Trees: A Model for Building Better Relationships

Trees are an amazing example of growth utilizing many ingredients to produce a terrific result. You have sunshine, water, compost (decaying leaves, cut grass, etc.) and you can go from a seedling to a great big fruit producing, shade source of a tree in a few years. What does this have to do with relationships? Because relationships do not grow on their own, they have to be nurtured, fed and pruned to accomplish a great big fruit producing, shade source of a relationship than just keeps growing and growing if properly tended. This is not just about boy girl relationships but any relationship where two or more disparate entities come together to build a lasting, durable productive whole. A business relationship can be built in this way provided all parties are contributing and committed to the sustainability of this situation. It can also apply to co-workers, families and yes even relationships of the romantic variety.

Just as trees must weather storms and winters, so must our relationships with others. There are times when it seems the best option is to just end it and move on but with a little patience and effort, the resulting relationship can grow stronger than before. It is these hard times that truly test the mettle of any relationship. In a business relationship, the problems can be the result of too much success too fast or more likely no success. The same principle applies. Reevaluate what is not working and retool so that success can be accomplished so all parties involved can be motivated to continue. Trees are a good example. If a tree has a shallow root system, it won’t weather a strong storm as well as one that has deep roots. When I was a teenager, my uncle who lived next door had several china berry trees which had very shallow roots. We had an intense series of wind storms and one by one, these 50+ foot trees just fell. Fortunately none of them hit any houses but the cleanup was intense. Along with these trees were a willow tree, my aunts favorite which just bent to whichever way the wind was blowing and survived the onslaught. Our relationships need to be built on a deep root system and be willing to bend when necessary.

As trees must find nutrition so must our relationships. In a business relationship, a healthy income flow is critical. Who wants to keep pouring money into a venture if no result is achieved in a reasonable amount of time? At some point, the principles involved will want to see some result for the time, money and effort spent. Just as a tree that does not produce fruit may be chopped down and replaced so our relationships can fall prey to the same end. The key is to build our relationships on solid principles and plan. Even our emotional relationships must be grounded by more than physical attraction so must our business relationships be based on more than making money in the short term. It revolves around the concept of commitment. If everyone involved is committed to the success of the relationship then the chance of success grows. If however, any party is not committed then the relationship can fall apart and ultimately die.

If a tree (in some cases) can live to be 150 years or more, why can’t we have relationships in our lives last more than a few years or decades? Thinking in terms of tree age, most businesses fail before they can even get started because of unrealistic expectations. So, when evaluating your relationships, determine if the relationship is being nurtured, if the relationship is based on deep roots and if all parties involved are equally commited to its success.