#MiPDV – Remember To Do Your Spring Maintenance

It’s springtime in much of the US. In the area where I live, we are getting the yard ready for the warmer months ahead. It’s an annual process we go through for the health of the yard. 

Without the work, there would be fewer flowers, trees would not be as healthy, and lawns would be less beautiful. 

Key to successfully preparing the yard is to take care of our equipment. If you don’t, the result can be expensive and time-consuming, as I learned some time ago:

Here’s a sample of the maintenance we do for the lawn mower: 

• Lawn mower blades – are they damaged? If so, they need to be replaced. If they are not damaged, are they sharp? If not, they need to be properly sharpened. Are they attached properly? If not, the bolts need to be tightened or replaced.
• Air filter – is it dirty? Should it be replaced, or can it be cleaned and reinstalled?
• Spark plug – is it clean? If not, can it be cleaned and reinstalled, or should it be replaced? Is it correctly gapped? If not, re-gap it so the mower runs most efficiently.
• Oil – does the lawn mower need to have an oil change? If so, change the oil and make sure it has the correct amount of oil. If it does not need to be changed, you should still check the oil level and fill if needed. 

None of these items are particularly difficult or time-consuming, but they are important. 

Thinking about the lawn, we use a multi-step approach to remove old, dead grass and prepare the new grass shoots to grow into a beautiful lawn. We scalp the lawn, meaning that we mow it lower than usual to remove as much of the old grass as possible. But we don’t do it all at once, because there are limits to how much grass you can remove at one time. 

To prevent damage to the lawn, we scalp in phases. Each week, we cut progressively lower until we reach the level we want. Once we reach our desired level, we dethatch the lawn to remove any remaining dead leaves that could cause a thatch problem. 

Why is this story relevant? Because we need to do the same type of maintenance with our customers, our team members, and ourselves. 

Think of the lawn like your customers – is the relationship you have with them today the same as you had a year ago? 

Probably not. 

Most likely, the relationship has evolved over time … it’s had some growth, some waste, and perhaps risks developing thatch that can ultimately damage the relationship. 

But there is a key question to consider: was the evolution in the relationship left to chance or was it intentional? 

Far too often we allow customer relationships to evolve randomly. We simply get comfortable with each other, or we focus solely on the day-to-day tasks, and we don’t put much intentional effort into developing the relationship. 

How can you be more intentional about developing the relationship? Just as you use multiple phases in a large project, you can set goals – preferably jointly with the customer – and lay out a multi-step plan to achieve them. Then, follow your plan. 

The same kind of maintenance should be done with your team. Think about it: 

• Who on your team needs to sharpen their skills? Have you thought about their training and development plan for the year?
• Who needs a bit of “cleaning” – meaning someone who needs minor redirection to ignite success? Maybe it’s as simple as a change in their sales approach, or using available resources better … or maybe something else. What is the best way for you to get them back on the best path?
• Who needs a change? Whether it is a change in their territory, role, or responsibilities, team members need periodic changes so they don’t stagnate. Change provides new opportunities to learn and grow, and to remain engaged in their work. 

While you’re thinking about each team member, then also think about yourself. What skills should you improve? What needs cleaning? Or are you ready for a change? 

Maintenance is important – are you keeping up with it? 

That’s mi punto de vista #MiPDV.