School of Management: The Missing Link in Employee Development

More often than not, landscaping companies organize their crews form the top down – field supervisor, foreman, crewmembers – and do the best job possible to ensure that employees at each level know what their duties are. Since that model works so well in terms of organization, why not apply it to the more theoretical aspects of running a business? At the Lawn & Landscape School of Management in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., attendees learned some ways to do just that.

In his Feb. 10, 2003, presentation, Bill Arman, vice president and regional manager, ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance, Calabasas, Calif., explained to nearly 200 attentive students that creating links from a company’s vision through its results is key to healthy employee development. Both a company and its employees can benefit greatly when everyone involved knows what the company stands for and what it takes to fulfill that vision. In his presentation on employee development, Arman outlined five important concepts for individuals in management positions to build on and instill in their employees.

1. Vision. When an entrepreneur first starts his business, he probably has a sense of the newfound company’s ultimate purpose and where he wants to guide it through the years. This is an important step in strategic planning, but presenting this vision to employees during training and orientation helps ensure that the goals it outlines will become reality. According to Arman, a company vision gives a clear sense of what the ultimate goal looks and feels like and serves as an inspirational ideal, giving employees something to aspire to. For example, a vision statement could read, “Our company will be a recognized leader in client satisfaction in our market and will be committed to working as our clients’ creative problem-solver and trusted partner.” Putting a vision statement together can be painstaking and time consuming, but ultimately aligns everyone’s goals from the company president to the crewmembers.

2. Mission. Unlike a vision, a company’s mission statement should be revisited everyday in order to give all employees a clear understanding of what should be accomplished in day-to-day operations. By answering questions like “Why are we here?” and “What are we doing that is special?” a mission statement gives employees a sense of purpose. For example, “Our company’s mission is to handle every landscape we care for with accuracy and artistry superior to our competitors, and approach all of our clients with a willingness to listen and help.” A mission statement like this can strengthen crewmembers’ pride in their company. While it may not be something that they memorize word for word, crewmembers can retain portions of a mission statement that pertain to them. Each time they greet the owner of the property or put the finishing touches on a mulch bed, they can directly relate their position with the purpose of the company.

3. Values. In addition to knowing where the company wants to go, employees must be introduced to the plant that will take it there. Knowing the company’s values or guiding principles is one more link in the chain of developing strong employees, and Arman suggested that having four or five guiding principles is a good foundation. Ranging from honesty and integrity to creativity and the willingness to learn and perfect new skills, values serve to form a company culture and can create common bonds between employees and employers, as well as illustrate to clients what is important within the organization.

4. Behaviors. The most obvious way to project company values in everyday work is to integrate them into employee behaviors. Creating a company culture that advocates positive, consistent reinforcement helps ensure that all employees conduct themselves in a manner conducive to moving the company toward its vision. Arman illustrated that having a properly organized chain of command can be important as far as making sure all parties involved understand the behaviors expected in the company. But passing negative reinforcement down the ranks to employees who aren’t performing as expected is less than effective. Positive, consistent reinforcement, on the other hand, by giving positive feedback when earned and suggesting areas of improvement when necessary, works better and more quickly in changing employee behavior and keeping morale up.

5. Results. Quite often, profit and loss are what come to mind in terms of business results, but for employee development, results come in many different forms. By beginning with a vision statement and mission statement, companies can measure success by determining how well their goals are being met and employees themselves have an outline for what the overall company expects. On a smaller scale, communicating values and behaviors to employees, along with detailed job descriptions ensure that everyone at every level of the company understands their part in the total success of the organization.

In his presentation, Arman encouraged everyone involved in the employee development process to see training sessions as more than just a chance to go over safety standards or mowing techniques. More than that, training provides an opportunity to link employees’ individual responsibilities to the organization’s ultimate goals. With everyone interested in moving in the right direction – and knowing what that direction is – personal and professional success is guaranteed.

The author is Assistant Editor for Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at lspiers@lawnandlandscape.com.