As we enter the spring landscape season, we all think about staffing, employee recruitment, and employee retention. These are all significant areas of running a successful landscaping business. Recently I had the pleasure of sitting with the TEAM members of a new client of ours and was astounded by the tenure of his employees. What really impacted my thinking was their positive attitude, gratitude, and openness to GROW even more personally and professionally. Please take a look at their tenure in the blog photo!
So What is a ‘Great Workplace’?
A GREAT workplace is built on trust, values, integrity and provides mechanisms for individuals to GROW personally, professionally, and financially. Over and over, we have found that trust drives sustainable engagement, and engagement drives workplace performance. The benefits have a huge impact on every facet of your business’s operations and service delivery model.
So what does a great workplace create?
Greater productivity
Greater profit margin
Higher operating income
Greater business & ownership value
Greater customer advocacy
Fewer employee absences & employee turnover
Greater TEAM synergy and collaboration
A HAPPIER WORK ENVIRONMENT!
It is proven that workplace cultures that offer an environment cohesive of good values and integrity are more likely to have highly engaged TEAM members who will:
Go the extra mile’ or ‘give 110%
Go above and beyond for their customers
Willingly help others, even if it is not their job to do so
Fix problems and suggest improvements to the way things are done
Feel supported by and trust their immediate managers
Have confidence in the owner (s), managerial leadership, and direction of the organization as a whole.
My takeaway from my new client engagement was something I already knew but often have to discuss. That is, GREAT workplaces are built through the day-to-day relationships that TEAM members experience at all levels throughout the organization. The common thread is ‘TRUST.’ Trust is the defining principle of great workplaces created through management’s credibility, the respect with which employees feel they are treated, and the extent to which employees expect to be treated fairly. The degree of pride and levels of authentic connection and camaraderie employees feel with one are essential components of building a powerful and progressive work environment.
Great workplaces empower PEOPLE. People who are inspired and empowered…Employees, therefore;
TRUST the people they work for;
Have PRIDE in what they do; and
ENJOY the people they work with.
So this spring, when you are recruiting, hiring, and thinking about employee retention, remember…Great workplaces achieve organizational success by inspiring, empowering, and listening. They have employees who give their personal best by trying, developing, and caring. And they work together as a team by listening, learning, engaging, trying, succeeding, even sometimes failing, trying again, celebrating success, and sharing wins no matter how small.
Here’s to all our friends in the landscape industry, Cheers to a great SPRING 2016!
About the author; Steven Cohen is a landscape industry SME & Chief Innovation Officer at GreenMark Consulting Group, a Landscape-Snow Industry Business-Consulting/Advisory firm that specializes in helping small-medium-sized growth-oriented companies grow from under one million dollars to over five million dollars. You can reach Steven Cohen by phone at 610.905.3637. Email Steven at scohen@greenmarkgroup.com or visit our website at www.greenmarkgroup.com to learn more about our services.
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