If your green industry business is similar to a lot of other green industry businesses, it started with your passion for working in the field. You started as a soloist - perhaps with your wife or family providing part-time administrative support - and grew it into a business with office staff, multiple field techs, equipment and a lot more responsibility.
One of those responsibilities is leading your team. If you’re like a lot of other leaders, you know how hard it is. Especially in your business - you’ve done all of the jobs that the employees you’ve hired are doing. You did them with passion - because it's your business - and, in many cases - your employees lack that passion. How do you instill it in them?
Here are five tips to help you inspire your team:
Listen.
I once worked for a much larger company that was significantly impacted by the economic recession. They hired a new HR director and first thing she did was survey the employees to identify their issues. She then put together a plan based on that feedback, communicated it to employees, and made substantive change.
The first step in inspiring your employees is to listen to them. Understand what they like and dislike about your business. Put together an improvement plan with specific action items and clearly communicate it to your employees. Then measure your progress. Then survey them again.
If people think their voice matters, they’ll feel more like a member of the team and less likely to feel alienated and alone. So take the time to listen to your employees.
Offer improvement opportunities.
It’s commonplace for Fortune 500 companies to offer tuition assistance to their employees. Why? Because odds are what their employees learn in school will improve them as employees.
Obviously, most green industry businesses don’t have the financial means to offer perks like tuition reimbursement. But there are other things you can do to improve your employees' knowledge - and your business. Send your technicians and crews to industry training through the Irrigation Association or National Association of Landscape Professionals. Have your office manager spend time with training on your field service software or getting QuickBooks training. Send your sales reps to Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference.
Employees want to learn and improve, so why not treat them to training opportunities that make them better at their job?
Set clear goals.
Two years ago, we implemented Traction, a business management philosophy, to help bring more structure to our fast-growing business. One of the core tenets of Traction is that you set goals - both short-term and long-term - and measure your progress toward those goals.
Setting goals is a very simple thing to do, yet I’m amazed at how few green industry businesses set them. It sets expectations for employees, lets them know what is important and how they’re impacting the business, and enables them to focus on the things that matter to their business.
Give employees ownership.
I’m guessing one of the reasons you started a business is because you didn’t like taking direction from others. Let’s face it, few of us do. We want the freedom to do what we think is right.
So give your employees that freedom. Give them complete ownership of their jobs. Set goals, and let them figure out how they’re going to achieve them. Give them advice and guidance, but let them learn by doing. Sure, mistakes will happen, but every mistake offers a learning opportunity and inspires your employees to think for themselves.
Be honest.
I remember I was in a meeting at a previous job. The recession had just hit, and our owner told the entire staff that it would have no effect on the business. Given the business we were in - which relied on people hiring - it didn’t make logical sense. Months later, the company shaved 33% of its staff, and those that remained were demoralized.
Don’t lie to your employees. Nothing will derail your business more than dishonesty - intentional or not. You wouldn’t lie to a customer so don’t lie to your employees. Even when you have to criticize employees, be honest with them and ask for their feedback.
Want another tip on how to inspire employees? Hire great employees for them to work with. Download our free eBook, How to Hire the Best Employees for Your Green Industry Business, for great tips on how to do just that.
