I checked the plum tree in my backyard to determine if the plums were ready for picking.  Something I have been doing regularly for the last 3 weeks or so.  Today was the day.  The time was ripe (groan!).  But what’s that got to do with Leadership?  As I picked the plums I kept hearing “low hanging fruit” run through my head like a mantra.  Anyone who has ever sat in a business meeting of any kind in any industry has heard this term . . . “let’s start with the low hanging fruit; the quick wins”.  Seems obvious but just because it may seem like a quick win does not mean these wins are not fraught with complexity, angst and yes, even danger.  There are 5 easy steps to avoid those pitfalls:

1)    Set a goal

Every strategy needs a goal otherwise why are you bothering?  My goal was to pick the plums at their optimum ripeness – not too green; not too ripe.  This meant monitoring the tree over a period of time and periodically testing the fruit for ripeness.

2)    Timing is everything

Implement too soon and you lose the ripeness and sweetness the fruit of your tree bears.  Wait too long and the opportunities rot on their branches or drop to the ground wasted.

3)    Plan

Ah – the plan.  Too often we forge ahead because this is easy, right?  It’s the low hanging fruit after all.  We’ll plan later for the more complex stuff.  Well I’m here to tell you that many scratches, prolific curse words floating in the air, and one particularly harsh poke in the ear by an errant branch later that low hanging fruit does not come without obstacles and I needed a plan!

4)    Regroup and Reassess

So, I took a step back.  I assessed the situation – where were the plums exactly; how best to reach them; did I need additional resources or equipment; what obstacles did I need to remove.  These questions all swirled in my head as I walked the perimeter of the tree planning.  This is perhaps one of the least applied steps in any project.  We are so determined to carry out our plan that we worked so hard on and achieve that goal that we consider any change as failure.  However all too often we run into a well-entrenched network of branches that block access to the very goal you want to achieve.  What this step will help you do is determine whether that network is a vibrant branch still bearing viable fruit or is it long dead and weighed down with years of history, custom and tradition?  More often it is a mixture of the two.  Reassessing will allow you to plan for extricating those viable fruit bearing branches from the deadwood.  It will enable you to snap off the no longer useful and nurture the productive.  If you forge ahead without taking this time you risk damaging the fruit.  A consequence you may not realize until next season.

5)    Share and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

This one IS easy.  Don’t forget to celebrate!  You worked hard, you achieved great things!  Share that success and take a moment to bask in the glow of a job well done.  I have a bowl of freshly washed plums waiting for me . . .