Last year, I saw one of my early mentors at a conference. It’s someone outside of the landscaping industry who encouraged me to start the company that became The Grow Group.
He was speaking at the event, and I was looking forward to gaining some new ideas for how we could better market our offerings at The Grow Group or find different ways to relate to our clients. Instead, I left with a renewed drive to change and evolve.
What I saw at that conference was someone who was no doubt brilliant, but who had lost touch with what works in today’s world and with today’s customers. This isn’t a hit piece, so I won’t share any other details, but what I am going to share are a few thoughts I took away from this interaction that can help all of us.
Listen to young people
There’s a tendency to believe that lack of experience equates to lack of knowledge. That’s a dangerous fallacy. Young people insist on integrating technology into their work and often have an intuitive understanding of it that makes implementing it easier. They may also have ideas that can help us better reach our clients or potential team members. We can’t discount their ideas.
Find inspiration
During our April Virtual Sales Bootcamp, I shared that one of the ways I find inspiration and new ideas for landscaping is by watching virtual tours of botanical gardens on YouTube. These videos are free, easy to find and a great way to spend some time when you’re feeling stuck. I usually just search for “botanical garden tour” to find a video, but looking for gardens that share your growing zone can be especially helpful.
I’m particularly fond of the Chicago Botanic Garden. My wife grew up nearby, and when we travel to visit her mom and sisters, I often sneak off to walk through and see what’s new. I’ve taken many ideas I’ve seen there and repurposed them in my own landscape designs.
Have a growth mindset
You’ve heard this from me before if you’re a frequent reader of this column: Worrying first about what you can do better instead of focusing on what others could do is the best attitude to have. It ultimately makes change happen faster by setting a good example for the people around you. When others know you’re willing to take the first step, they’re more willing to change themselves.
We evolve as leaders every day, and no matter your role within a company, you can be part of growth going forward. I encourage you to look at ways to learn and grow through events where you can get new ideas and meet new people, online learning to find inspiration without leaving your office, resources, podcasts or even by asking your team to show you something new. For younger pros, shadowing experienced team members is always a great way to develop.
I’m always surprised by how much we can learn by being curious and asking questions. So try to do more of that this summer; it’ll make us all better.
