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Summer Time Checks and Balances

There’s never really a perfect time to review your processes to make sure you’re being as efficient as you possibly could be, but like the old adage “the best time to plant that tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is today”. What better opportunity when you’re in the peak flow of all of your processes to take a few moments and make sure you’re running how you want to be.

Take stock of all of the processes you have for a key area within the business. I wouldn’t recommend a complete audit of every standard operating procedure you have, rather a targeted check-in to make sure you’re doing the absolute best you can in that area. Here are some keys to success in reviewing your processes:

  1. Be inclusive! Have everyone who that process affects in the room when reviewing and making any changes.
  2. Discuss the current reality – are things working or are they not? What can be done to improve? What needs immediate attention?
  3. Have the difficult conversations – if something isn’t working, it’s important to call it out. Be hard on the issue, soft on the person.
  4. Identify best practices – there are many different ways of doing things well. Have someone surface best practices and discuss how the team can do better than that.
  5. Adopt a continuous improvement approach – your processes never become stuck in a state of status quo. As a team, you’re always looking for ways to enhance how you do things.

It’s often difficult to find time in the midst of the summer in the landscape business to work on the business. It’s incredibly important to focus on the strategic direction of your company, carving out time to do that is the key here. Whether it’s once a day, once a week, once a month — make sure you are giving the right amount of attention to how your business runs.