Originally published in the February 2003 Issue of Link & Learn.

There is a small pond on our property that has provided my family all sorts of fun. We take to skating on it when it freezes over during our cold Michigan winters. Actually, my sons skate; I, on the other hand, just try to confirm the idea that humans are meant to be two-legged, upright beings. I think ice and other forms of skating are the primary reason for the extra padding on our rears.

Now that you know my take on skating, lets get to the truly fun part of having a pond: fishing. When the previous owners developed our pond, they stocked it with bass and various panfish. These fish have thrived in the pond for years with very little work on my part. The environment suits them rather well.

Bass and panfish are fun to catch, especially if you have young kids. Why? Let's just say intelligence is not one of their strong points. Or, as my four year-old says, "Dad, these fish aren't very smart are they?" However a fisherperson like myself likes a challenge.

Some of my younger years were spent in the Pacific Northwest, where the fish of choice is trout. For me, it was Rainbow trout. I fondly remember the summer days when my mom would take me to a creek near our home and let me fish the day away. I spent hours "hunting" Rainbows up and down the creek. Although they were planted fish, they were not easy to catch, especially for a ten year-old. They are smart, wary fish that challenge the fisherperson to think about how to present the bait.

But when you got one, well, that's an appropriate reward for a plan well-executed. Hooking into a big Rainbow was one of the more exciting things I had done up to that point in my life. Watching a Rainbow jump out of the water and seeing the range of colors running down its body is indeed a beautiful sight to see. Suffice it to say, I have an affinity for Rainbow trout.

That's why I undertook efforts last Spring to plant some Rainbows into our pond. The first step was to find a trout farm where I could obtain them. It wasn't easy to do. There are only a couple of farms in Michigan that raise Rainbows, and they apparently don't buy in to all this stuff we call advertising and marketing. I finally found a nearby trout farm after asking a few people at the local Orvis shop. Excited at the prospect of being able to fly-fish for Rainbows, I called the trout farm.

"Stoney Creek, can I help you?" An enthusiastic young voice answered. I asked her if I could speak with someone regarding getting some Rainbow trout. "I'll get my dad," she said with even more enthusiasm.

After a few minutes I heard a voice on my end of the line, "Yes, this is Steve. I hear you need some information about our trout." I thought this guy can't be all bad with a name like Steve.

When I told Steve that I wanted to plant some Rainbow trout in our pond, he asked me a number of questions regarding the size of the pond, its water source, what types of fish are in it now, etc. I answered the best I could; "... half-acre... underground spring... bass and panfish..."

"Hmmm," Steve responded. "Do you know the temperature of the water?"

"It gets into the 70's during the summer," I quickly answered.

Again Steve responded with a, "Hmmm." Some type of language he must have picked up from being around fish all day I surmised. "I don't think the environmental conditions, as they are now, are well-suited for Rainbows."

"Why's that?" I asked, surprised that there wasn't an "Hmmm" in his last remark.

"Rainbows need highly oxygenated, cool water, ideally between 55 and 65 degrees. They can survive at slightly warmer temperatures but it puts a lot of stress on them."

"So you don't think I can put Rainbows in our pond?" I asked with disappointment in my voice.

"If you do a few things to get more oxygen in the water and put some big logs into the pond to give the trout some shade, they'll have a good chance of surviving. All you can do is try." He added that making those changes also benefit the bass and panfish that are already in the pond. It would improve the environment for all.

With a renewed excitement I asked him if he had the equipment I needed to oxygenate the pond. He said he had aerators that would do the trick. The logs would be a cinch. We have a number of fallen trees on our property that would be perfect for the job. I then asked him how many trout I should get and what size they should be. Steve asked me about the size of the bass in the pond. "The largest one I've caught is 18 inches."

"Hmmm." The fish talk was back in Steve's communication.

With cautious optimism I queried, "What's the problem?"

"No problem," he said. "Just that you're gonna have to get some big trout. Bass can eat fish nearly as big as them. If you don't get the right size trout, they won't have much of a chance in a small pond like yours. You'll need 10-12 inch trout to be safe, about 25-30 of them will do." Our interesting and enlightening conversation ended with Steve giving me directions to his trout farm.

A few days later I drove out to Steve's farm and picked up the trout and the aerator I needed. He impressed upon me the need to quickly get the aerator set up in the pond and also to get the logs in the water, not only for shade but to provide some coverage and safety for the trout. He was concerned that relocating the trout would make them weak and vulnerable to the bass. They needed some hiding places. I told him I would quickly get everything set up.

I brought the trout home and with child-like eagerness I placed them in the water. They all survived the trip. After gaining their bearings, the trout swam off into the deeper parts of the pond. I then began to set up the aerator but it began to get dark and started to rain. I told myself I would get to the aerator and the logs the next day.

Well, things at work and around the house got busy. The "next day" turned into "next week," which turned into "next month." As time passed, I noticed fewer and fewer trout in the pond. When I first put the Rainbows in, I often watched the fish rise to the top to feed in the morning and evening. Bass and sunfish rarely do this. By the time I got to the aerator and logs, the rings of water that signaled trout surfacing, once plentiful, were rare.

In their own way, the trout had been telling me that they were having trouble with the environment I put them in. But I didn't listen or pay attention. I assumed, since they are considered to be strong fish, that they would make it until I had the time to create the environment that gave them a chance to "make it." I waited too long. I can only assume that the lack of adequate oxygen suffocated them, or that they were too physically stressed by the warm water to fend off the bass, or both.

In planting these Rainbow trout, I learned a valuable lesson about creating the right environment. No matter how strong and healthy the trout were when I put them in the pond, unless I was willing to change the environment, taking their needs into consideration, I was doomed to lose them. Large Rainbow trout aren't cheap; the lesson was an expensive one.

People are much the same as Rainbow trout when it comes to environments. We place a lot of stress on people when we don't develop environments in which they can thrive, let alone, survive. That stress eventually takes it toll in the form of inefficiency, poor performance, absenteeism, etc. Unlike my situation with the trout, where I take responsibility for the outcome, many organizations "blame" the people for their inability to thrive in an environment that's not even conducive to "surviving."

Just as there are real and meaningful differences between bass/panfish and trout in the environments they need, there are real and meaningful differences between and among "different" people. Whether the differences are between people of color and white folks, or Baby Boomers and Generation Y-ers, or men and women, not developing an organizational environment that takes the needs of all employees into consideration only serves to make us less efficient and unable to compete with organizations that have created truly inclusive environments for their employees.

Like me, with the knowledge I gained from trout farmer Steve, some organizations have done their homework and become aware of the meaningful differences that exist among people. But also like me, most don't do anything with that knowledge. These organizations understand conceptually that they need to change their existing environment or culture for the impending demographic changes, but there is no urgency or motivating passion to do so. There is an underlying belief that the existing environment should be adequate for anyone (because it is for the majority of the people who are already there). But evidence points to the contrary; indeed, differences do matter. And those organizations that understand that will be the most competitive in the future in terms of recruiting, hiring, and retaining the pool of candidates that demographers say is only growing more diverse.

If I were to do it again, I would put the aerator and logs in the pond well before I put the trout in the pond. The pond would be prepared before the trout arrived, ensuring them the best chance for survival. It really doesn't take much on my part to develop the environment in which I know trout, bass, and panfish can survive. If I do what I know I need to do, my family and I will have the benefit and thrill of catching Rainbows, as well as bass and panfish, literally right in our front yard. I don't want my kids to miss out on the types of memories I now have of spending summer days fishing for Rainbows.

By the way, I have put the aerator and the logs in our pond. The trout are coming soon. They'll have the right environment. How's your environment?

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