Books

Books : reviews

Gary Lloyd.
Gardeners Not Mechanics: how to cultivate change at work.
Double Loop Ltd. 2021

Sustainable change is elusive. Whether it’s as significant as Brexit or as personal as finding a job you love, the obstacles are surprisingly similar.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the solutions are also similar. This book covers both these types of change, and it has one big idea that links them together.

The world of work is an ecosystem of interdependent organisations, groups and individuals. If you want to make a sustainable change at work, you are more likely to succeed if you approach your change as a gardener, not a mechanic.

The book has two parts.

Part I describes the key ideas, including a description of ecosystems’ three core characteristics: unpredictability, interdependence, and limits of control.

Part II has one chapter for each for nine elements of gardening: plan, prepare the soil, plant, prune, weed, water, stake, ensure good health, enjoy your harvest.

Throughout the book, exercises will help you use a gardeners mindset to think deeply about a real change you want to make.