I WANT A RAISE!

During my term as President, I would like to share advice and lessons I have learned throughout the 20+ years I’ve spent working in this amazing industry. Much of this will correlate with the idea of embracing change. While it may sound cliché, change truly is the only constant we have in life – like it, or not – and adapting to modern technologies and ideas will be the key to many of our companies’ survival.

This month, I’d like to tackle the topic of “What to do when one of your employees approaches you and says, ‘I want a raise.’”

With inflation creeping up monthly, the dollars our staff earn do not go as far as they used to, and a raise will be on their minds. In this regard, the beginning of the year is a wonderful time to look back and conduct performance reviews with each member of your team in effort to determine if one is merited, either now or in the future. It helps if there is a set form for them to fill out that matches your company’s mission or vision statement, goals and/or strategic plan. This form should allow for written feedback from the employee and manager.

Typically, the employee will fill out the form first and deliver it to their manager. Once the manager reviews it and gathers any relevant information, they should complete it and set a review date with that employee. (Note: I realize everyone might not be comfortable with giving or hearing constructive criticism, but as hard as it may seem, it’s incredibly valuable for you and your employees to grow and learn as a team.)

Once the review is conducted, mutually agreed upon goals should be recorded and reaching these goals can be tied to merit increases or performance incentives. This takes “well, I guess I could give them this much” out of the equation and levels the playing field for all. Sounds simple enough, right?

During the winter months, many our businesses’ focus shifts to performing snow (or not performing snow) and preparing for the spring season (repairing equipment, taking down holiday décor or winter pruning). While finding the time to set aside for reviews during this time should be a little easier, that’s not necessarily always the case, as many of us continued on page 6

FEATURES

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

I Want a Raise!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

PERENNIAL FOCUS

Perennial Garden Design: More Changes in Design Style

FISCAL FITNESS

Contribute to 401(k) or Roth IRA?

FOR SAFETY SAKE

Increasing Profits Through Landscaper Safety Training Courses

PLANT OF THE MONTH

Do You Know This Arborvitae?

FEATURE ARTICLE

6 Steps to Successfully Onboard New Employees

DIRECTIONS

Public Outreach

ADVERTISING INDEX

OHIO’S PROFESSIONAL GREEN INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

9240 Broadview Road

Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147

Phone: 440.717.0002

Toll Free: 1.800.335.6521

Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com

DESIGNER / EDITOR

Rick Doll, Jr.

REGULAR WRITERS

Michael J. Donnellan, M3 Wealth Management

Dr. Jim Funai, PhD., Cuyahoga Community College

Shelley Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

Stephanie Gray, LIC, BrightView Landscapes

Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of magazine publication. For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, or email Rick Doll Jr. at rick@ohiolandscapers.org.

DISCLAIMER

The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association.

OFFICERS

President

Stephanie Gray, LIC

President – Elect

Cameron Maneri

Treasurer

Ryan Drake

Immediate Past President

Brian Maurer, LIC

DIRECTORS

Brandon Barker

Tina Graver, LIC

Matt Malone

Tim McCaskey

Bob Ramser, LIC

Kate Stone, OCNT

OLA STAFF

Executive Director

Sandy Munley

Associate Director

Rick Doll, Jr.

Calendar Of Events

UPCOMING OLA MEETINGS, EDUCATION SEMINARS & EVENTS

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 3 - 12, 2023

OLA DISPLAY AT THE GREAT BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW

This is a great opportunity to help promote the industry, our association, and your company. If you are interested in volunteering to help staff the garden during show hours, please contact the OLA at 440.717.0002 as soon as possible. Spots fill up quickly.

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

OLA COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Joining an OLA committee is a wonderful way to get involved - not only within the association - but in the industry you love. It is also a great way for a potential board member to get a feel for the association’s work and needs. Join us for our kick-off meeting, immediately before our February evening meeting. RSVP required. Call the OLA office at 440.717.0002.

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

NE OHIO EVENING MEETING

Running a business is about figuring out how you do things and getting those things done. But, as your business grows, systems might accidentally fall into place that aren’t scalable. Join us as David Gallagher (Spiritus Business Advisors) discusses how to intentionally systematize your business.

FEBRUARY 24, 2023

OLA SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE

Each year, the OLA has scholarship monies available to selected students who are interested in pursuing horticulture in college. Eligible students include high school seniors, as well as college students, currently studying horticulture. Visit www.ohiolandscapers.org/scholarships for a full list of details and to apply.

March

MARCH 8, 2023 (NE OHIO)

CREW LEADER TRAINING DAY

(Formerly Foreman Training)

Crew Leaders work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing customer satisfaction.

MARCH 9, 2023 (NE OHIO) CREW LEADER TRAINING DAY

Crew Leaders work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing

MARCH 10, 2023 (CENTRAL OHIO)

CREW LEADER TRAINING DAY

Crew Leaders work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing

MARCH 30, 2023 (CENTRAL OHIO)

CENTRAL OHIO EVENING MEETING

(Mike Rorie: Level Five Leadership)

Now more than ever, your business will benefit from your ability to provide a vision, operate within ethic standards and be decisive. These principles will be the glue that holds your business together during challenging times. Join us as Mike Rorie (GIS Dynamics) discusses how to intentionally systematize your business. See page 7.

JUNE

JUNE 15, 2023

26th ANNUAL AWARDS GALA

Join Ohio’s landscape community for an evening out as we reveal the 2022 Landscape Ohio! Award winners. This is a great opportunity for those of you who have been contemplating entering, or for those of you just looking to spend an elegant night out with industry leaders as we celebrate our industry!

Upcoming

- PLANT I.D. CLINICS

- SCHOLARSHIP GOLF CLASSIC

- SNOW & ICE CLINIC

- FACILITY TOURS

- STONE VENEER CLINIC

- SALES, DESIGN & MORE...

New Members

The Ohio Landscape Association is delighted to welcome the following members:

REGULAR MEMBERS

Blades of Grass Landscaping

15739 Hallauer Road

Oberlin, OH 44074

(440) 276-1710

Joe Novosielski

Dohner LTD

6291 Chittenden Road

Hudson, OH 44236

(330) 714-9589

Chris Dohner

Pro Edge Lawn Care

1446 Albon Road

Holland, OH 43528

(419) 865-4923

Kim Bonde

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Halstead Media Group

600 N Broad St, Ste 5 #2149

Middletown DE 19709

(845) 475-8162

Corey Halstead continued from page 3 wear many hats. And what if you are a smaller company that does not have an HR staff? (As a reminder one of your OLA member benefits is discounts on HR materials. If you have any questions about that, please reach out to Sandy and Rick and they will be happy to help.)

If you break it down, it should take you 10-20 minutes per employee to fill out the review form and set the meeting date. For the review itself, you should set aside a minimum of 30 minutes, but more likely closer to an hour, for each of you to have a good dialogue on past performance and goals.

As a manager, it is important for you to have the form filled out with your critiques and be present mentally during the review. The employee will notice it quickly if their manager is distracted. Discuss both the good and bad from the previous year and let the employee speak of any issues they may have encountered. While you do not want the review to turn into a gripe session, letting the employee give feedback will help strengthen your overall relationship with them.

Conversely, critical feedback given should not come as a surprise, but your goal should be to give that feedback without bruising their ego and causing defensiveness. Be a coach and take responsibility for how the message is heard.

If you don’t have much experience performing reviews, take a few minutes to look up a TED talk video, or listen to a podcast, or two. TED is a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. Most talks are 15 minutes or less and you can search and watch a variety of topics.

As for a dollar amount to be given, that is up to you and your management team. Having a written review of past performance and goals achieved will help take the guesswork out of whether the employee has performed well enough to merit a raise. Performance reviews will help you build a workplace culture of trust and is a win-win for all involved. And once these are completed, then the fun of production planning for the spring/summer season can start.

Thanks for spending this time with me as I get to know you and you get to know me over my term.

- Stephanie Gray LIC

EVENT INFORMATION

DATE & LOCATION

MARCH 30, 2023

NORTHSTAR GOLF CLUB

1150 WILSON RD. SUNBURY, OH 43074

AGENDA REGISTRATION / NETWORKING FOOD / CASH BAR

6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM

PROGRAM

7:00 PM TO 8:45 PM

COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: $50

REGISTER TO ATTEND BY MARCH 23, 2023

SPONSORED BY EMERALD SPONSORS

OLA CENTRAL OHIO MEETING Level Five Leadership

Now more than ever, your business will benefit from your ability to provide a vision, operate within ethic standards and be decisive. These principles will be the glue that holds your business together during challenging times.

Leadership is a basic and essential quality that is paramount to the success of your company. It’s a critical management skill that is often taken lightly and considered a by-product of your efforts rather than a calculated discipline. Your skills in motivating and influencing others toward a common goal may be more important in today’s business environment than ever before.

Join us, March 30, 2023, as Mike Rorie (Former CEO of GIS DYNAMICS) discusses the keys to competent executive leadership, including:

• Leadership lessons he’s learned throughout his career.

• How to construct your leadership team.

• Messages to develop your companies, future leaders & management teams.

• Methods in managing your leadership team.

As former CEO of GIS DYNAMICS and a current board member of Groundsystems, of Cincinnati, Mike enjoys mentoring industry owners for strategic growth and organizational development for their companies. He has spent his entire career in the commercial green industry spanning over four decades, growing his first company, Ground Masters, into a fivecity regional platform that served over 1,200 customers with over 500 staff members. Mike sold Ground Masters in 2006.

In 2010, Mike became interested in a small business, GIS DYNAMICS, and created the brand GO I LAWN which allowed contractors to do desktop measuring and estimating versus field measuring. He operated the business for 10 years before selling it to Aspire Software, where it now resides. This has turned into PROPERTY INTELLIGENCE.

GOLD SPONSORS

In 2014, Mike, his daughter Rachel, and former Ground Masters managers incorporated GroundSystems into a Commercial Grounds and Snow Management company.

About Gis Dynamics

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR OUR CENTRAL OHIO MEETINGS SEASON. CALL THE OLA OFFICE AT 440.717.0002.

GIS Dynamics was founded in 2005 as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) company providing custom solutions to a variety of clients. In 2009, a GIS project for a New Jersey landscaper was the catalyst for what GIS now focuses on, Software as a Service applications Go iLawn (www.GoiLawn. com) and GoiPave (www.GoiPave.com). These web based applications are designed to help lawn and landscape, snow removal and pavement maintenance contractors measure properties online to expedite the estimating and proposal process. The company now operates on the ASPIRE software platform, a Service Titan company.

PRESENTED BY