Operating a thriving landscape or snow company isn’t always about doing the work or getting the job. In fact, that’s usually the easy part for any skilled tradesman or tradeswoman. Most owners know that much more goes into making a landscaping company successful and profitable – how a field laborer or an administrator gets from point A to point B in their day, and everything in between.
Efficiency and effectiveness are at the heart of a landscape company’s success and especially as inflating prices on insurance, commercial space, and other overhead expenses continue to rise. But what does being efficient and effective mean, and how does a company improve employee efficiency? Well, Peter Drucker, a famous business management consultant, summarized it perfectly years ago –
“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.”
Easy to say, hard to do, but to shed even more light on helping landscaping business improve employee efficiency, we’ve compiled our top 4 strategies that you can implement today.
Match Landscaper Skill Set to Tasks
This is critical to the employee’s success and the employer’s success. Typically this would be determined during the hiring process but can also be analyzed throughout an employee’s probation period. Identifying an employee’s skill set and matching it up with the appropriate task early on is key to productivity and staff retention.
Effective Communication
Being able to communicate with your employees effectively and cleary to ensure expectations are being met on all fronts is essential. When conflict arises, use supportive communication to navigate the situation. Having processes and communication checklists for communicating, morning, and end-of-day scrum meetings create a valuable team environment and collaboration. Consistency ensures expectations are clear and also provides an opportunity to build trust amongst the team.
Business Goals Need To Be Clear
We can’t expect our team members always to understand what each daily, weekly, or monthly goal is, and we certainly can’t expect them to be efficient if they don’t have a goal to aim for. Be transparent with your employees and ensure they understand the goals and the timelines attached. Track goals and KPI’s using a system or a process to hold all team members accountable. Our 4 o’clock 4′ app is a perfect example of a system for landscaping businesses (https://golmn.com/4oclock4/) that is efficient, repeatable and successful.
Incentivize Your Foremen and Employees
So, let’s bring it all together. A truly successful landscaping or snow company thrives on more than just the physical work, it’s built on a foundation of smart business practices. By focusing on the principles of efficiency and effectiveness, you can create a business that’s not only profitable but also a great place to work. Matching tasks to your team’s skills, ensuring clear and consistent communication, setting transparent business goals, and motivating your employees with effective incentives are the cornerstones of a well-oiled operation. These strategies build a strong team, boost productivity, and ultimately, drive your company’s long-term success. It’s about investing in your team so they, in turn, invest in your company.
