Viewpoint BY BILL PRESCOTT


ON SHOWING UP FOR YOUR TEAM It could be


THE FLORAL BUSINESS AUTHORITY JULY/AUGUST 2023 | VOLUME 40 | NUMBER 3


AMANDA JEDLINSKY EDITOR IN CHIEF AJEDLINSKY@SAFNOW.ORG


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OUR MISSION: FLORAL MANAGEMENT STRIVES TO GIVE READERS PRACTICAL, EASILY ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION ON OPERATING AN EFFECTIVE AND PROFITABLE FLORAL BUSINESS. ARTICLES ADDRESS A WIDE RANGE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TOPICS, INCLUDING MARKETING AND ADVERTISING STRATEGIES, TECHNOLOGY, PERSONNEL AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS FRESH PRODUCT, SUPPLY AND ECONOMIC TRENDS.


> Whether you are a flower shop owner, a wholesaler, or the manager of a flow- er-growing operation, the challenges are seemingly endless; but that’s why we love it, right? Charging after sales, hunt- ing for new business, and delighting and amazing our customers. These activities make running a business thrilling. The pressure we face comes with


the job. Being responsible for five, 10, 30 or even 500 families’ incomes can be daunting. Maintaining a successful enterprise to make payroll each week is seriously hard work. Lately, the crazy inflation and skyrocketing transportation costs have added another huge stress. But you know what? None of these


factors are what keep you up at night. These factors can be worked on, studied, improved, put in a spreadsheet, and monitored. They can be adjusted, rene- gotiated, and ultimately solved. What keeps you up at night are


the people. Management necessi- tates leadership, and as leaders we work to encourage, inspire, support, and challenge our teams. Some days this is exhilarating. Other days it is exasperating. Managing and leading people is so


challenging because people are people. They have free will unlike a spreadsheet, an invoice, or a tulip. They make good decisions and they make bad decisions. These decisions directly impact our businesses, leading to the hardest part of running a business: managing your team members’ strengths and weaknesses. To be clear, I have been blessed to


work with many individuals who are complete rock stars in sales, in admin- istration, in production — in all sorts of positions. But to be honest, the ones that weigh heavy on your heart seem to always be the ones with amazing ability, which often goes unrealized.


your star sales rep living loose and fast with reality, who takes a serious misstep. It could be a person struggling with alcohol, which impacts their per- formance. It could be health issues, kid issues, mental health issues, you name it. The job you signed up for is to not only help these people achieve their potential but also to find the win-win where your company benefits as well. The key to success (and sleeping


well) is to spend the time to actually care about your team and take their various issues, concerns, and situations to heart. Yes, this requires some loss of sleep, but once you have spent the time, sleep will return. Success is defined not by numbers


on a chart. Success is how your relation- ship with your team builds and evolves, overcomes challenges and works toward shared goals. It may even mean parting ways with a team member, ideally ami- cably, but especially respectfully. The best part of this success is that


when your team member learns to thrive and overcome their issues and stay with your company, it builds a base of trusted people that you can rely on.


Bill Prescott is the director of sales and marketing for Sun Valley Floral Farm, in Arcata, California.


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FLORAL MANAGEMENT | July/August 2023 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


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