Will Kenny
Independent Training Consultants:
"Think Pieces"
(free articles)
Best Training Practices
Will Kenny
3927 York Ave N
Robbinsdale, MN 55422
612-978-3050
"How To Kill Your Houseplants"
Follow Up Series
Two Weeks After the Course
Tips for Use:
Your second message in the follow up series offers a good opportunity to review a fundamental technique from the course, a key point that they can apply right away in their natural environments. Tap into something they're likely to remember, and give them an opportunity for some early success.
You could end this message with additional useful information, such as links to helpful resources.
Message #2
If you only have to kill one plant, or only have to do so occasionally -- for instance, you don't like houseplants, but people occasionally give them to you as gifts, so you have to find a way to tactfully eliminate them -- simple neglect is a great technique.
The most basic form of neglect is forgetting to water your plants. We all know people who really do forget to do this, accidentally killing anything green in a pot, so this is a very plausible approach. While it's a good approach for the single or occasional plant assassination, it won't work for mass extermination: if you don't water any plants in an entire office area, people will catch on to you, and someone else will take over.
A good way to test out this technique is to volunteer to take care of one particular plant (the one you hate the most). Say to your family or your coworkers, "I've never been very good with houseplants. Could I make it our job to take care of just this one?"
Of course, you should be seen watering it occasionally. Make a show of watering the plants, but only sprinkle enough water on the soil to make the very top layer wet to the touch.
And remember, failing to feed, or re-pot, a plant will eventually damage it, but dehydrating your most hated bush is one of the quickest paths to its demise.
More ideas coming next week!
© 2010 Best Training Practices -- Will Kenny