Jeremy Williams

By Jeremy Williams

I recently found myself watching the Veggie Tales episode about the “Rumor Weed” with my 4-year-old daughter.  As the Rumor Weed spread more untruths, sometimes only slightly bending the truth, the weed would grow.  After watching this moral-based show directed at children, I wondered what type of environment do I live in on a daily basis; a pristine garden with flowers and plants or a field of out-of-control weeds?

If you’re in the field of out-of-control weeds, how do you seek resolution to your weed problem.  First you have to determine what kills the weed.  The only way to kill the weed is to get to the root.  Removing the leaves or leveling the weed to ground level will not kill the weed, and often times will make your weed problem worse.  Who are the weeds in your market center or in your life in general?  How do you address your rumor weeds?

Step 1: Do not become plant food for the rumor weed.  In other words, don’t get yourself into that mix.  Avoid this at all cost, or you will soon be surrounded and choked by the weeds.

Step 2: If you’re in a leadership position, have a fierce conversation with your weed.  Remember, killing a weed requires getting to the root.  Determine who your weed is, schedule a time where you can meet with your weed with no distractions, and have that fierce conversation.  This will more than likely be a confrontational conversation, but a necessary conversation to prevent your Veggie Tales rumor weed problem from growing.  Before this conversation takes place, you might want to read Susan Scott’s Fierce Conversations.

Step 3: The best offense is defense.  If you’re in a leadership position, the best way to counteract the growth of weeds is to keep an open line of communication.  Communication is key to preventing the rumor weed from growing and spreading amongst those around you.  When communication exists, it is difficult for untruths, even if it is slight bending of the truth, to take root in our workplace environments.

There will always be rumor weeds in our lives.  It is how we deal with them that shows our character and leadership ability. So get out your Roundup and get to work on the weeds in your life today.

Jeremy Williams is the assistant team leader of Keller Williams Memorial in Houston. Visit his Web site at www.kwmemorial.com.