Lessons in Leading by Marty Grunder

LESSONS IN LEADING Marty Grunder, Grunder Landscaping Co.

This time of year, my regular routine at Grunder Landscaping Co. includes checking in on our crews at our jobsites. Leading and motivating our team is a crucial part of my role as CEO, and I like to visit the crews in action so I can catch them doing their jobs right. In my experience, praising your employees for doing great work leads to more great work and clearly communicates to your whole team what qualifies as great at your company.

But I would be lying if I told you everything is always great at our jobsites; I almost always notice tasks we could get better at. The challenge is how best to address these shortcomings when they arise. I find that one of the hardest lines to walk as a leader is correcting team members’ mistakes without demotivating them or undermining our managers.

This past month, I saw two issues on jobsites that needed improving. The first was the way a crew was placing boulders— technically they were installing them correctly, but they lacked the artistic touch we promised the client in our design proposal. I took some photos, jotted down notes to myself, and moved on.

The second problem I saw was on an installation job that required equipment to move materials over grass. We were doing more damage to the lawn than was necessary. Again I snapped some photos, made notes, and moved on.

The following week I brought my photos and notes to our leadership team meeting and shared my thoughts. I pointed out the problems I saw and then I asked questions: Did we give the crew clear instructions for installing the boulders? Was there a reason the other crew was taking that particular route through the lawn and causing damage?

Now, you may be wondering why I waited to address these issues with my leadership team, when I could have told our crews directly what I wanted improved while I was at the jobsites. I took the approach I did for three reasons:

I’m Not the Only Leader

My leadership team is responsible for the day-to-day operations at GLC, and I don’t want to undermine their authority or credibility by telling their teams how to do their jobs.

By bringing my concerns to my leadership team instead, I help them learn how to provide constructive criticism to our crews, empower them to prevent these mistakes from happening again, and avoid confusion among our crews about who’s in charge. The old adage that too many cooks in the kitchen will spoil the soup holds true in business, too. the matter with the team member right then and there. Safety can’t wait, and it’s on all of us to ensure we’re following proper procedures.

I’m Not Jumping to Conclusions

There could be a reason why a crew is doing work a certain way. Maybe the client specifically asked for the boulders to be installed the way they did, or maybe the crew evaluated their options and decided this was their best one.

Our crews are highly capable and highly trained. They don’t always get everything right, but I believe most people want to do a good job and to be proud of the work they do. As CEO, it’s my job to foster a positive culture of continuous improvement, not to jump to conclusions and point fingers.

I’m Not Inducing Panic

I visited these properties on Saturday morning after finishing a sales call. The crews were working overtime to help us catch up from the crazy spring we’ve all had, and I’m sure many were eager to go home and enjoy time with their family and friends. Nobody wants to work longer than they have to on a Saturday. The issues I saw did not need to be addressed immediately, so I could wait until I was back in the office with our leadership team the following week. We were then able to agree on next steps together, and implement changes with a united voice and without unnecessary disruption.

I am by no means a perfect leader, but I’ve learned over the years that this approach enables us to continue to improve without creating a “gotcha culture.” The next time you encounter a problem at your company, take a step back and think about the culture and company you want to foster.

If you want to see for yourself how we’re working to optimize every area of our business at Grunder Landscaping, join us for one of our Field Trips this fall. The trips are limited to 14 attendees to guarantee you get the one-on-one attention you need, and we have strong protocols in place to provide for your safety and our team’s. Learn more at growgroupinc.com/ glc-fall-field-trips. B

Contact Marty at marty.grunder@ grunderlandscaping.com

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