Guest Post: How to create respectful tension for results

According to Landscape Management, there is a certain type of constructive tension that can be healthy for a business. This "respectful tension" stretches people to perform at levels they never thought were possible.



How do words like, conflict, confrontation, accountability, debate and tension make you feel?

Uncomfortable? Sure! I don’t blame you. Nobody enjoys confrontation. If there’s someone who does, I would avoid him at all costs. On the other hand, I’d like to suggest there’s is a certain type of constructive tension that’s healthy in business. I call this “respectful tension.”

One of the definitions of tension is, “To apply a force to something that tends to stretch it.” Think about a rubber band between your thumb and finger. The harder you stretch it the further you can shoot it.

I must confess that I’m not afraid of the word tension. I’ve earnestly worked and preached the benefits of this type of constructive tension for the growth of a business. I’ve learned through the years that for any individual, team or organization to reach its full potential, it has to be stretched and challenged continuously to set and achieve lofty goals. I’ve also learned that leaders must understand and accept this responsibility or it won’t happen.

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Brain Drain: More Management Oversight Required for Shiftwork Safety

According to this EHS article, recent studies suggest that irregular or longer-than-normal shift hours have a negative impact on cognitive abilities and can cause the brain to age an extra 6.5 years!

EHS

Can working longer shifts or rotating shifts age your brain? A recent study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, "Chronic Effects of Shift Work on Cognition:Findings from the VISAT Longitudinal Study," examined the “chronicity and reversibility” of the effects of shiftwork on cognition. Researchers found that irregular shiftwork can result in cognitive impairment equal to 6.5 years of aging for a worker’s brain.

While cognitive loss is a focal point of the study, as a safety professional, I see the research as an opportunity to discuss and highlight the immediate safety issues related to workers and society associated with shiftwork. On an industry-wide level, managers need­­ to take steps to understand the effects of shiftwork on their employees and actively oversee their scheduling and culture in order to recognize the unique safety issues that could disrupt a company’s efficiency, safety and overall health.

Sleep Patterns and Safety
Work hours generally are separated into first, second and third shift, with the third shift spanning the late night through early morning times. Some shiftwork takes place in an industrial environment, where employees are working with equipment

To view the full article and read more, click here.

2014 State of the Industry Report: All’s Well That Ends Well

Though the spring of 2014 was basically nonexistent and many feared the worst for retailers in the landscaping business, this State of the Industry Survey, located in this GardenCenter article, reported that 72 percent of stores experiencing increased sales in 2014.

Garden Center Magazine, 2014

Record cold temperatures. Severe snow and rainstorms. A delayed start to the season for much of the country. Things weren’t shaping up for many retailers quite as they would’ve liked them to earlier this year. However, by the time summer was through, our research painted a different picture. More than 540 retailers weighed in on our State of the Industry Survey, and the season ended well for most, with 72 percent of stores experiencing increased sales in 2014.

When it came to what was selling and what wasn’t, there were a few notable departures from last year’s results. Tree and shrub sales showed marginal increases despite a flat housing market, a phenomenon we can attribute at least in part to the harsh winter weather that destroyed many well-established trees and shrubs, even in southern locales. Perennials also made a strong showing this year, with 68 percent of retailers reporting an increase in sales, in contrast to 51 percent in 2013.

As we attended trade shows, visited garden centers and chatted with others in the industry, the vibe has been more positive than in year’s past, with hope for the future. Over the following pages, you can take a look at how your peers did this year, compare that with how your business fared and keep it in mind as you plan for next year. Managing editor Michelle Simakis and I share our commentary throughout the section.

Survey says...


To read the full article and view survey results, follow this link.

Using Collaboration to Shore Up the Sustainable Supply Chain

According to this MH&L article, attitudes are changing and more end-use byers are willing to pay more for a sustainable product. How can you get on board?

Chris Potter, Flickr.

While manufacturers were early adopters of a sustainable supply chain due to their desire to switch from plastics to biodegradables, reduce packaging and pursue recycling, the end user was not always aware of these efforts.

The “relationships” between manufacturers and their supply chain were not important to the end user, writes Kate Ancell, in an article on granthorton.com.

“The customer didn’t care,” said Robert Schwartz, National Performance Improvement Leader at Grant Thornton. “It was about being on time, with good quality, and coming in on budget.”

 

However that attitude is changing as more end-use buyers are willing to pay more for a sustainable product, according to Schwartz. This leads to a need for a closer collaboration between suppliers and manufacturers.

“Collaboration between manufacturers and their suppliers is imperative for competition,” says Schwartz. With better, more sophisticated technology,..."

To read the full article, click here.