There are a few common types of difficult employees, but things are rarely as clear-cut as we might like them to be. Some employees will be a mix of different types. Others might be completely different types on different days. You have to become good at reading people’s signals, stopping problem behavior early and setting the tone for your crew... read more
Other than a paycheck, do you give your employees any good reasons to come to work each day? If your answer is “not really,” here are a few ideas to help you pump up employee engagement, which has a direct correlation to retention and makes recruiting new hires easier, too. 1. Differentiate yourself. What do you offer that other employers... read more
For the past couple of years, I’ve been mentoring a young man in his late 20s. We meet every couple of weeks for coffee early in the morning before work begins. Among other topics, we discuss his job and issues related to navigating the nuances of large company politics. At our most recent meeting, he informed me that he was... read more
There are times in every business when we face the challenging and often sad news that one of our key managers has decided to move on. The first reaction from leadership is often surprise. “How could we have missed this?” This thought is followed by fear and dread. “How will we make it and what will people think?” Finally, it... read more
Recognizing well-deserving employees boosts morale at J.W. Townsend Landscapes. Leigh Townsend, president of J.W. Townsend Landscapes, is always looking for ways to invest in his people, and he’s willing to learn from ideas that have been successful at other companies. When he heard in his peer group about a successful employee recognition program at another landscape company, he adopted the... read more
If you own or run a landscape or lawn care business, you likely have a knack for customer service. You wouldn’t be here, reading LM right now, if you didn’t. That’s why it may be difficult for you to understand why employees don’t come to work with the same mindset you do. Dave Murray, a customer experience consultant for Cleveland-based... read more
