Hear How Open Book Management And Transparency Build Great Landscape Company Culture
Ryan talks about open book management and how he’s used it to create a more accountable workforce and positive company culture within his business.
A Winning Team Includes Women: How Diversity Strengthens Landscaping Companies
In honour of International Women’s Day, I want to recognize the impact women have had on the success of the landscaping company I started nearly three decades ago. At Creative [...]
26
Mar
Mar
Beyond the Daily Grind: Building a Business That Thrives Without You!
Many business owners begin their journey with a deep knowledge of their craft. In the landscaping industry, this might mean designing high-end outdoor spaces, building complex hardscapes, or delivering exceptional [...]
19
Feb
Feb
OWNERSHIP RULE #10 of 14: “To Maximize Equity Value, You Have To Think Strategically.”
“The Unfolding Drama of Business: Facing the Future with Strategic Involvement” At Creative Roots, I’ve come to understand that the company’s true value lies in its people and their ability [...]
15
Oct
Oct
Open-Book Management: Don’t Be Fooled by the Buzzword
You can’t just share the numbers and think your employees will “get it!” In the world of business management, Open-Book Management (OBM) has become somewhat of a buzzword. It’s a [...]
29
Aug
Aug
OWNERSHIP RULE #9 of 14: “Getting Out Is Harder Than Getting In.”
“Embracing Employee Ownership: My Experience Of Selling to Employees.” After three decades of guiding my landscape business from a humble startup to what it has become today, I’ve come to [...]
01
Jul
Jul
OWNERSHIP RULE #8 of 14: “You Build an Ownership Culture by Breaking Down Walls.”
Another Insight from 30 Years at Creative Roots Landscaping 2024 marks my 30th year since I started Creative Roots Landscaping. Through trial and plenty of error, I have come to [...]
14
Feb
Feb
OWNERSHIP RULE #7 of 14: “The BIG Benefits of Psychic and Actual Employee Ownership”
Selling equity to an employee can offer valuable learning experiences in ownership. Still, it won’t automatically turn them into entrepreneurs or have them fully grasp the responsibilities that come with [...]
23
Dec
Dec
OWNERSHIP RULE #6 of 14: “Failures Are Fine As Long As They Strengthen The Company.”
Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose. I either win, or I learn.” As a 29-year owner in the landscaping industry, I’ve witnessed my fair share of ups and downs. [...]
31
Oct
Oct
OWNERSHIP RULE #5 of 14: “There is No “I” in “Team”
As the African proverb tells us, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In the old-school way of doing business [...]
21
Oct
Oct
OWNERSHIP RULE #4 of 14: “Stock is NOT a Magic Pill” Employee Ownership in the Landscape Industry
In the world of business, there are rules, principles, and strategies that have been tested and proven over time. Among these rules, as described by Jack Stack in his book [...]
08
Oct
Oct
OWNERSHIP RULE #3 of 14: The Bigger the Pie, the Bigger the Individual Slices.
Building a thriving landscaping company isn’t just about landscaping; it’s also about people. Our ownership team was recently working on the next level of our plan to continue to bring [...]
19
Sep
Sep
OWNERSHIP RULE #2 of 14: A Company isn’t worth anything if nobody wants to own it.
Alright, let’s talk business, but not the boring, run-of-the-mill stuff. We’re diving into the landscape industry—where beauty meets business. Here’s the deal: your company’s worth isn’t just dollars and cents. [...]
13
Sep
Sep
OWNERSHIP RULE #1 of 14: “The Company is the Product.”
In the ever-evolving landscape industry, success hinges not only on the beauty of the environments we create but also on the innovative strategies we employ to run our businesses. One [...]
26
Aug
Aug
Talking Business With the People You Are in Business With
It seems that every time I turn on the TV, log into Facebook or hear someone talk about what’s happening in their world, I ask myself, “What the hell is [...]
11
Mar
Mar
Sharing the “Why Before the “How” is Critical to Your Growth, Success and Retaining Good Employees
At the end of what has been another crazy year, with all the services to schedule, SOP’s to improve, planning, organizing, the downtime you should be taking, and so on, [...]
13
Jan
Jan
Begin with the Right Leadership: Stop Working IN Your Business and Start Working ON Your Business
The end of 2021 will mark my 27th year in the landscaping business. I’m not too sure if it is or isn’t funny how time flies! From the days of [...]
10
Dec
Dec
Strategic Planning is H.I.P – 10 Steps You MUST do for Success in 2022
Up until about 14 years ago when I first started to think about strategic planning around business operations at Creative Roots Landscaping, I had the idea that they were typically [...]
09
Nov
Nov
With every set of hands I get a free brain! – OBM from an employee’s perspective
Oh, boy…is it that time again? It feels like I just posted an article last month, and already I am a few months behind on delivering this one! A problem, [...]
14
Oct
Oct
The People Part of Selling
“They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel” ~ Maya Angelou ~ I won’t claim to be an expert on selling in [...]
10
May
May
Huddles: Why They Create the Ultimate Place for Effective Team Communication
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” Jim Rohn [...]
04
Apr
Apr
Open Book Management: To Win the Game, You Need the Right Team
“Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” Jim Collins. “Take our best 20 people away, and I tell you that Microsoft will become an unimportant company.” Bill Gates About halfway [...]
16
Mar
Mar
Open Book Management: Connecting Your People With Profits
The Wake-up Call “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” ~ African Proverb This article has all the elements of a [...]
23
Feb
Feb
3 Not-So-Obvious Business OPERATIONS I Wish I’d Embraced Sooner…
The famous French composer Claude Debussy said “Music is the silence between the notes.” Years ago, when I first started to think about business operations, I had the idea that [...]
15
Feb
Feb
High Involvement Planning: The Most Looked Forwarded to ALL-TEAM Huddle Of The Year!!!
Last week, the company I started over 25 years ago with a shovel, a truck and some elbow grease held its 12th High Involvement Planning (HIP for short) meeting. I [...]
18
Nov
Nov
Does your company have a North Star?
Before the luxury of GPS, stars led travelers home – and the North Star was a constant. If your team can’t point to your North Star, you might be having [...]
02
Nov
Nov
Ryan’s Presentation Video at LMN
Ryan put this together to show at the LMN Leaders Summit in 2018. It’s our team talking about why they like Open Book Management.
17
Jun
Jun
How to Build Financial Scoreboards Your Employees Want to Follow
Financial and Non-Financial Scoreboards – our “jumbotrons” I loved playing sports in high school. I learned that teams worked well together on a common goal – winning the game – [...]
15
Jun
Jun
Stop Looking for Rockstars
(Why a Piece of Garbage Tells a Story) Full disclosure: I generally try to stay out of the way when it comes to hiring, because I’m not that good at [...]
29
Apr
Apr
How Good Leadership Sometimes Means Following Your Team
We all fall into this trap as entrepreneurs at some point. We get into the habit of thinking we have all the answers. We built the business…we’re the authority, right? [...]
29
Apr
Apr
The Art of Doing Good: A Smart Way to Improve Your Company Culture
We have a tagline at our landscaping company: Making Neighbours Jealous Since 1994. Our landscaping market is relatively small – a population of under 200,000 people share this gorgeous slice [...]
16
Apr
Apr