There was a farmer who grew the finest wheat in his county. Year after year, he took home the top award.
One spring, a reporter from the local paper discovered something surprising. The farmer gave his best seed to his neighbors. The very same neighbors who entered the very same competition.
"How can you afford to share your best seed with the people you compete against?" the reporter asked.
The farmer smiled. "The wind carries pollen from field to field. If my neighbors grow poor wheat, cross pollination lowers the quality of every crop, mine included. If I want to grow good wheat, my neighbors need good wheat too."
Your team is the field.
As a manager, your results rise and fall with the people around you. When one person misses a deadline, the impact drifts across the whole project, the way pollen drifts across a field.
So what is your best seed? Clear, honest, caring feedback. And the place it matters most is the performance conversation.
Many managers put these conversations off. They feel awkward. They worry about saying the wrong thing. And with so many conversations happening on a screen or over the phone, reading body language takes extra effort.
Here's the good news. Preparation turns a dreaded conversation into a moment that moves someone forward. Use this simple framework to plan your talking points.
1. Open with a clear statement.
State the reason for the conversation right away. Lead with a statement rather than a question; an opening question invites guessing. Try one of these:
•"My job is to set you up for success, and I want to talk about where the ABC project stands."
•"You are an important part of this team, and I want to talk about last week's progress report."
Be clear. Be specific. Lead with the purpose.
2. Describe the impact.
Connect the behavior to what it affects: the team, the project, the customer. For example: "When project deadlines slip, our ability to meet customer commitments slips with them."
This is the pollen moment. You show them how their field connects to everyone else's.
3. Invite them to create the plan.
The goal is agreement on what happens next. Ask them to map out their own plan of action. People commit to the plans they build themselves.
4. Lock in the details.
Agree on a specific timeline and next steps. Then put a follow up date on the calendar before the conversation ends.
Meeting virtually? Add two more steps.
•Share your meeting expectations up front, including cameras on whenever possible.
•Use your company's video platform so you can see each other's faces.
Why this matters
The farmer understood something many leaders overlook. Holding back your best keeps the whole field small.
When you share clear expectations, honest feedback, and genuine belief in someone's ability to grow, you raise the quality of the entire team. Your own results included.
The value of a leader is measured by the people they grow.
Your turn
Think about one person on your team right now. What piece of your best seed will you share with them this week?
Share your answer in the comments.