Houseplants and Trees: How to Identify, Nurture, and Retain All Types of Team Members

Are your team members houseplants or trees? Learning the difference can be the key to improving retention, reducing turnover, and improving relationships with your team!

The houseplant and tree analogy comes from Cara Silletto, the founder, president, and chief retention office of Magnet Culture, a partner in helping organizations reduce turnover and create cultures where teams succeed and thrive. Cara recently came by the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast to share more about identify—and nurturing—both tree and houseplant employees, and how leaders can retain their diverse teams.

The Types of Team Members

In her episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, Cara breaks employees down into two main categories: trees and houseplants.

“Tree” team members are the ones with deep roots in your organization. They’ve likely been with your organization for many years, and have proven themselves capable of weathering change and tumultuous times. You don’t need to worry about people like this leaving your team, as they’ve shown they’re with your organization for the long-run.
“Houseplant” team members, on the other hand, prefer change and mobility. They need attention and growth, just like a plant might need to moved to a sunnier window to properly grow and thrive... and if you don’t give them the attention they need, they’re likely to seek out a different organization.

Three Lessons for Navigating Different Team Types

To reduce turnover, connect with your team, and create a healthier organization for all, you need to find the best ways to connect with both your tree and houseplant team members. You wouldn’t tend to a tree and a houseplant in the same way, and it’s the same concept for your team!

Skip the “one method fits all approach”. You wouldn’t tend to a tree and a houseplant in the same way, and the same approach applies to your team! Instead of treating everyone exactly the same, take the time to get to know each individual team member. Have honest, curious conversations to learn about their needs and goals, then tailor your leadership and communications to find the best ways to connect.
Revamp the onboarding process. Onboarding is a major part of your retention process, but you might not be giving your new hires the support and attention they need. Instead of a traditional onboarding process, consider an “on-ramp” approach. With an on-ramp approach, you check in with your employees not just at milestones like 30 and 90 days, but within the first 30, 60, or 90 hours of them joining your team. As a leader, this opens up more opportunities to make new hires feel supported and appreciated.
Understand generational differences. On your team, you might see generational differences. While older team members might like to focus on work and not bring their personal lives to the floor, younger hires might bring their full selves to work, with a willingness to talk about personal topics like mental health or politics. Each generation can bring unique benefits and challenges, so be sure to take the time to understand what each generation brings to the floor.

Learn More on the Podcast

To hear more about retention from Cara Silletto, listen to her episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing here.

Mindfulness Manufacturing

Our show is about providing listeners with real stories that come from a place of experience, transparency, and authenticity. Most importantly it’s about what we learn from these stories and applying Mindfulness in our everyday work and personal lives.
Our intention is to create an environment where people can learn through open honest discussions on how we apply Mindfulness. Although our experiences and stories come from time in a manufacturing environment hence the title “Mindfulness Manufacturing”, we still see our discussions and topics relatable to any organization or profession.

In manufacturing, we often emphasize complex processes and new technologies, like artificial intelligence. But to bring true change and productivity to your organization, don’t forget about your people!

In this episode, learn all about the balance of technical skills and human connection with guest Emily Nichols! As a professional engineer with decades of experiences in manufacturing and innovation, Emily has worked with organizations like PepsiCo, Janssen, and Henkel. She now works with organizations who want to strengthen the human skills they need to thrive in an increasingly technical world. In this episode, she shares more about the important role of human skills, and offers lessons and insights for forming stronger connections, breaking down systemic barriers, and how to improve your “people score.”

2:01 – Even in fields like manufacturing, human skills play a very important role

5:43 – Current and emerging trends, like AI, make human connection even more important in retention and recruitment

8:29 – To form connections, increase your presence on the shop floor

12:36 – Visual uniformity can foster better connections and help you break down perceived barriers

19:39 – If you want more connections, you need to listen to and respect the expertise of everyone on your team

20:37 – To support women in your organization, you need to address systemic issues

23:39 – Even small changes, like using more inclusive language, can have a big impact on your culture

25:06 – We are people first, not machines

Connect with Emily Nichols

Visit her website

Connect on social media: @connectbettertoday