Grow with Grunder: The art of saying no
Columnist Marty Grunder explains how instead of saying "yes" to any and all types of work, saying "no" can help landscape contractors grow their business. read more
How Blades of Green has changed its approach during COVID-19
“We’re doing better than some and worse than others, but I’d say we’re doing better than most, so we’ll take it,” says Brad Leahy, vice president of Blades of Green in Edgewater, Md. When LM reached Leahy on March 26, he reported that Blades of Green is completing its work as scheduled and hired its 100th team member last week.... read more
High Performance: Are you listening? Really?
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
Assemble the right team
Business owners are in charge of getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats. The business plan provides the destination and direction. But before owners commit to a budget, they need to make certain they have the right people. Too many owners and managers avoid the uncomfortable work of assessing and addressing an employee’s poor fit... read more
High Performance: The Rule of 5:1
I broke the Rule of 5:1 today and was promptly called out for violating such an important principle. After eating crow and apologizing for not practicing what we preach, all is once again just dandy at Pro-Motion Consulting. Have you ever heard of the Rule of 5:1? Probably not. The Rule of 5:1 states that people need to hear five... read more
High Performance: All about that base
No, I’m not “bringing booty back.” The base (not bass) I’m referring to is the base of your company—your core people, that is. The base is the foundation that supports the rest of the organization. If the base is weak, the entire structure is unstable and prone to fracture or even collapse. However, if the base is solid, the entire... read more
