IN LIKE A LION, OR A LAMB?

It’s been a bizarre winter. At the time of this article, we are 26 inches under our normal snowfall totals for the year, and it seems as if we’ve averaged near 50-degree days in February. Yes, “False Spring” (a concept popular to most of us mid-westerners) is upon us and has been prevalent for some time now. To that end, I’m guessing that most of our businesses have decided to try and implement the winter-to-spring “Alakazam” necessary to hit the ground running for when spring really hits. Like it, or not, the busy season is right around the corner, which begs me to ask: Will our crews go into it roaring like lions, or wandering around like bleating lambs?

I like to think that, in order to go into the year roaring, many of the changes we decided to make at the end of last year need to be ready to go! But, as is the question with all change, how are you going to know what is working and what is not? It’s important to get this question answered sooner than later, or else why make the change?

When implementing change, I always like to consider using a PDSA cycle. Let’s break it down.

PDSA, or Plan-Do-Study-Act, is an iterative, four-stage problem-solving model used for improving a process or carrying out change. When using the PDSA cycle, it’s important to include internal staff and external customers, as they can provide objective feedback about what is working, and what isn’t. Additionally, PDSA should be combined with other QI (quality improvement methods) such as six sigma or total quality management. So how can PDSA help us and our companies?

PDSA focuses on the most decisive part(s) of any issue, or change, and helps by translating ideas into actionable items. It is based on proven scientific methods and can help moderate impulsiveness – not that any of us are impulsive, by any means! It is important to remove emotional impulsiveness from the equation because – more often than not – knee-jerk reactions tend to harm our business.

What’s also nice about PDSA is that it can help us test changes on a small scale. This smaller scale can then be built on/up before wholesale implementation is rolled out.

continued on page 6

OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

9240 Broadview Road

Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147

Phone: 440.717.0002

Toll Free: 1.800.335.6521

Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com

DESIGNER / EDITOR

Rick Doll, Jr.

REGULAR WRITERS

Michael J. Donnellan, M3 Wealth Management

Dr. Jim Funai, PhD., Cuyahoga Community College

Shelley Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

Stephanie Gray, LIC, BrightView Landscapes

Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of magazine publication. For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, or email Rick Doll Jr. at rick@ohiolandscapers.org.

DISCLAIMER

The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association.

OFFICERS

President

Stephanie Gray, LIC

President – Elect

Cameron Maneri

Treasurer

Ryan Drake

Immediate Past President

Brian Maurer, LIC

DIRECTORS

Brandon Barker

Tina Graver, LIC

Matt Malone

Tim McCaskey

Bob Ramser, LIC

Kate Stone, OCNT

OLA STAFF

Executive Director

Sandy Munley

Associate Director

Rick Doll, Jr.

UPCOMING OLA MEETINGS, EDUCATION SEMINARS & EVENTS

MARCH 8, 2023 (NE OHIO)

CREW LEADER TRAINING DAY

Crew Leaders work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing

MARCH 9, 2023 (NE OHIO)

CREW LEADER TRAINING DAY

Crew Leaders work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing

MARCH 10, 2023 (CENTRAL OHIO)

CREW LEADER TRAINING DAY

Crew Leaders work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing

MARCH 30, 2023 (CENTRAL OHIO)

CENTRAL OHIO EVENING MEETING

(Mike Rorie: Level Five Leadership)

Now more than ever, your business will benefit from your ability to provide a vision, operate within ethical standards and be decisive. These principles will be the glue that holds your business together during challenging times. Join us as Mike Rorie (GIS Dynamics) discusses Level 5 Leadership and the keys to constructing and managing a competent leadership team. See page 7.

JUNE

JUNE 15, 2023

26th ANNUAL AWARDS GALA

Join Ohio’s landscape community for an evening out as we reveal the 2022 Landscape Ohio! Award winners. This is a great opportunity for those of you who have been contemplating entering, or for those of you just looking to spend an elegant night out with industry leaders as we celebrate our industry!

JULY

JULY 11, 2023 (Tentative)

PLANT I.D. CLINIC (Central Ohio)

This clinic is a hands-on training opportunity for you and your crews covering the basics of Plant ID for plants typically used in Ohio. Sponsored by Premier Plant Solutions. Registration opens in May 1, 2023.

JULY 13, 2023 (Tentative)

PLANT I.D. CLINIC (N.E. Ohio)

This clinic is a hands-on training opportunity for you and your crews covering the basics of Plant ID for plants typically used in Ohio. Sponsored by Davis Tree Farm & Nursery. Registration opens in May 1, 2023.

AUGUST

AUGUST 3, 2023

OLA SCHOLARSHIP GOLF CLASSIC

Join us at Mallard Creek Golf Club for the OLA Scholarship Golf Classic! Our golf outing was created to help generate funding for our scholarship program, targeting qualified students interested in a vocation within the green profession. Call the OLA at 440.717.0002 for available sponsorship opportunities.

AUGUST cont.

AUGUST 23, 20212

SNOW & ICE MANAGEMENT CLINIC

Whether you’re an owner, operations manager, dispatcher, or anyone in between, the OLA’s annual snow and ice management clinic is a can’t miss event for any company focused on improving how they handle the “white side” of their business. More information concerning this year’s event, including presenters, to come! Vendors may call the OLA at 440.717.0002 for available booth/sponsorship opportunities in our mini-trade show exhibit.

- FACILITY TOURS

- STONE VENEER CLINIC

- SALES, DESIGN & MORE...

The Ohio Landscape Association is delighted to welcome the following members:

Great Lakes Grounds Management, LLC.

P.O. Box 384

Amherst, Ohio 44001

(440) 584-0556

Greg Taylor II

Willow Hill LLC

6291 Chittenden Road

P.O. Box 933 Northeast Ave.

Tallmadge, Ohio 44278

(330) 907-0693

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Great Lakes Business Advisors

4644 Graford Lane

Stow, Ohio 44224

4644 Graford Lane

Brad Ruth

Halstead Media Group

600 N Broad St, Ste 5 #2149

Middletown DE 19709

(845) 475-8162

Corey Halstead continued from page 3

Breaking down this system, Plan is the method of setting an objective and coming up with a hypothesis, or prediction. In this phase, we will set the who, what, where and when and how to collect the data. Do is carrying out the plan and documenting our observations. Study is analyzing the data and comparing the results to our predictions and then summarizing all that was learned. And finally, Act will be the initial implementation of the decided upon changes and determining the next cycle, if any.

If there is a particularly big issue that arises, or any thorny problem, I suggest utilizing a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and the 5 Whys. An RCA and the 5 Whys go hand in hand when trying to solve a problem and are part of PDSA. The 5 Whys help explore the relationship of a problem and its underlying root cause, or defect. Asking WHY 5 times is not a lesson in futility, but is a drill down technique to help move past the symptoms of an issue and get to the root of the problem.

So, here’s a quick example of PDSA and the 5 Whys...

Every day you walk out into the garage and it’s a disaster. Everyone’s just leaving tools everywhere. So, what is it you would like to accomplish? A clean garage! And, how are you going to accomplish that?

Plan: Determine one – preferably responsible – person to monitor and police people as they are loading and unloading items in the garage. Ascertain what tools should go where and how they can be checked in and out.

Do: Assign said person, set up storage areas, create checklists.

Study: After an allotted period of time, discuss what is working and what is not. Is the garage cleaner? Can crews find their tools easier? Are the checklists being used on an on-going basis?

Act: If it is working well, problem solved! If not, what changes can be made to further dial it in?

Even before beginning this type of implementation, we can start drilling down concerning what it is that’s causing the mess in the garage by asking WHY?

Why is the garage so messy? Have I ever communicated to my employees that I want it clean and organized?

Why is the garage so messy? Is everyone using the same tools? Would individual tools for individual crews make sense?

Why is the garage so messy? Do people just not care? Do they not feel a sense of ownership?

Why is the garage so messy? Are my crews just in that much of a hurry to get out the door in the morning that they don’t want to stick around at the end of the day?

Why is the garage so messy? Are there no assigned areas for tool storage in my garage? Are these areas not labeled?

While asking the Whys is the beginning of the process, a PDSA cycle is ongoing, and our organizations will inevitably become more efficient as we intuitively adopt the process of looking at all our problems in this manner. That said, don’t forget to:

• Celebrate improvements and lessons learned.

• Communicate accomplishments to internal and external customers, when applicable.

• Take steps to preserve your gains and accomplishments.

• Make long-term plans for additional improvements.

- Stephanie Gray LIC

EVENT INFORMATION

DATE & LOCATION

MARCH 30, 2023

NORTHSTAR GOLF CLUB

1150 WILSON RD. SUNBURY, OH 43074

AGENDA REGISTRATION / NETWORKING FOOD / CASH BAR

6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM

PROGRAM

7:00 PM TO 8:45 PM

COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: $50

REGISTER TO ATTEND BY MARCH 23, 2023

SPONSORED BY EMERALD SPONSORS

Now more than ever, your business will benefit from your ability to provide a vision, operate within ethical standards and be decisive. These principles will be the glue that holds your business together during challenging times.

Leadership is a basic and essential quality that is paramount to the success of your company. It’s a critical management skill that is often taken lightly and considered a by-product of your efforts rather than a calculated discipline. Your skills in motivating and influencing others toward a common goal may be more important in today’s business environment than ever before.

Join us, March 30, 2023, as Mike Rorie (Former CEO of GIS DYNAMICS) discusses the keys to competent executive leadership, including:

• Leadership lessons he’s learned throughout his career.

• How to construct your leadership team.

• Messages to develop your companies, future leaders & management teams.

• Methods in managing your leadership team.

As former CEO of GIS DYNAMICS and a current board member of Groundsystems, of Cincinnati, Mike enjoys mentoring industry owners for strategic growth and organizational development for their companies. He has spent his entire career in the commercial green industry spanning over four decades, growing his first compan, Ground Masters, into a fivecity regional platform that served over 1,200 customers with over 500 staff members. Mike sold Ground Masters in 2006.

In 2010, Mike became interested in a small business, GIS DYNAMICS, and created the brand GO I LAWN which allowed contractors to do desktop measuring and estimating versus field measuring. He operated the business for 10 years before selling it to Aspire Software, where it now resides. This has turned into PROPERTY INTELLIGENCE.

GOLD SPONSORS

In 2014, Mike, his daughter Rachel, and former GroundMasters managers incorporated GroundSystems into a Commercial Grounds and Snow Management company.

GIS Dynamics was founded in 2005 as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) company providing custom solutions to a variety of clients. In 2009, a GIS project for a New Jersey landscaper was the catalyst for what GIS now focuses on, Software as a Service applications Go iLawn (www.GoiLawn. com) and GoiPave (www.GoiPave.com). These web based applications are designed to help lawn and landscape, snow removal and pavement maintenance contractors measure properties online to expedite the estimating and proposal process. The company now operates on the ASPIRE software platform, a Service Titan company.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR OUR CENTRAL OHIO MEETINGS SEASON. CALL THE OLA OFFICE AT 440.717.0002.

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