Objective Each plan has an objective. State the objective in detail, giving a clear picture of success. Each objective the company establishes should have three elements: precision; profitability and purpose.
Precise As a business owner, we have a vision of what the grand strategic map of the growing season is and what needs to take place during that period to fulfill each objective. We need to communicate that clearly. Our employees need to know when their particular pieces must be done. If something has to be completed before something else must start, make the exact time clear.
If the objective is to increase delivery by a specific number of pallets of sod during the week, don’t just say they need to be delivered by the end of the week. Say they need to be at the job site by noon on Friday. If the objective has a long-term goal, such as increased profitability by the end of the year, say it has to be achieved by December 31, 2019.
Profitable If the objective is to increase delivery by a specific number of pallets of sod during the week, determine what the profit on the increased delivery will be and state it by number or percentage. If the objective is a year- end profit margin increase of 30 percent, state that so everyone knows the target.
Purpose How will achieving this objective impact the business? Make it very clear to your people what you want to achieve and state it clearly, such as, the purpose is to remain the preferred sod provider to our distributors.
Challenges and Resources What are the likely challenges that leaders encounter in meeting objectives? What challenges did we run into last year that were internal to the organization (we had some control over it) or external (outside our control like regulations, environmental or economic challenges)? Get all the issues on the table and bring in your staff to share as well, so all the issues can be processed. Ask: “What can we do to lessen those challenges?” “What are all the things we have that will help?”
Consider internal issues, such as those with customers, staff, family, machinery, communications systems. What if we only have two sod harvest people and one of them leaves? Who can be trained to step in?
“The question to ask before any training session—whether it’s in a classroom, in the shop, or out in the field—is,
‘If I deliver this training how will our customers know?’”
What could go wrong that’s out of our control? Are there new regulations or laws that impact us? What if it floods, or freezes early? What if the road is closed? Look at things that could happen that are not things we can change and develop a contingency plan to deal with them if they do occur. Have a team assigned to move equipment to a safe place if flooding is predicted. Alert drivers to contact the logistics department for alternate routing if roads are closed. Make sure all employees know that if someone gets hurt, you want a call and text to your cell phone right away. You want people to know that if this does happen, then this is what they should do.
Consider all resources as plans develop. Reach out to peers in TPI and other segments of the green industry; tap into distributor relationships; connect with the local university’s turfgrass specialists; seek advice from bankers, accountants or from consultants.
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