The durians are dropping and mangosteens are ripening. We can already see those reddish-purple gems peeping through the thick foliage. But we wonder if this season will bear an abundant harvest. It takes 10 to 12 months for mangosteens to flower and fruit and another few months to ripen. And if the conditions are right it may give another small batch of fruits in between seasons.
Nature goes at an unhurried pace. After a heavy harvest, the tree enters a period of renewal, replenishing the energy needed for another cycle. Rainfall, sunlight, soil nutrients and the delicate timing of pollination all influence what comes next. Some years there are more leaves than fruit. Some years drought or waterlogging takes its toll. Yet the tree is not failing. It is simply preserving itself for the seasons ahead.
Walking through the land, I understand these rhythms as a landowner. But I also recognise them in people. In my work as a human resource development consultant, I have often seen young employees begin their careers full of enthusiasm, eager to prove themselves. Their first successes are noteworthy but lasting growth depends on more than early achievement.
Like the mangosteen tree, people need time to replenish, opportunities to learn, the right resources, and leaders who know when to encourage effort and when to allow recovery. Intuitive employers would know when to inject motivation and sharpen skills so that the employees will feel being invested in as part of the organisational growth.
Perhaps sustainable success and interest are not about producing the biggest harvest every season. It is about cultivating resilience so that, season after season, there will always be fruit to bear.
— PK Journal
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