Landscape Management, April 2018

EDITORS NOTE MARISA PALMIERI EDiTOr Contact Marisa at 216 706 3764 or mpalmieri@ northcoastmedia net Whats in it for them LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET April 2018 4 HEADQUARTERS 1360 East 9th St Suite 1070 Cleveland OH 44114 EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Marisa Palmieri 216 706 3764 mpalmieri@ northcoastmedia net Managing Editor Abby Hart 216 706 3756 ahart@ northcoastmedia net Associate Editor Sarah Webb 216 363 7932 swebb@ northcoastmedia net Art Director Tracie Martinez 216 280 6127 tmartinez@ northcoastmedia net Graphic Designer Courtney Townsend 216 363 7931 ctownsend@ northcoastmedia net Digital Media Content producer Kelly Limpert 216 363 7933 klimpert@ northcoastmedia net ADVERTISING STAFF Group publisher Bill Roddy 216 706 3758 broddy@ northcoastmedia net Associate publisher Craig MacGregor 216 706 3787 cmacgregor@ northcoastmedia net Eastern regional Sales Manager Dan Hannan 216 363 7937 dhannan@ northcoastmedia net Western regional Sales Manager Jake Goodman 216 363 7923 jgoodman@ northcoastmedia net Classified Accounts Manager Chloe Scoular 216 363 7929 cscoular@ northcoastmedia net BUSINESS STAFF Administrative Coordinator Petra Turko 216 706 3768 pturko@ northcoastmedia net Sr Marketing Event Manager Michelle Mitchell 216 363 7922 mmitchell@ northcoastmedia net Marketing Event Manager Angela Gibian 216 363 7936 agibian@ northcoastmedia net Manager production Services Terri Johnstone 216 978 9622 tjohnstone@ northcoastmedia net Senior Audience Development Manager Antoinette Sanchez Perkins 216 706 3750 asanchez perkins@ northcoastmedia net MARKETING MAGAZINE SERVICES reprints permissions Brett Petillo 877 652 5295 bpetillo@ wrightsmedia com list rental Brahm Schenkman The Information Refinery Inc 800 529 9020 bschenkman@ inforefinery com Subscriber Customer Service 847 513 6030 landscapemanagement@ omeda com For current single copy or back issues CORPORATE OFFICERS president CEO Kevin Stoltman 216 706 3740 kstoltman@ northcoastmedia net Vp Finance Operations Steve Galperin 216 706 3705 sgalperin@ northcoastmedia net Vp Graphic Design production Pete Seltzer 216 706 3737 pseltzer@ northcoastmedia net Director of Audience Engagement Bethany Chambers 216 706 3771 bchambers@ northcoastmedia net Editorial Directors Marty Whitford Marisa Palmieri 216 706 3766 mwhitford@ northcoastmedia net 216 706 3764 mpalmieri@ northcoastmedia net N o matter what you call it a companywide effort to run more efficiently has the potential to sound negative to the crews youre hoping to encourage Depending on how you deliver it work smarter run lean or improve productivity could sound like move faster work harder or youre doing it wrong If thats how your team members hear your message about efficiency it wont help you meet your goals Introducing an efficiency mindset into your company as discussed in the cover story starting on page 26 requires a thoughtful leadership approach centered on gaining buyin and demonstrating whats in it for your team members Most people if you try to change something by telling them This is the way youre going to do it theyll say Thats not going to work says Jason New a former landscape operations executive and principal with landscape consulting firm McFarlin Stanford So you have to change your tune As Ben Gandy points out on page 10 when managers step back into the field it quickly becomes tiresome when they start every conversion with When I was in the field I A big part of changing your leadership tune says New is creating an environment where managers present team members with challenges and ask for their help with solving them Propose the issue in a supportive not blaming way New says Ask How do we solve it What do you think And have them think of something right wrong or otherwise Next share your idea get feedback and suggest testing one of the ideas for a period of time Certain people are more adaptable and excited about being the tester of a new idea in the company he says When you find those people ask if they can help you make it work Of course it helps if the company has a strong vision mission and core values which encourage a cohesive culture Its also helpful if everyone on the team knows what a win looks like Whats the goal asks Dan Eichenlaub president of Pittsburgh based Eichenlaub Inc featured on page 28 They need to know Because if they have no clue they think theyre doing a great job and they may not be He recommends using revenue per manhour as one way to keep score Ultimately leaders must explain how meeting or beating budgeted hours or hitting some other goal translates to success for the company and ultimately for individual employees whether thats awards bonuses or growth opportunities Novato Calif based Cagwin Dorward is moving in this direction as featured on page 35 with the leadership training program it has implemented for field leaders The eight week class teaches foremen and field superintendents about key business concepts and about the companys long range plans emphasizing how those translate to positions that will need to be filled In other words it communicates the companys future plus whats in it for the team their potential paths to being promoted