One of the questions people ask when seeing tremendously large and successful groves of
bamboo is: "How many years did it take for these poles to get this big?"

The answer: The poles of bamboo will grow to their full size, both diameter and height, in 60 days or less.

"You mean if I plant a single bamboo I will get a pole this tall in 60 days?"

Nope. And that is where the lesson can be found…
 
Regardless of the plant’s height, whether it is 1 foot tall or 60 feet tall, The bamboo grew to that size in 60 days or so and will never get any larger that season, because bamboo can only grow in height or width proportionately to the size of the supporting root mass it has established!

There is a saying about newly planted bamboo:

The first year it sleeps…
The second year it creeps…
The third year it leaps!

You CANNOT short cut the amount of time it takes a species to establish its root system.

It is very important to realize that young bamboo is only going to grow underground.

So do not expect the culms (poles) to take off and get larger or taller. Each spring the culms emerge and grow to the width and height they will be in only a couple of months. It takes bamboo about three full years, growing under the ground, before the plants really take off and start producing. Each spring, the new poles will begin to emerge larger in height and diameter than the previous spring's growth, until the mature size is reached-

The impressive growth in a cluster of bamboo plants is preceded by a great deal of unseen energy spent on underground growth. So it is in our development as people. The obvious improvements that others eventually see, and that we are often rewarded for, are produced only after a necessary unacknowledged investment of time in establishing our own strong root system of skills, relationships, and experience…

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE HORIZON!

BOTH AS PEOPLE AND ATHLETES, WE WILL SEE THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT WE DESIRE ONLY AFTER SPENDING THE TIME AND ENERGY ESTABLISHING OUR “ROOT SYSTEMS.

If your team needs a boost of team motivation, I encourage you to contact me about an Atlanta team building event or interactive speaking topic to inspire your organization.

I would also be honored if you chose to follow me on twitter or to connect on LinkedIn to get additional information and teamwork resources!