Root Work or Branch Work - Life Lessons from a philosopher and lumberjack

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.

Henry Thoreau

I recall reading these words in my late teens and being floored at its impact. No joke. I literally sat down after reading it as I had been reading on my feet prior. Even as a teenager, I realized that I was reading something immensely important. And although I did not fully grasp its depth at the time, I knew, even then, that this statement was inspired.

Philosopher, lumberjack, poet

Thoreau penned these lines while living in the woods, and as a keen observer of nature and a brilliant philosopher, he could penetrate truths about the human experience like few others have before and since.

The choice of the tree metaphor was likely informed by the work of harvesting lumber for the building of his lodging place in the middle of the secluded woods near Walden Pond. In the concrete and picturesque language that crystallized, Thoreau captured one of the most pernicious and persistent tendencies we all have. This habit inflicts great heartache and often costs us time, money and energy.What is the tendency? We are not treating our problems at their roots. We are treating symptoms, not diseases.

In Thoreau’s metaphor, we are hacking at branches while roots persist. Why? Well, I believe it is because it is easier. Getting at the roots is no small matter. Root Work, as I call it is hard. But Branch Work, though easier in the short run, will often cost us more in the long run. Let me illustrate with a story about, you guessed it, trees.

Trees in our yard

I remember as a young boy, we had many trees in our yard. Being in the tropics, it was common for houses with some extra land to have trees for shade as well as for fruit. We made good use of both functions spending many blissful afternoons with cousins nested between branches in the shade with our fingers and faces sticky with the juice from having consumed way too many mangoes. Fun times.

The trees were part of life – and a sweet part too. However, these trees often needed pruning because, during heavy tropical torrential downpours, the wind would cause branches to break and fall off. These branches would fly off the trees or crash to the ground. Either way, they posed a great risk to life and property.

I remember waking up one morning after a particularly bad overnight storm to see a heavy branch perched precariously on the edge of our roof. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the roof was not damaged. We quickly called the local landscapers and they, once again, pruned the tree branches. That's the thing about branches. They demand attention.

This became routine – every year, my dad would make a call and the branches would be trimmed - usually a few weeks before the rainy season. And then, after 2 decades, we started to notice something strange. There was a crack developing along the side of the house. Keep in mind, this was a solid brick house built on sturdy land. How on earth could this be happening?

Well, there was this tree that had been planted close to the house, so we could just step out and spend relaxing evenings under it. It was great for shade but did not produce any fruit, like a natural gazebo. As you might have guessed, the tree roots (or root cause) had been growing deeper and deeper, and stronger and stronger to the point where it was now gradually breaking through the foundations of the house - from underneath! It was surreal. Once again, my dad made a call. This time, it was not for pruning, but for uprooting.

Strike at the root cause

The scene is still fresh in my mind. Seven heavily-built men with what looked like battleaxes out of an epic fantasy movie hacking tirelessly away at the tree. Manual labour of this kind was common for this time and place, especially for residences. Machinery was rarely employed, and the work was carried out by these hardworking tropical lumberjacks.

Watching those muscle-bound men work made it clear to me why many of us opt for pruning branches instead of uprooting harmful trees. It was grueling. It was messy. Wood shrapnel was flying everywhere. They alternated between hacking, digging and hacking again. It took days, many long days. Root Work is hard.

Remember that you will take care of many branches by cutting down just one root.

What amazed me the most was the sight of the roots as the lumberjacks got deeper. They were thick and hefty and had grown beneath the surface. With every passing year, as we pruned the branches above ground, the patient, pernicious tree continued to grow and spread its wooden tentacles broad and strong underground. Not unlike a lot of the issues we face as people and even as organizations.

Corporate and personal Branch Work

These root issues affect our companies and our personal lives. Companies spend millions on filling high turnover positions instead of addressing the turnover. Companies spend resources managing ongoing hiring instead of simply firing the hiring manager who is making all the hiring necessary. Our organizations react to low morale by implementing training programs. We redesign our logo instead of redesigning our culture. In short, we do Branch Work. We saw off the branches and leave the tree trunk, never realizing that it is a matter of time before the branches return. And when that inevitably happens, what do we do? We curse and swear and shake our fist and then stomp over to the tool shed to grab a bigger saw (budget) and do it all over again.

Short cuts are short-lived.

As individuals, we treat insomnia and burnout with pills instead of changing our lifestyle; we consolidate our consumer debt instead of fixing our spending habits; we change jobs and friends and cities and careers without being willing to change ourselves. We do Branch Work. Why? Because Root Work is hard. We know we should know better, but root work is hard. It is easier to gloss over the deep causes. So, that's what we do, to our detriment.

Root cause—The root feeds the organism

I don’t know what you may be struggling with regarding producing your best work or presenting your best self or just being your best, but I feel strongly that getting to the root of the matter will help you identify practical steps to solving the problem. It might be taxing and uncomfortable - or you might just find it to be fun - like your very own crime mystery puzzle you are solving.

Whatever the experience, it is always better to treat a cause instead of an effect. Remember that you will take care of many branches by cutting down just one root. And even though Root Work may be hard, it is worth it in the long run. Short cuts are short-lived. Get to the root, once and for all.

Until the next article, be your best and do your best.