You’ve probably heard me poke fun at myself for the amount of systems we’ve had at Grunder Landscaping Co. At one time, we had a written process for replacing the paper towels in the bathroom. We wrote out exactly how we wanted everything done and gave our team no room to use their brains or be creative.
Our leadership team was gripping the reigns too tightly, and it was getting in the way of our growth. We’ve fixed that in recent years and it’s been key to the scalability of our business and growth.
Our Grow! 2024 tour host, RJ Lawn & Landscape, is a company I’ve long admired for how they operate. And a secret I discovered: their systems aren’t over-complicated and allow their team to work well together.
A key part of how they do this is how they train and empower their team. To use a sports analogy, they set the game plan but let the quarterback call the plays. There are three strategies I see them using that make this work:
Exceptional clarity
Clarity around expectations, goals and each team member’s role is critical to this approach. Their leadership team is clear when they communicate all these things, and then they empower their team to execute and make decisions independently. They’re really good at “not taking the monkey,” as Tracy Wallingford and Megan Parker would say!
Investing in mechanization, but not going crazy
They will invest in equipment to help them better meet their ideal client’s expectations, but they don’t waste time or money on things that fall outside the scope of what they know they can do well. You will be very impressed with their fleet and facility, but it is all to serve the team and their clients. It is not for their ego.
Skilled at simplifying
As I’ve worked with owners Ryan and Annette McCarthy through our ACE Peer Group Program, I’ve long admired Ryan’s skill at getting to the root of an issue, simplifying it and then helping others to charge ahead and solve it. It’s a leadership skill he’s worked on over time that’s critical to his success. He doesn’t overthink it. He just does it.
For her part, Annette is great at staying focused and not getting distracted. She works tirelessly to “be the glue” that keeps RJ on the right path, and it’s easy to see why her team respects her as much as they do. She’s the kind of leader I’d like to work for, too.
Ryan and Annette are a different kind of leader than I am, and their business model differs from mine. In the 10-plus years I’ve known them, I’ve learned so much from their leadership approach and perspective. And since their business is equally balanced with commercial and residential maintenance, installation, snow and lawn care, I know there will be something for everyone. I’m so excited that you all can see what I’ve seen at Grow! 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa, on Feb. 6-8, 2024.
