Happy 4th of July! I know there is another week before July 4th but many of you may be taking a little time off to enjoy the holiday with your families and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity of wishing you a great holiday.

And what a great holiday this is−to celebrate our declaration of independence from Great Britain over 200 years ago. Think for a moment of all the things we know about our history and the trials and triumphs in those 235 years.

With today’s politics in other countries all around the world, we should be even more thankful that we can enjoy the freedoms living in the US allows us. Just think what our country might have been like if the early leaders and soldiers had not fought for our freedom.

So, as we celebrate the 4th of July, let’s also celebrate that we live in the USA.

You can still sign up for the next webinar on July 12th on the 10 Mistakes Most Landscapers Make & How to Avoid Them. Sign up today!

Smart managers and leaders clarify expectations for their direct reports. Job Descriptions are something you may hear about often but maybe don’t use them and maybe have never seen one.

It is very hard to judge someone’s performance and hold them accountable if you aren’t on the same page with them as to what is expected. Job Descriptions are the foundation to this relationship.

This week I want to suggest that you begin the process of having Job Descriptions for everyone in your company. Here’s one you can look at that is the Job Description of one of our production Team Members.  And if you’d like to purchase more of these Job Descriptions, click here.

Finally, the best question you can ask to write a Job Description for someone is this: “What would go wrong if this person were not here?” That ought to be a big thought starter.

Do you make any mistakes in your company? You’ll want to sign up for my July 12th Webinar on the 10 Mistakes Most Landscapers Make & How to Avoid Them. See how you stack up. Sign up today.

Core Values are the foundation to successful companies. Here are the 4 we live, eat, drink, and sleep at Grunder Landscaping Co.

1. Quality. We must do everything the best possible way. We are completely committed to high standards in all aspects of our business. We will:

• Use the best materials and continually enhance our offerings.
• Hire the best team and develop new leaders through mentoring and training.
• Provide the best service and continually look for opportunities to improve.
• Commit to the safest work environment with no compromises and continual vigilance.

2. Leadership. We are a leader in our industry and our community and therefore dedicated to being the best in all that we do. As a leader we will:

• Deliver high standards in quality and service.
• Be good environmental stewards.
• Act with integrity and professionalism with our employees, clients, vendors, and peers.
• Maintain an image that supports our mission.

3. Teamwork. We strive to work together with our clients, vendors, team members, and the entire community by:

• Showing respect to all.
• Supporting cooperation.
• Adapting to the ever-changing work environment.
• Providing effective communication to all.

4. Profitability. The efficient use of labor and materials results in a profitable company. Being profitable enables us to:

• Reinvest in new equipment, processes, facilities, and people to help us grow.
• Provide for growth and opportunities for our team.
• Help our team provide for themselves and their families.
• Give back to the community.

Our focus on these Core Values the past few years has made a difference; I see it in all areas of our company.

I have a friend and client who runs an incredibly successful company with 500 people. He believes the fact his people know the behaviors that are expected and supported, he has been able to grow. People make the difference. In fact, he said this about Core Values at his company, “Nothing will ever get in the way of us following our 8 Core Beliefs. If you violate them, that’s a show stopper and you don’t want that.” Translation? If you don’t follow them, you can’t work there!

Now there’s a guy who gets it. What are your Core Values?

If you need or want to discuss this topic more, feel free to contact Nancy for details on my coaching.

Don’t forget about the July 12th Webinar on 10 Mistakes Most Landscapers Make & How to Avoid Them. 2011 Webinar Bundle price is now $229. Also, we have openings in all of the Grunder Field Trip dates: July 7-8, August 11-12, and October 14-15. We’d love to have you visit Grunder Landscaping Co. for the day. Click here to sign up.

My great idea this week is very simple. I want you to make a phone call to every single prospect you have submitted a proposal to since March but have not heard a “yes” or a “no” from and ask them for the business.

Too many of us send out quotes and then never follow up again. So, get to work and call them−all of them. I promise you; you will be glad you did and I can almost promise you, you will make some sales.

If you want to experience a small group, intensive one-day look at Grunder Landscaping Co. and its operations, you should sign up today for one of the Field Trips. The dates are: July 7-8, August 11-12, and October 13-14.