EDITORIAL: Developing Bench Strength

While the Cleveland Cavaliers were unceremoniously swept out of the NBA finals, losing four games to zero, they didn’t reach the pinnacle of pro basketball by happenstance.
 
Only two out of 30 NBA teams reach the finals in any given year presenting a challenge to any coach who must field a team of five players, along with bench players, to weather the highs and lows of the long season. Most teams have one or two stars – Lebron James in Cleveland’s case – and an assortment of role players specializing in defense, three-point shooting or speed. 

Cindy Code

Sure, one or two players regularly make the highlight reel on Sports Center, but a team effort is the only way the team achieves overall success in the playoffs as well as the record books.
 
While the Cavs lost and I have to endure chiding from my friends, the Cavs surprising season often reminds me of parallels to running a successful business. Building a sports franchise or building a business takes a clearly defined strategy, a leader to carry out the plan and a team to bring the company’s goals to fruition.
 
The president or owner of a landscape company is recognized monthly on our magazine cover. That person is the clearly recognized leader and, generally, mastermind behind the business. But that person didn’t achieve prominence without a strong management team, crew leaders and front-line workers.
 
The key to any strong organization is not size, image or even technology; rather it’s talent, commitment and leadership. While talent is essential at the top, it’s incumbent upon the owner or president to prepare for the future of his or her company. Your company’s future depends on your ability to identify key employees, hire and retain them and mentor them as the next generation of leaders at your company.
 
Bench players must be continually groomed in all facets of your business. Most owners recognize this fact, but many are reluctant to fulfill this essential job obligation for fear that a groomed employee might leave and start a competitive business. This happens regularly in the landscape industry, or any service industry for that matter.
 
Yes, the possibility exists that your most coveted employees might be lured away by a competitor or the entrepreneurial fever, but that doesn’t mean you don’t bring them into the fold and share your hopes and dreams for your company. On the contrary, mentoring a young professional in the landscape industry should be a rewarding experience even if they leave your company. Hopefully, that person will benefit from your experience and bring a professional approach to his or her new business.
 
Depth is essential for any organization. Your company needs someone who will step in and perform your responsibilities should you be hit by a bus or otherwise not able to run your company.
 
Every sports team relies on its bench. Every theater company carries understudies to back up its performers. We elect a president and a vice president so our country isn’t left without a leader should the president be unable to fulfill his duties.
 
Grooming your employees to interact with customers, keep your crews running efficiently and keep your projects moving forward is vital to your business success. What’s the point of driving your business, building a customer base and accumulating wealth if the business dries up when you’re no longer at the helm?
 
Aligning your most talented employees with your most critical needs and projects is essential to developing organizational depth. Don’t put this off for another season or another year. Bench players are essential to the depth and versatility of your business and the future of the landscape industry.