Did you know that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world? The country’s rich biodiversity has been depleted over centuries, but the speed of decline is particularly noticeable over the last 50 years. Data shows that since 1970, UK species have on average declined by about 19%.
My interest in our relationship with nature led to me recently attending an expert-led walking guide to re-wilding.
Now, it’s easy to imagine that rewilding means, simply, leaving things alone and letting nature do its thing. But it turns out, this isn’t the case. In fact, effective rewilding often involves being surprisingly proactive.
The process of re-wilding can, helpfully, be summarised by four Ds:
- Distribution.
- Disturbance.
- Diversity.
- Death.
As I reflected on what I’d learnt, it occurred to me that there are perhaps surprising parallels between the impact these four things have on creating resilience in our natural environments and resilience in our places of work.
So, over the next few insights, I thought I’d look at each of these words, explaining what they mean and describe how I think they apply to work, starting here with Distribution.
Distribution in Nature:
Whilst it’s nice to create a little wild space in your garden, in reality healthy ecosystems rely on broader systems for resilience.
Animals, for example, need room to forage and/or find prey, to migrate, to find a mate (who ideally isn’t a sibling) and to respond to seasonal or climatic change.
Plants also need to spread, and this in turn helps facilitate the distribution of other species.
Distribution in Business:
In the same way, teams and organisations don’t exist in isolation. We rely, for example, on internal and external systems, extensive communication networks and the ability to share ideas and learn from others.
And, what about customers? I remember in my early days as a self-employed consultant having one client who used me so regularly that they were fast becoming my only customer. In fact, I was working so hard for them that I had not time to even market or connect with other potential customers. It’s a common problem many self-employed consultants find themselves in at some point.
I remember how that situation felt. Of course, it was great to have so much work, but I also felt vulnerable – I was well aware that a change in personnel, strategy, culture – any number of things - could quickly shift the sands beneath my feet.
Any team or organisation dependent on one or two customers is always going to be at risk.
Any team or organisation dependent on one or two customers is always going to be at risk.
Distribution has been one of
Trainers’ Library’s strengths over more than 20 years, with a customer list that’s spread across 30+ countries and includes almost every industry type - from hospitality to health, from police forces and local government to manufacturing and finance. This wide customer base doesn’t just provide financial security – it also exposes us to a huge range of experiences and ideas that helps to build even greater resilience.
So, now it’s your turn:
How important is distribution to your team and organisation and how are you building networks that ensure your resilience?