A colleague was dealing with some naysayers who were causing a ruckus about a policy they did not like. The question before them was whether to address the negativity or press on anyway.
We likened the situation to a garden, where those against things were like weeds. You can spend all your time pulling the weeds and focusing on that — OR — you can spend your time planting more flowers so that the beauty becomes the focus and the weeds are overlooked by most who view your garden.
Especially in this climate, there will always be people who don’t like what you are doing (see dot 3889). While it’s important to listen to credible input, at some point you need to move forward and do what you think is best for the organization even if some are against it.
You will never be rid of all the weeds, no matter how diligent you are. Even if you can’t see them, roots are forming beneath the surface ready to break through at any moment. But the same is true with seeds, with goodness that lies dormant until it blooms. Keep focusing on the hope that seeds bring and let the beauty outshine the beast.
