Slow and steady is the way with the tree. Very slow. In fact, at times it might appear that he's doing nothing at all, just standing around. But come back in a few years and you'll see huge progress. This is an asset that needs the long view.
At first glance there seem few reasons to think of the tree as a dynamic go-getter. He seems to have been a company fixture forever, with everybody a bit unsure, after all these years, of his actual role. He's not very talkative, and causes a big old mess twice a year, what with shedding leaves and seeds, but he is undemanding — other than needing a bit more space than most employees — and won't ever disgrace himself at the office party, mostly through his inability to dance, even badly.
But given a single task — go for growth — and the tree comes into his own as your safest bet. Essentially he is a low-risk, long- term investment who will, over the years, bear fruit again and again (literally, in many cases). His other plus is that in a world where many can rightly be accused of spouting nothing but hot air, in the tree's case it's a literal truth, as he swallows up CO2 and belches out oxygen, making him the favourite of the corporate responsibility department. And a diet of water and sunlight makes expenses claims for lunch somewhat minimal. But one word of warning. He's not much of a traveller, even finding commuting difficult, never mind foreign assignments, so this is an ideal homeworker, and all the better for it. It's a cliché that great oaks from little acorns grow, but like many clichés, it has the benefit of being true.
So, in this International Year of the Forest, let's look afresh at the tree, who might not be the star salesman of the month, but will still be going strong long after retirement age. After that, he'll make a lovely floor.
Jimi Hendrix, Gandalf... learn more business tips from our series of unlikely gurus.
blog comments powered by
