Building TeamWise
by Danny Summers (with tons of help from John Kennedy and others)
When we were developing programming for The Fall Event 2025 and we connected with Dan Gingiss to present his Experience Maker message, I asked John Kennedy if Team Building could be dovetailed into the momentum of this message we wanted to create. He quickly said, "Absolutely... It's an easy bridge to build!"
What John created for us was this TeamWise program. Here's an overview of his message:
There is a difference between a group and a team and we must be wise about why that matters.
A group typically leans on the normal chain of command established for decision-making and problem-solving. We have been conditioned to do this since we were kids:
- Problem with a sibling? – Talk to your parents.
- Problem with a kid in school? – Talk to the teacher.
- Problem with an employee? – Talk to your manager.
That is “group” style thinking and isn’t very wise to building a world-class team.
In a true team environment, which takes leadership, time and guidance, if an employee needs to address an issue, concern or challenge, they lean on each other to resolve it; which is counterintuitive to how we all were raised.
This session explores the value of investing in fostering a team that is engaged, educated, informed and safe to have those challenging conversations amongst themselves, which in turn, streamlines decision-making, enhances the customer experience, builds trust, and ultimately reinforces retention.
Teams + Wise = Retention
In John's 57-minute presentation, he set the stage (pun intended) for asking several Group Centers to share examples of what they are doing to be TeamWise in their own operations. Adam Stair – Willow Ridge Garden Center, Ben Pecnik – Louisiana Nursery, and Rex Anderson – Town & Country Gardens, all shared examples of programs they are using to engage and develop their Teams... to be TeamWise!
John Kennedy, along with help from Adam, Ben, and Rex, showed us that the concept and practice of being TeamWise is not only vital to creating the best Customer Experience, but it is also at the foundation of your team being The Experience Makers!
Q: Have you seen this presentation? Were you with us at The Fall Event 2025?
Whether your answer is YES or NO, either way, you now have the opportunity to watch the entire presentation. Simply GO HERE... The Group WebSystem, go to the Clients-Only Menu and scroll down to Training - The Fall Event 2025 Sessions. You can also watch all three sessions with Dan Gingiss. And watch for more recordings to be added to this page in the coming weeks.
A special thank you to John Kennedy, Adam Stair, Ben Pecnik, and Rex Anderson for their efforts to create this important message!
Sharing is at the heart of The Group and your ideas are very important. If you have any trouble logging into The Group WebSystem, please let me know. Are you and your staff all subscribed to our eLists such as GroupEs, Retail-Grower, Retail-Landscape, Owners-Only, and a number of others? Need help subscribing? Let me know so I can show you how you can sign up.
Danny Summers
[email protected]
Tel: 678-909-7770
Cell: 678-761-7145
REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Tim Quebedeaux, John Kennedy, Seawright & Associates, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!
