June 2, 2009: PN was looking at a letter from his key client. It was a request for help to create an Indian herbal garden in their office.
PN recalled the client’s visit when their team was taken for a tour of the Indian herbal garden created by his employees. They were impressed by the concept and even more so by the signs around the garden: “Please pluck the flowers and leaves.” It was not the usual, “Do Not Touch” sign one always saw in parks.
The garden consisted of a large number of Indian herbs and medicinal plants. Under each plant there was information on its medicinal properties, the names of the diseases that could be cured, the “leafage” (dosage) for each disease, and so on. The “gardeners” encouraged people to pluck the leaves and eat them.
This garden was the work of enthusiastic employees from the world environment group. They were passionate about the medicinal plants. They had done extensive research on each of the plants and collected useful information for the visitors.
The client wanted a similar garden on their campus. The request was just unbelievable, especially because the client was from the Netherlands, a country famous for flowers and gardens. The renowned Michael van Gessel had done their existing thematic landscaping. PN only hoped it was not a joke!
He recalled how it had all started. The company’s world environment group had wanted something more to do. A few of its members were already working on some secret tissue culture project, but the remaining members were looking for a new project.
Someone from the group found out about the herbal garden in Rashtrapati Bhavan, the residence of the President of India and discovered that the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) had designed it. They wanted to build a similar garden enlisting NBRI’s help. They discussed the merits of the case among themselves.
The concept had a great unique selling proposition (USP) for their country. There was a growing awareness about Ayurveda (which is thought to have originated around 5000 B.C.). Many such herbal gardens were springing up all around the country. PN’s team wanted something that would distinguish their garden, something really unusual.
There was a brainstorm within the group. “Look, whichever park you go, you see signs forbidding people from touching leaves or flowers. Our garden will implore people to touch the flowers, beg them to pluck the leaves and eat them, because what they are eating is medicinal.”
People agreed that anyone who visited this garden would agree that it was certainly unusual to see such signs. “We should also have walking tracks around the plants so that people can eat these medicines as part of their morning walks.”
“How will they know what to eat and how much?”
“Well, needless to say, we’ll need to create small placards about each plant.”
The group could not wait any longer. They met PN and explained the idea. PN agreed to allocate a piece of the company campus garden to them.
The time went by swiftly for them. There were frustrations and moments of ecstasy. An acceptable landscape design was the subject of hot debate. Some wanted the landscaping on the basis of major ailments; some wanted the plants arranged according to the six Indian seasons; and still others wanted the plants to be based on the needs of people in different zodiac signs.
Other employees appreciated the garden. Many actually took morning walks just to read about the plants and which ailments they cured. The achievement was a hot topic. The India herbal landscaping was a success.
PN called a meeting to discuss the Dutch client’s request. But some members of the group were already in other projects, so only two members could join the Dutch project after a couple of weeks. The group was happy to take up the landscaping work as an additional responsibility, and those who were not in a position to travel pledged remote support.
PN was happy about this. But the group put forward a condition that the client’s employees had to be involved in the garden. They said, “When the garden is ready, they will have the satisfaction of creating something of value for their own colleagues. We know the kind of happiness we experienced when we created our garden. We want them to feel the same about their garden.”
The client agreed. They appreciated the viewpoint of PN’s people and the opportunity being given to their employees.
The two members joined the client project after a few weeks. In the meantime, they had studied which plants would survive in the Netherlands. Their landscape design was ready.
The client’s employees joined the gang. It was an enjoyable time for everyone involved. Soon a beautiful herbal landscape decorated the client’s building.
The client was happy and gave encouraging testimonials to PN’s people and to his company. The client used PN’s pet word, valufacture, in their testimonials. They found great value in what the two young members of PN’s company did for them, over and above the normal work of the project.
It was one of PN’s happiest moments. His employees loved being part of the revolution, and they were greatly excited about the stamp they were putting on the map of a foreign city.
The media splashed rave stories about PN and his organization’s contribution to society. They praised the employees’ pride and sense of satisfaction. Management experts praised the various ways the employees could be engaged for better employee satisfaction.
PN felt a deep satisfaction that he had been able to provide a platform for his people to express themselves and be happy. It was yet another victory for John Galt!
Did his people stop after this achievement? Not at all. Encouraged by what they had achieved in the Netherlands, many more joined the group of herbal landscapers. They approached their own city guardians and asked to convert some gardens into herbal landscapes. The local bodies agreed if someone would maintain the gardens for free.
The city had unusual gardens where children could pluck the leaves and flowers. The team taught farmers in the neighboring villages how to grow medicinal herbs and how to set up nurseries. Many other clients wanted to replicate the Netherlands’ experience. The list is endless.
A large number of employees of PN’s company now had a forum to embark on the kind of journey that would previously only have been a dream!
PN recalled the client’s visit when their team was taken for a tour of the Indian herbal garden created by his employees. They were impressed by the concept and even more so by the signs around the garden: “Please pluck the flowers and leaves.” It was not the usual, “Do Not Touch” sign one always saw in parks.
The garden consisted of a large number of Indian herbs and medicinal plants. Under each plant there was information on its medicinal properties, the names of the diseases that could be cured, the “leafage” (dosage) for each disease, and so on. The “gardeners” encouraged people to pluck the leaves and eat them.
This garden was the work of enthusiastic employees from the world environment group. They were passionate about the medicinal plants. They had done extensive research on each of the plants and collected useful information for the visitors.
The client wanted a similar garden on their campus. The request was just unbelievable, especially because the client was from the Netherlands, a country famous for flowers and gardens. The renowned Michael van Gessel had done their existing thematic landscaping. PN only hoped it was not a joke!
He recalled how it had all started. The company’s world environment group had wanted something more to do. A few of its members were already working on some secret tissue culture project, but the remaining members were looking for a new project.
Someone from the group found out about the herbal garden in Rashtrapati Bhavan, the residence of the President of India and discovered that the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) had designed it. They wanted to build a similar garden enlisting NBRI’s help. They discussed the merits of the case among themselves.
The concept had a great unique selling proposition (USP) for their country. There was a growing awareness about Ayurveda (which is thought to have originated around 5000 B.C.). Many such herbal gardens were springing up all around the country. PN’s team wanted something that would distinguish their garden, something really unusual.
There was a brainstorm within the group. “Look, whichever park you go, you see signs forbidding people from touching leaves or flowers. Our garden will implore people to touch the flowers, beg them to pluck the leaves and eat them, because what they are eating is medicinal.”
People agreed that anyone who visited this garden would agree that it was certainly unusual to see such signs. “We should also have walking tracks around the plants so that people can eat these medicines as part of their morning walks.”
“How will they know what to eat and how much?”
“Well, needless to say, we’ll need to create small placards about each plant.”
The group could not wait any longer. They met PN and explained the idea. PN agreed to allocate a piece of the company campus garden to them.
The time went by swiftly for them. There were frustrations and moments of ecstasy. An acceptable landscape design was the subject of hot debate. Some wanted the landscaping on the basis of major ailments; some wanted the plants arranged according to the six Indian seasons; and still others wanted the plants to be based on the needs of people in different zodiac signs.
Other employees appreciated the garden. Many actually took morning walks just to read about the plants and which ailments they cured. The achievement was a hot topic. The India herbal landscaping was a success.
PN called a meeting to discuss the Dutch client’s request. But some members of the group were already in other projects, so only two members could join the Dutch project after a couple of weeks. The group was happy to take up the landscaping work as an additional responsibility, and those who were not in a position to travel pledged remote support.
PN was happy about this. But the group put forward a condition that the client’s employees had to be involved in the garden. They said, “When the garden is ready, they will have the satisfaction of creating something of value for their own colleagues. We know the kind of happiness we experienced when we created our garden. We want them to feel the same about their garden.”
The client agreed. They appreciated the viewpoint of PN’s people and the opportunity being given to their employees.
The two members joined the client project after a few weeks. In the meantime, they had studied which plants would survive in the Netherlands. Their landscape design was ready.
The client’s employees joined the gang. It was an enjoyable time for everyone involved. Soon a beautiful herbal landscape decorated the client’s building.
The client was happy and gave encouraging testimonials to PN’s people and to his company. The client used PN’s pet word, valufacture, in their testimonials. They found great value in what the two young members of PN’s company did for them, over and above the normal work of the project.
It was one of PN’s happiest moments. His employees loved being part of the revolution, and they were greatly excited about the stamp they were putting on the map of a foreign city.
The media splashed rave stories about PN and his organization’s contribution to society. They praised the employees’ pride and sense of satisfaction. Management experts praised the various ways the employees could be engaged for better employee satisfaction.
PN felt a deep satisfaction that he had been able to provide a platform for his people to express themselves and be happy. It was yet another victory for John Galt!
Did his people stop after this achievement? Not at all. Encouraged by what they had achieved in the Netherlands, many more joined the group of herbal landscapers. They approached their own city guardians and asked to convert some gardens into herbal landscapes. The local bodies agreed if someone would maintain the gardens for free.
The city had unusual gardens where children could pluck the leaves and flowers. The team taught farmers in the neighboring villages how to grow medicinal herbs and how to set up nurseries. Many other clients wanted to replicate the Netherlands’ experience. The list is endless.
A large number of employees of PN’s company now had a forum to embark on the kind of journey that would previously only have been a dream!
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