Winning Strategies

Inspired by NFL teams by GoMaterials

You’ve had the team huddle, you’ve made the kickoff, there have been a few fumbles, and now the fourth quarter is looming, and you’ve been feeling the pressure.

We’re not talking about your football glory days; We’re talking about your landscaping business!

Our recent industry poll suggests that close to 64% of landscape industry professionals feel “highly stressed out” at the beginning of their last business quarter.

Football players (and fans!) know all about losing steam in the fourth quarter and the importance of keeping a team motivated until the very end.

Landscapers can draw inspiration from the NFL when it comes to landscaping employee management.

Here are some winning NFL strategies to keep your landscaping crew and employees motivated:

Make a Playbook for Landscaping Employees 

The very basics of team management for landscaping businesses consist of clear objectives with the steps to achieve them. Define what your goals for the week, the month, and the quarter are.

Next, you need to map out how to reach these objectives. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each of your crew members. 

Place your team in the best positions from the get-go based on their strengths.

Don’t forget the huddle! Take a moment every week to communicate the objectives with your team. 

Treat Every Game Like a Superbowl Final 

In the NFL, winning teams and coaches treat every game like it’s the Superbowl.

Your crew should also make high-performance a habit regardless of the job size.

As the ‘coach’, your guidance in this realm is crucial. 

A default expectation of high performance attracts and retains the most motivated individuals.

You need to constantly nurture that expectation and put your best players forward.

Identify Your Quarterback and Let them Go for It On the Fourth Down

That all-star crew member who makes metaphorical touchdowns on any job to which they’re assigned.

The best motivation for these high-performing landscape employees is increased responsibility.

It means a hands-off approach when managing them.

Your landscaping team’s top worker has that reputation because you’ve seen their ability and their work ethic.

Rather than risk stifling them, give these types of landscaping employees the freedom to take calculated risks.

Find Your Fans, Anthem, and Huddle Rituals

 There’s nothing quite like the chemistry that binds a good team together.

Team management differs depending on the characters that make up your landscaping business.

Identify what brings your crew together and use it to keep everyone motivated!

Ultimately, you are your team’s greatest fan and only coach. It’s good to know that every play won’t result in a touchdown.

Landscaping crew management done right means you can work on molding a good team into a great team by keeping everyone properly motivated.

Full article here.