What have you learnt from your job over the years? I’ve been leading and managing The Garden Company since 1991 – a long time! Recently I have found myself reflecting on what this has taught me. These ‘learning points’ happen to be set in the context of a garden design-and-build business, but I suspect they are applicable to most small service firms. Let me know your thoughts.
Point 1 – Clients are at the heart of what we do and how we do it
We provide a bespoke garden design-and-build service aimed at discerning clients. Our clients may be residential homeowners or commercial businesses. Our goal is always to ‘wow’ them with our work. Sometimes, we have an additional client – a fellow designer, where we build to their design, not our own. It can still be surprisingly easy to fall into the trap of focusing on what we want to deliver, rather than listen to what the client really wants.
So … the first learning point I want to highlight is that designing and building gardens isn’t about our wants and needs, it is about those of the client. What do they want from their garden or grounds? What is their dream? How do they want to use the space in future? Of course, we can add a lot of value when it comes to solutions (that’s why we’ve been chosen!). But we need to start from a very good grasp of the clients’ hopes and wishes. We have learnt over the years to listen intently to the client every step of the way. Our marketing materials speak about our clients, their stories and aspirations, not what makes The Garden Company great.
Point 2 – Failure to plan is planning to fail
A bit of a cliché maybe, but so true in my view. Any good project manager knows the importance of mise en place, a French term which translates to “putting in place.” This is the work that begins in the restaurant trade long before a meal is due to be served. Chickens are portioned, vegetables are peeled, sauces are prepared. It is certainly not exciting work, but it is essential for a high-quality service. Importantly, it reinforces the need for people to take pride in their work at all stages.
We hold this principle very dear at The Garden Company. We have invested significant time and resource into making sure that projects are planned and delivered effectively and efficiently. Our approach to this is captured in a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all team members to follow. The overall purpose of each SOP is to give detailed directions so that any individual can do a job correctly, on time, every time. They are great training (and cross-training) tools, and we are glad we took the time to document them.
Point 3 – True teamwork delivers results
After setting up The Garden Company, I soon realised that I needed to develop individuals and teams to support me in growing the business. However, delegation has been one of the hardest lessons to learn because – even now – in such a competitive industry, every opportunity feels a little like gold dust. Once I have delegated a task, I know that I can neither ‘abdicate’ nor can I interfere. I’ve learnt to keep things on track e.g. by making sure that I have shared upfront any information about the task that I already have, and by communicating regularly. But it’s a work in progress and for the full picture, ask the rest of my management team how this is going!
Of course, I could not have continued trying to do everything myself! I have learnt to appreciate the real value of true teamwork by leading and managing my own small business. There have been days when I’ve not been quite sure how I’ll get everything done. Perhaps it’s the big finish on a project in time for a client’s garden party, along with a proposal presentation to be prepared and a new design waiting for my attention on the drawing board. These situations are challenging. They certainly reinforce the message that – on your own – you’d never meet all the requirements made of you. Through genuine collaboration and cooperation, teamwork can really save time. It also makes great use of the talent available and delivers the best client service.
Point 4 – It’s vital to preserve some thinking time
Many of us started out in business at a time when lunch was for ‘wimps’ and we all carried huge Filofaxes around alongside our over-sized mobile phones. However, as The Garden Company grew, I found that being very busy and rushing from one activity to the next was becoming a problem. These days I have learnt that a vital part of my leadership role is to carefully protect some of my time. I need this to be able to reflect on the business and its future growth and development. Day-to-day operations will always be a high priority. But I try hard to balance my time spent on short term ‘stuff’ with bigger, long-term thinking and decision-making. Tactics that help me to do this are:
- delegating to others (as described already).
- listening and staying open to new ideas from others, inside and outside the business. Otherwise, it’s so tempting to stick to old tried-and-tested solutions.
- applying some good old stress-management techniques.
For me, creating the space for thinking time is about getting good quality sleep, eating healthy food and taking exercise. Relaxing with the family and/or my guitar, and walks in the fresh air enjoying my surroundings (remembering why I do what I do!) help too. I think it’s well-recognised that time away from the ‘coalface’ can often be the time that new ideas come to the foreground.
Point 5 – Being creative is extremely rewarding
Creating beautiful gardens for a living is highly rewarding in itself, not least because every project is unique. Every new project is based on a robust thought process plus a sprinkling of design creativity and inspiration. I’m so grateful to remain highly motivated by this and not ever feel stifled by my job!
In an earlier blog, I wrote about the factors that have most influenced my design work over the years and the satisfaction to be gained from creating a space for people to enjoy. I am always impressed at RHS Shows and elsewhere by the creative talent in our industry and the opportunities to be creative that come our way. As a garden builder as well as designer, I’ve worked closely with other designers over the years too. Building gardens to their designs and interpreting their concepts sensitively has been a great additional source of creative energy for me.
And this leads to my final point – I’m glad I chose this career path
The golden thread through all of these points is that we are a friendly bunch in garden design and construction! Sure, it’s a highly competitive world, but at least it is friendly competition. In my view, the work just attracts nice people (!). I’ve written before about how much I enjoy being immersed in this industry. It would be easy to take this for granted.
A good example of our positive culture can be found in the support that many give to industry charities such as Perennial and Greenfingers. More selfishly perhaps, as a member of the Society of Garden Designers and the British Association of Landscape Industries, I can honestly say that I have met lots of lovely people through these organisations. Otherwise, I can see how being owner-manager of a small business could be a lonely place to be.
Conclusion
Most (maybe all) of the points listed above are well-established in theory. I believe that it is my personal experience of running The Garden Company since 1991 that has driven them home for me.
If you are a business owner, what would you add from your own experience? I’d be very interested to hear. Maybe you are new to the industry, or in the middle and later years of your career …. or from a different industry altogether?
And if what I have said here resonates and you are looking for a new challenge … please get in touch. We are always on the lookout for people who are passionate about making clients happy with bespoke, handcrafted spaces.
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