1 Minute Read

This is the third in a series of posts about building a Breakthrough Company.

Business success can make cowards of us all.

Success brings profits and cash and a certain conservatism, as in: “let’s not to screw up what we’ve achieved." This risk aversion is natural. When you started the business you really had nothing to lose… now with success you do.  This is where complacency in your landscape business starts...

For those of you who manage now and have had some success you can see this happening: people get a bit arrogant (don’t want to change), they believe their own press (because the have gotten so much positive feedback), and worse they want to take a break from the breakneck pace that was required to achieve that success. These are signs that you are about to lose your edge to someone hungrier with ‘nothing to lose” and begin a long slog spiral downward into complacency...

How to kill complacency before it hurts your landscape business.

The authors of the Breakthrough Company demonstrate that addressing this complacency is perhaps the crucial hallmark of high success companies. They are marked by their willingness to continue to make business “bets” and act on them when most would rest on their laurels.

Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they are hungry and motivated. But someone must lead and get the team to assess the smart bets that will take the business forward—whether that means new markets, services, processes and software… or in many cases new staffing and landscape business management talent.

What's your best bet to beat business complacency?

What business bets should you make? A good bet would be to find new ways to improve the performance of what you're doing (better execution).  But even smarter bets are made by actively asking and listening to your customers and staff… then formulate with them the bet that provides your business with excitement and a competitive advantage for both customers and employees.

 
Kevin Kehoe

Kevin Kehoe