Do you want better crew leaders? Start here.
The crew leader position is one of the most important positions in our industry, if not the most important position. It’s at the crew level where the rubber meets the road.
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Professional Development on Steroids
If you’ve ever been on steroids, you probably remember it because they are amazing. I’ve only been on them a few times in my life. Each time was a game-changer in terms of how they made an immediate impact. Each time, I was having a fairly serious medical condition and the steroids provided not only immediate relief but changed the future course toward healing and recovery.
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Want Your Training Paid For?
If you want to provide more training for your people but are finding the budget isn’t sufficient for all of the education that you want to participate in this year, it can pay to explore how workforce development funds can help. Many states have allocated money specifically for employees to get better at their jobs and you may already be qualified. Here’s two successful examples of how this works:
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Working Slower
There are times when managers have no choice but to jump into the field and lend a helping hand to meet some pressing obligations. And while most managers bring a big boost of productivity in this times, I never personally contribute that way. My goal when I have to perform a critical task outside my role is to work slower. Here’s why it’s the best strategy ever…
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Are You Serious?
Throughout my career, I have always been serious about continuing education, professional development, training, etc. In fact, I believe it has been one of the most influential aspects of my career. Investing in yourself is something that nobody can ever take away from you. It follows you throughout your career. It makes you more valuable, opens doors, and broadens your horizons.
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Get Winter Ready FAST
As the snow season rapidly approaches, the training of field employees always remains the biggest factor in whether a company is successful or underperforming. With the current labor shortage, it’s clear that many employees are going to be new to the snow industry. Today’s great snow companies will be built on their ability to train anyone - here’s how…
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Redefining Work
Employers today are increasingly hiring people who are unprepared for the workforce. This has always been an issue to some. There was always a small percentage of people entering the workforce who were not ready to do so. But that percentage has grown in recent years and may even be more than 50% today. I’d love to hear what you think about this percentage...
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How Much to Invest?
When it comes to employee development, the question that I always receive is, “How much should we invest in training for an employee?” It’s an important question because development is an expensive and critical part of the employee experience but we never want to make a bad investment. After much consideration and surveying, I’ve determined the optimal investment in employee growth is…
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Landscape Basics: The Season Within the Season
I’m a big fan of daily huddles and short, weekly meetings with all field staff. These are great ways to bring everyone together and to do a small amount of training for the “season within the season” on a regular basis. So what is the “season within the season?”
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The 5-Day Training Challenge
What would you say if I told you I would do all of your training for you from now on? You tell me what you need and I’ll deliver it. In addition, you wouldn’t have to interrupt production to have the training sessions. On top of that, I will train your subcontractors as well. And all of this training will be done at a price you will find to be shockingly low. Too good to be true? I promise you it is not. We can even get started for free if you’d like.
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Where the Great Employees Are
Companies like Indeed.com, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn will tell you in their advertisements that the right candidates are out there. In fact, the best candidates are on their platforms! If only you’ll pay more to get them…
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Can We Clarify Something?
I have an elderly neighbor who isn’t able to drive anywhere. Recently he asked me to run down the street to a local gas station, where he runs a tab, to pick up some groceries for him. Of course I wanted to help the guy out, but I had several questions. And then I experienced a lesson in clarity that I wished I learned years ago in management…
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Snowfighters Boot Camp!
Do you remember your first winter in the snow industry? Just think of everything you didn’t know. How could you? How much better would it have been if you could have been more prepared? What if there were a boot camp for snowfighters?
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Why the Labor Problem is Different Now
While labor continues to be the biggest challenge for every company in our industry, the dynamic has wildly shifted this week. For the past 5 years or so, just finding people to apply for jobs has been a herculean task. But starting this week, the labor problem will be entirely different for contractors. Here’s how to solve it...
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Back to Work Better
As states continue to reopen, every business owner I’ve talked to has told me they’re busier than ever trying to catch up. But in the rush of safety precautions, pressure to finish jobs, and continuing labor issues, many are overlooking the most important thing for new employees. What needs to stay as top priority is...
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Are You Kidding Me?
Jordan started two weeks ago. He has a good attitude and seems eager to learn. But I’m discovering that he is lacking some basic knowledge and skills. And I’m realizing that for him to be successful, we are going to have to train him up in some areas we weren’t planning on. My first reaction was, “Are you kidding me?” But after more reflection I changed my mind about how to approach this. Let me explain...
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How Tall Are Your Impatiens?
If you’re not a horticulturalist, Impatiens are garden flowers that grow profusely in the right conditions but perform terribly in the wrong environment. Most plants are this way but Impatiens take it to the extreme, making for a great analogy of how the same person may fail miserably at one company but be a superstar at the next company. It’s not the person or the plant, it’s the conditions they are thrust into...
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The Five Costly Errors of Spring Training
A common complaint in our industry is that there’s not enough time for spring training, that it’s too expensive and not worth the investment. I wholeheartedly disagree. If administered properly, spring training will result in higher engagement, fewer mistakes, better retention, and higher profits while poorly administered spring training is costly and will not produce the intended results. There are five costly errors of spring training...
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Reevaluating Employee Onboarding for 2019
New employees are frequently thrown into a new position in an industry they don’t fully understand without proper onboarding procedures. They’re offered minimal training with a brief overview or outdated orientation videos that don’t truly make a difference. This isn’t enough. Your onboarding process drastically affects your retention rate and employee success. Could you be using a better approach?...
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