, systems, and incentive structures. Throughout my career, I've witnessed organizations navigate various seasons, adapting to changing conditions with varying degrees of success. I share these reflections to clarify my thinking and to contribute insights on building effective companies, cultures, and workplaces.
Since most adults spend the majority of their working lives in organizations, shouldn't we strive to make these environments not only valuable, but also fulfilling? While I am not a blind optimist, I recognize the value in having ideals to guide our actions and the benefits of working alongside great teams.
My strength lies in analyzing entire systems and developing strategies for sustainable growth. While I am less experienced as an operator and system designer, I understand system optimization through recruiting, training, and developing talent who execute on the system's goals and continually refine it to meet new challenges.
People are increasingly an afterthought in business. Companies pay lip service to emphasizing strong talent and investing in their people, but are quick to resort to layoffs, maintain poor hiring processes, and do little to encourage retention. As I write this, more and more companies are highlighting how AI will mean fewer people are needed to achieve similar output.
Systems often erode as those who build and maintain them lose faith in the organization, and their exit frequently leads to decline. The best people will not tolerate dysfunction. The best people have options. The best performers make the most notable impact, whether that's tending to the business or by their absence once they lose faith in its leadership or the business itself.
Therefore, an organization's key goal is to ensure it has strong systems for hiring, training, and development of its people. This ensures the overall system of the organization can flourish.
A beautiful garden needs the steady hand and intuition of an expert gardener to flourish. Similarly, an organization must have strong operators at every level to maximize its potential to deliver value for customers and shareholders alike. This allows businesses to outlast any individual or era, as strong cultures and operating principles enable the organization to weather storms and seasonal changes.
So in summary, we should focus on:
- Building systems that provide structure and clarity for the company and its customers
- Frequently inspecting these systems and adjust them without ego
- Hiring the right people by thoughtfully designing the evaluation process
- Training people so they have the skills needed today and develop the muscle to develop the skills for tomorrow
- Developing a strong performance management culture to grow and retain talent.
Time stops for no one and the world will keep on turning. Our businesses also must continuously adapt to changing environments. It is our jobs as leaders to remember this and design our systems to continuously improve and adjust to meet changing needs.