By Neal Glatt

When I started working in the landscape and snow industry 10 years ago, every business was concerned with survival.   “The Great Recession” struck hard and the future of sales and profitability for contractors was extremely concerning.  We were all caught completely by surprise and the industry suffered some very tough years as a result.  If you’re reading this now, though, you not only survived but have likely emerged stronger with new processes, solid growth, and increased technology to be better equipped than we were before.  Congratulations!

Here’s the problem: we are on the verge of another significant challenge for the industry.  In fact, the forthcoming “Talent War” will likely impact our industry more than the economic recession did a decade ago.  Many companies have become complacent with steady growth and have not properly considered the looming problem which will absolutely stop them in their tracks.

Fortunately, there is hope.  For over 60 years, psychologists have been studying how people work and there are proven methods to create teams which produce higher sales, profitability, and engagement.  This new management philosophy is the key to winning the war.  Only you can decide if you will make the preparations in your business now or wait until we are fully entrenched and in crisis mode.

So, what needs to happen?  We need to commit to the idea that information is everywhere, technology is affordable, and adaption is too fast to maintain any type of traditional competitive advantage for long.  The only real sustainable advantage companies can have today is the ability to attract, grow, and retain the talent of its people. 

We also need to understand that everything we’ve ever learned about management is probably wrong.  Traditional ideas were fine for about 200 years from the start of the industrial revolution in 1815 until today, but millennials are changing the game.  For the first time ever, there are more jobs than people and those of us born between 1980 and 1996 have the leverage to dictate what we are seeking in a job.  By 2025, millennials will represent 75% of the workforce.  The companies that adapt to what the new generation seeks in a job will thrive, and those that don’t will not have enough employees to remain in business.

Are you prepared to adapt? Do you knwo what changes you have to make? Check out our courses to learn more.