Let's face it. Spring is a marathon and you and your entire staff are exhausted near the end. It's Week 23 and the energy level is waning. I thought this would be a good time to make suggestion. How can you and your team find your balance in the next few weeks?
Here's a frightening thought: It's all up to you!
As a Garden Center Owner or Manager, I challenge you with this question: What is your business' most valuable asset?
As the Fall Event approaches and we drive the theme of “Time”, I thought this month would be great to highlight a few hints, tips and strategies to make the best of your time…as well as the time of your customers (even more valuable!). Invest your time wisely but make sure not to waste your customer’s time in doing so.
The month of April is dedicated to the importance and impact of consistency. From driving the customer experience to the art and science of plant health, ensure that your team sets standards to drive consistency in every aspect of the month.
simplify [sim-pluh-fahy]
verb (used with object), sim·pli·fied, sim·pli·fy·ing.
• to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier
It is a very basic, two syllable word but the process of simplifying something is not always easy. Building on what I started at the top of this GROUPtalk (One-Man-Band), I want to share some thoughts on this challenge. For many of our centers today the above graphic could easily represent a flow-chart of operations. Adding complexities throughout time just piles on layers of things to do. These are things you most likely feel are important and are "must-do's. At the same time the graphic also could represent your job responsibilities.
If you are an owner or manager, you have the power and ability to change this picture. Some months back I reminded you of the ultimate "Gatekeeper" and I showed you a picture. Do you remember who is was? It was The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. Remember anyone wanting to enter Oz had to come through him. That's the position I see many of our center's owners or managers in today. This has to change. It is called Team-Building and Delegation!
I have an important announcement!
In my position I get to observe a number of patterns in business management. And doing so, you see the real differences in how owners approach their business. There are some trends I want to highlight here and challenge you to assess where you are in your business management style. First, let's discuss two distinct types of owners or managers I see at work today.
The Gatekeeper manages by receiving all or most outside information and decide who in the organization needs to know what. Who to distribute the information to, who needs to know, on a limited basis. In my mind, the ultimate gatekeeper was this guy. When Dorothy and her unusual "team" approached the Emerald City gate at Oz, they were stopped by the Wizard. At that point, to get into the city, they had to get past The Wizard of Oz. This is a fitting comparison to what see in some businesses today.