I was on a call this week when someone dived off on one of those tangents we all go on from time to time. This one involved fruit salad. Somewhat surprisingly, it got me thinking.
According to she of the Fruit Salad Soapbox, fruit salad doesn’t know what it wants to be – it’s a whole bunch of fruit hanging out, being a bit half-hearted about what sort of fruit they are, and well, all being a bit pointless. Together. Sound like any teams you know?
For me however, fruit salad – and I’m not talking about my nana’s 1950’s tinned version here – can be a perfect example of collaborative brilliance. Put the right mix of fruit together, give it the right conditions – time in the fridge, time to marinate, a lovely dressing, and voila! Magic can happen.
Of course, not all combinations work well. There is both a science and an art to getting the mix right. Early experiments in kiwifruit milkshakes as a teenager taught me that just because two things work well in isolation, doesn’t mean they work well together. The acid of the kiwifruit and the lactose in the milk are never going to work no matter how hard you try. That’s the science part of the puzzle. Then there’s the art. As the saying goes, “Knowing a tomato is a fruit is information. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in fruit salad”.
It’s the same with people. While we’ve all experienced the equivalent of the kiwifruit milkshake or discovered there’s a tomato where it oughtn’t to be, I hope you too have experienced that moment when everything comes together and magic really does happen. When a mixed bunch of individuals pulls together and achieves something that wouldn’t otherwise have come to pass. When they become an amazing people salad – not a pointless one.
Lessons from fruit salad:
- Ask yourself is this group a fruit salad or a bowl of apples? Fruit salad can only be great when the right combination of different fruit comes together. Likewise groups of people that have a wide array of experience, capability, personalities and perspectives do better than those that are more homogenous.
- Be curious and experiment – every so often offbeat combinations turn up brilliance. Expect the occasional kiwifruit milkshake along the way and figure out what that is telling you. Keep the tomatoes for those other types of salads. And keep trying out the offbeat ideas
- Look after the fruit. Left to its own devices even the best mix of fruit can fail to be a magic dessert. What conditions does it need? The chill of the fridge? Time to marinate? Served at room temperature? What does it take for your group to be at its best and create some magic? Pay attention to that.
- Is your fruit salad tinned? As a child I could count on the Christmas fruit salad tasting the same year on year. While that can be comforting it’s not going to get you far in a world that demands you change with it. Are you dealing in tinned fruit salad or making up new recipes to meet the challenges and uncertainties of today? My adult experience tells me we need to keep adapting – keep changing up the combinations and creating new magic.
- What would it take for your fruit salad to go to the next level? The addition of a cheeky dressing? A sprinkling of pomegranate? Even the best groups can benefit from the addition of fresh ingredients that complement (rather than fundamentally change) the basic ingredients to bring out that extra something special. What would benefit groups you are working with to help them to the next level?
With thanks to @LisaO’Neill for the inspiration.
Photo Credit: By Naveed Pervaiz
